Lasantha Wickrematunge

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Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge
File:Lasantha spl.jpg
Born	5 April 1958 Colombo, Sri Lanka
Died	8 January 2009(2009-01-08) (aged 50) Colombo, Sri Lanka
Other names	Surnimala
Education	Law, University of Colombo
Occupation(s)	Investigative Journalist (Editor in chief),Politician,Media Personality,Lawyer & Buissnessman[citation needed]
Spouse(s)	Raine Wickrematunge (1985-2007) Sonali Samarasinghe (2008-)
Children	Avinash Wickrematunge Ahimsa Wickrematunge Aadesh Wickrematunge
Website	http://www.lasanthawickrematunge.com

Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge (5 April 1958 – 8 January 2009) was a prominent Sri Lankan high-profile anti-government journalist media personality politician and human rights activist^[1][2] who was assassinated on January 2009^[1][3]. The assassination became even more notable^[4] because of a chilling editorial he had written in anticipation of being killed, in which he blames the Sri Lanka government for using assassination to stifle the media:

"Murder has become the primary tool whereby the state seeks to control the organs of liberty"^[5]

Wickrematunge was known for taking "governments of all hues to task"^[6], was a "virulent critic of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government"^[7], and had been "locked in a legal battle with the president's brother, defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa"^[3], who was seeking a military solution to the Tamil insurgency^[4].

Coming after numerous killings of anti-government and other journalists^[8][9] - e.g. P. Devakumaran (stabbed May 2008), Sampath de Silva (shot April 2006), Taraki Sivaram (abducted near police station, 2005) - the murder of such a prominent journalist and political figure was widely condemned across the world. The Daily Mirror called it the "biggest blow" to media freedom in Sri Lanka and the Editors Guild held the government responsible for the killing as it has failed to stop attacks against media personnel. The government also expressed shock at the killing, pledging to do everything in its power to catch his killers.^[10]

Wickrematunge had been on Amnesty International's endangered list since 1998^[8][11] when anti-tank shells were fired on his house^[12].

Despite intense media pressure, no one has been arrested as of January 2011^[13], and Sri Lankan media speculates that the murder investigation may "end up as a cover up"^[14], and that safeguards for an independent media appears bleak.^[15]

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Lasantha Wickrematunge was the youngest of six children born to a family with a background in politics. His father Harris Wickrematunge, a prominent politician, had served as a municipal councillor for 30 years, was at one time the deputy mayor^[where?], and was known for his transparency in dealing with the press, even opening confidential files for reporters. Wickrematunge was the cousin of Desmond Lorenz de Silva husband of Princess Katarina Karadjordjevic.The grandnephew of The Honourable George E De Silva. Wickrematunge is of Portuguese Dutch descent. In his childhood Wickrematunge attended St Benedict’s College where he excelled at cricket. Wickrematunge spent his adolescence in Britain where he graduated high school and eventually returned to Sri Lanka where he started law school. Upon graduating and receiving his law degree Wickrematunge opted out of practicing criminal law full time and found himself dabbling in politics and going on to be first a sub editor at the Sun newspaper. Wickrematunge then found himself covering crime, courts, and politics at the Island newspaper, where he eventually became news editor.

File:Lasantha with co jounalist.jpg

Whilst practicing law, Wickrematunge made his way into the political scene before entering into journalism starting with the Island and Sun newspapers^[16]. In 1972 Wickrematunge contested in the elections. He was then assigned private secretary to the world's first female prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike. Throughout his career Wickrematunge was an outspoken political commenter and activist, Wickrematunge was the adviser to many politicians assisting President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his early days to power and the adviser to former prime minister Ranil Wickremasinghe^[17].

In 1994 Wickrematunge started the Sunday Leader. Wickrematunge led this newspaper, which emerged from the Multipacks Group of Companies founded by Haris Hulugalle, Wickrematunge's brother, Lal Wickrematunge, was chairman of Leader Publications Ltd ^[18]. In addition to Sunday Leader, Wickrematunge was the Editorial Board Director for the Sinhalese Sunday newspaper Irudina (launched 2004) and the Wednesday English paper Morning Leader (launched 2005). All three were severely critical towards the government. As an editor, he was particularly noted for his unwavering personal conviction, and his role in mentoring younger colleagues^[19]. Wickrematunge was also a reporter for Time magazine and host of good morning sri lanka.

