By Sonali Samarasinghe

The telephone threat made by President Mahinda Rajapakse to the

Editor, The Sunday Leader, Lasantha Wickrematunge and the ensuing

furore last week stunned diplomats and shocked civil society.

The threat issued personally to the Editor by the President of the

Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in gutter language was

based on some gossip that had reached the ear of Rajapakse that an

article had been published regarding a disastrous visit made by the

President and First Lady Shiranthi to the famous Guruvayur temple in

Kerala.

It was a visit he feared would tarnish his image as a Sinhala leader and

devout Buddhist and he desperately did not want details of the gaffe to

come out. In fact he was acting on the mistaken belief that the story

was published in this newspaper, hence his venom.

That aside, let's for a moment reflect on President Rajapakse. He is

out of his depth. Nobody knows this better than the President himself.

If ever there was a man who was out of his league, then that man is

this man and President Mahinda Rajapakse knows it only too well.

Out of his league

Already since