Wickrematunge and President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been friends for over 20 years however started a public ongoing feud when Wickrematunge received a phone call on 11 January 2006.

"F**k your mother, you son of a bloody wh**e!"

"I will finish you!"

"I treated you well all this while. Now I will destroy you. You don't know who Mahinda Rajapakse is. You watch what I will do to you!"

Uncharacteristically rattled by Rajapakse's outburst, Wickrematunge had inquired what exactly it was that Rajapakse was so upset about. The President was referring to an article about his wife first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa that simply did not exist in that day's Morning Leader.Wickrematunge had explained that such an article was a figment of the President's imagination: someone had been feeding him meat.

He had added, addressing Rajapakse by his familiar first name, "Mahinda, just because you are President, do not talk in that threatening way. We don't get intimidated by threats. Tell us what it is we are supposed to have written." According to reports Rajapaksa responded

"You are not scared!"

"I will show you what it is to be scared. I will rest only once I have destroyed you. You wait and see. You don't know who Mahinda Rajapakse is."

It was just a month later on 21 February 2006, Wickrematunge was harassed by immigration officials acting on the dictates of the government as he waited to board a plane at the airport, to attend the Geneva peace talks.

However in 2007 Wickrematunge and Rajapaksa reconciled.

Wickrematunge was under threat almost on a daily basis being constantly followed,having his phones tapped and beign stalked,His family was in constant danger. In 1995 Wickrematunge and his then wife were pulled from their moving car in a quiet residential street by a gang of hit men and beaten with metal poles pierced with nails.Wickrematunge reported in his editorial in the following week that his then wife jumped over his body to shield and protect him and was also attacked.

In the second week of June 1998, Wickrematunge began to notice that his house was under surveillance. A mysterious white van with tinted windows was regularly parked outside the residence. Wickrematunge, his wife, children, and domestic aides dived for cover as their house was bombarded by heavily penetration ammunition from weapons of war, shattering windows, chiselling at the walls, and effortlessly cutting through the garage gate to severely damage the two vehicles parked inside the residence.The family chauffeur nearly lost his life as he ducked behind a jeep in the garage, bullets whizzing bare inches from his neck.

On 22 May 2000 the Sunday Leader was ordered to be shut down by the then government. However the court ordered the government to pay the pro-opposition Sunday Leader in compensation. The Supreme Court had ruled the government acted illegally in imposing media censorship in response to the war in the north.

Wickematunge was threatend to be arrested numerous times. In September 2000 Wickrematunge was threatened to be sentenced to two years simple imprisonment by the High Court in a criminal defamation case. The Colombo High Court Judge informed Wickrematunge that the jail sentence had been suspended for a period of five years. In 2006 Wickrematunge was threatend to be sent to prison again,however due to a mass protest outside Wickrematune's office, police officer's were asked to turn back. In 2007 While Wickrematunge was returning from overseas from a peace talk,the CID were said to wait for him and take him into custody.

The printing press of the Leader Publication was destroyed in 2007 by an armed gang who stormed the building on the outskirts of Colombo and set the machines on fire, police said. At least 12 masked men carrying T-56 automatic weapons threatened the staff at the building and set it on fire.

In late 2006 it was reported that a bomb was planted outside the MTV/Sirasa studios where Wickrematunge worked, intended to explode at the exit Wickrematunge took, however it had been defused.^{[citation needed]}

In 2006 Wickrematunge arrived at the airport and presented his passport to emigration officials who held him up and questioned him for over half an hour. It was only when Wickrematunge broadcast his plight on Sirasa Radio via his mobile phone that authorities received a hasty message from Colombo to let him through, a mere five minutes before his flight was to depart. It was later revealed by the Immigration and Emigration Chief that the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) had issued orders to prevent one "Wickrematunge" from leaving the country, thus the holdup.

Wickrematunge was locked in an ongoing legal battle with Gotabaya Rajapaksa where Wickrematunge's business was being sued for Rs 2 billion. The Sunday Leader is still set to take prominence with a hearing held where Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa is suing the Leader Publications.

A week ago before the assassination Wickrematunge received a letter across that in red paint, the written words read: (If writing continued, you will be sliced up). Wickrematunge instructed his secretary to trash it but it was filed away. In October 2009 Frederica Jansz received the same letter which was compared by a graphologist who confirmed the letters came from the same palm.

Sri Lanka Freedom Party People’s Wing leader and former Minister Mangala Samaraweera said that Wickrematunge had an audio recording of a confession made by one of the members of the killer squad led by the ‘Ugly American’ and a court injunction against Wickrematunge was obtained to prevent him revealing those facts. Addressing a press conference of joint opposition MP Samaraweera charged that the same persons assassinated Wickrematunge

MP Samaraweera said that in the morning he faced death, Wickrematunge had received a copy of a suspicious cabinet paper submitted by the President to the cabinet meeting. Samaraweera showed the media persons a copy of the said cabinet paper.

MP Samaraweera said that the cabinet papers for procuring emergency defense and air equipment were suspicious since they had no mentioning of the facts like what to purchase, from where and what the price etc.

The suppler was mentioned as ‘single source supplier,’Samaraweera stated. He further stated that the procurement agency ‘Lanka Logistic Technology Ltd.’ director board is none other than the Rajapakse Brothers Company. He says that only the technical details of the procured items need to be secret. This kind of large procurements should not be done out of an open tender process, Samaraweera pointed out.

Wickrematunge was to expose these details. He was also to hand over a file with details of killer squads run by US citizens in Sri Lanka to the US state Secretary after President elect Barack Obama assumed duty. Before he could proceed with them he was gunned down, said MP Mangala Samaraweera.

He said that this US citizen had killer squads in the names K-9 Group, Mahasona Group, Singha Mafia etc. Initially, they were led by a person called Gajanayaka and now they are led by one ‘Navy Sampath.’ There is a special unit under a retired person whose name begins with ‘z’ letter to spy the places the persons to be killed inhabit.

Wickrematunge was shot while he was on his way to work around 10:30 a.m. on 8 January 2009.^[20] Four armed assassins riding motorcycles blocked Wickrematunge's vehicle before breaking open his window and shooting him.^[3][10] He was taken to the nearby Colombo South General Hospital (Kalubowila) by those who were nearby. It was initially planned with a helicopter on standby to transfer him to the Colombo National Hospital, but due to his unstable condition, medical teams started brain surgery at the Kalubowila Hospital itself. A specialist team of 20 of the best medical personnel were called in for the surgery.^[10] Despite surgery lasting nearly three hours, Wickrematunge died from his head wounds.

Addressing President Rajapaksa, he predicts about the enquiry into his own murder: "like all the inquiries you have ordered in the past, nothing will come of this one. For, truth be told, we both know who will be behind my death, but dare not call his name."

Gwynne Dyer in The Canberra Times commented: "Almost certainly he meant Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the president's brother."^[21]

However, in an interview for BBC, Gotabhaya, the Secretary of Defence, tried to underplay the assassination by calling it "just another murder". Wickrematunge himself he called a "Tabloid writer"^[22]. The government has also accused the opposition of trying to gain political advantage from the assassination.^[23]

His widow, Sonali Samarasinghe Wickrematunge, herself a journalist who worked with him, left the country a month after his assassination, and now calls herself an "editor in exile"^[19].

In July 2009 Mervyn Silva held a meeting where he publicly stated “Lasantha from the Leader paper went overboard. I took care of him. Poddala agitated and his leg was broken. Now a fellow in my electorate is trying to stand against me. I now tell him in his own hometown, I will give him only seven more days. If he does not resign as chairman of the Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha, don’t blame me later on. You’ll don’t find fault with me. If this fellow goes against what I say, I will send him to the place where I sent Lasantha,”

Silva had made this statement addressing a gathering at the opening ceremony of a outlet

Former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka was arrested for alleged connections to the assassination of Wickrematunge Fonseka accused law enforcement officers for also trying to force a confession out of Brigadier D. Keppetivalana in a bid to frame him and the Brigadier in an assassination plot that killed Wickrematunge.

General Fonseka told the Sunday Leader that Brigadier Keppetivalana was arrested for his alleged involvement in Wickrematunge’s killing. He said Keppetivalana’s wife had told him (Fonseka) that her husband had been arrested on charges of being involved in the murder of Wickrematunge.

However in 2010 Mervyn Silva publicly stated "The assassination of the journalist Mr Lasantha Wickrematunge is done by the former Army Commander Sarath Fonseka".Silva also indicated that he have evidence regarding the incident, and also said that, he would like to request the Inspector General of Police to call him as a witness.

Seven soldiers belonging to the Sri Lanka Army’s Military Intelligence Unit were detained as investigations continued into the murder of Wickrematunge. The seven suspects were being held for further questioning by the Terrorist Investigations Department and the Criminal Investigations Department.

The seven soldiers were separated from an original seventeen taken into police custody as evidence unfolded which may link the soldiers to the murder of Wickrematunge, detectives said.

In 2009 early days into the investigation the family's chauffeur was arrested and taken into custody for reportedly having connections to the assassination.It was revealed by police reports that Wickrematunge's employee was working as an undercover giving traces and details of Wickrematunge's every move.

When the Straits Times asked if Fonseka knew of the murder, Gotabaya said "Yes, of course. We know there was no other person: In fact, I know for sure. He was definitely responsible for five or six cases (of disappearances) where media people were involved. Now I am going after the people who did the executions. The truth will come out very soon, then the people will know."

When the operator of the Army Intelligence Unit and a Tamil Garage Owner who were taken into custody in connection with the assassination of Wickrematunge they were produced before the Chief Magistrate, they were ordered to be held further in remand till 19 November 2010. The Army Intelligence Unit Operator, and garage owner were arrested due to the connection they were alleged to have, insinuated by the telephone calls they had between themselves, leading to the suspicion they had been conspiring to assassinate Wickrematunge

Submitting a report,The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) told the court that the case pertaining to the assassination of veteran Lasantha, had been handed over to the Terrorist Investigation Division(TID).

In an explosive statement in May 2011 a former Army Intelligence Unit member told the Court that the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) had assured him of being made a state witness, provided security and a foreign job if he agreed to implicate a senior army officer in the killing of the Sunday Leader founder and editor.The former AIU member who is currently under detention on charges of being involved in the killing made this statment when the case was taken up for inquiry.

File:Sandbichler04.jpg

Wickrematunge's assassination caused an international outcry. Reporters Without Borders said that “President Mahinda Rajapaksa, his associates and the government media are directly to blame because they incited hatred against him and allowed an outrageous level of impunity to develop as regards violence against the press".^[24][25] President Mahinda Rajapaksa described the assassination as an attempt to discredit the government,^[7] The opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe observed that it was part of an anti-democratic conspiracy and accused the government of attempting to silence its critics.^[7]

The United National Party, Sri Lanka's main opposition party, also staged a demonstration in the parliament on 9 January to protest his killing.^[26] In a statement former president Chandrika Kumaratunga said “Lasantha had guts, which is more than I can say for the cowardly barbarians who murdered this unarmed man.” The JVP Party also condemned the attack

The assassination was condemned by Norway, the United States, the European Union and Japan, the United Nations strongly condemned the assassination while the World Bank expressed its concerns over the attack.^[27] The Commonwealth Journalists' Association (CJA) also expressed its outrage at the killing of Lasantha Wickrematunge, asking for justice and the best investigation.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa told Time (magazine) about Wickrematunge: "He was a good friend of mine. He had informed somebody to inform me that he was in danger. But unfortunately, I didn't get that message. I would have told him to go to the nearest police station. No one knows what happened." Wickrematunge was honored by a Congressman on the floor of the United States House of Representatives by reading excerpts of his last editorial.^{[citation needed]}

“I rise today to honor, Lasantha Wickrematunge, a brave journalist who was gunned down while driving to work in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. Threats, attacks, and murders of journalist are becoming all too common in Sri Lanka. Wickrematunge knew the dangers well, but courageously continued reporting,” he said.

Also read were excerpts of his final editorial published posthumously. Meanwhile, Britain also joined in condemning the killing of Wickrematunge.Gordon Brown condemned the assassination whilst

British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, said in a statement and condemned the killing of Wickrematunge and said that it was the duty of the authorities to take prompt action into these incidents.^{[citation needed]}

“We condemn such brazen attacks. Of particular concern was the murder, on 8 January, of the Chief Editor of The Sunday Leader newspaper, Lasantha Wickrematunge. The Sri Lankan authorities have a duty to take prompt action to ensure that a thorough and independent investigation is carried out,” he said.

He also pointed out the reports of abductions and disappearances in the country.

“There continue to be reports of abductions, disappearances and acts of violence and intimidation in Sri Lanka. Without strong mechanisms for independent human rights reporting, it is difficult to assess the true scope of the problem,” he said.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in a statement ahead of World Press Freedom Day called on the government of Sri Lanka to ensure that those responsible for Lasantha Wickrematunge's murder are found and prosecuted. Actor Bill Nighy appeared as a special guest and read Wickrematunge's last editorial for News Hour on BBC

Time (magazine) called his death "A personal loss to Time"

Wickrematunge was awarded the 2009 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize,^[28][29]. The director-general of UNESCO, Koïchiro Matsuura, stated:

In awarding the 2009 World Press Freedom Prize to a committed journalist who opposed war, UNESCO, along with media professionals from all over the world, recognizes the important role that freedom of expression can play in fostering mutual understanding and reconciliation, the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day celebration."^[28]

On 17 November 2009 Wickrematunge was awarded the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard presented by the Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism to slain Sri Lankan newspaper editor Lasantha Wickrematunge and the journalists of Afghanistan.

Wickrematunge and David S. Rohde were awarded at the National Press Club (USA) with the 2009 John Aubuchon Press Freedom Awards. The awards are bestowed on one international journalist and one American journalist who embody the principles of a free press.

Wickrematunge was awarded with a special James Cameron Award in 2009.

In 2009 Wickrematunge was awarded the Guardian Journalism Award

Wickrematunge was awarded the 1st Asia Media Award for Press Freedom: In Memory of Wickrematunge

In 2010 Wickrematunge had been posthumously declared an IPI World Press Freedom Hero.

In 2000, the global anti-corruption community recognized Lasantha Wickrematunga’s fearless pursuit of the truth and the years he spent exposing corruption in Sri Lankan politics by granting him Transparency International's very first Integrity Award.

Following his death, the Sunday Leader carried a posthumous editorial^[5] by Wickrematunge, in which he blames the Government directly^[30] for assassinating journalist as its "primary tool" for controlling the media. In a brooding testimonial to personal courage, he writes:

"No other profession calls on its practitioners to lay down their lives for their art save the armed forces and, in Sri Lanka, journalism.... Electronic and print-media institutions have been burnt, bombed, sealed and coerced. Countless journalists have been harassed, threatened and killed. It has been my honour to belong to all those categories and now especially the last."^[5]

Written by a man who had been facing death threats on a regular basis for many years, the editorial meditates about why he takes such risks - "After all, I too am a husband, and the father of three wonderful children.... Diplomats, recognising the risk journalists face in Sri Lanka, have offered me safe passage and the right of residence in their countries. Whatever else I may have been stuck for, I have not been stuck for choice. But there is a calling that is yet above high office, fame, lucre and security. It is the call of conscience.... Our commitment is to see Sri Lanka as a transparent, secular, liberal democracy".^[5]

His statement that "Sri Lanka is the only country in the world routinely to bomb its own citizens."^[5] touched on the taboo subject of false flag, Gladio style artificial terrorism by covert operators.

• J. S. Tissainayagam
• Daniel Pearl
• Anna Politkovskaya
• Ranil Wickramasinghe

• Goodbye Lasantha : Memorials by his wife, brother and other Sunday Leader staff
• Remembering “Lassie Boy” on his 51st birthday: by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
• "A year goes by...& we're lost without you..." by Sunalie Ratnayake, a colleague journalist at Sunday Leader(photo collections)
• Remembering Lasantha...six months by Sunalie Ratnayake, California, USA.
• Remembering Lasantha...six months by Sunalie Ratnayake, California, USA.
• Lasantha: Two years after the assassination by Basil Fernando , Hong Kong , SAR, CNINA
• Lasantha Assassination: A recollection of facts by Sunalie Ratnayake,California, USA.
• Memories of Lasantha Wickrematunga by Pearl Thevanayagam , London, UK

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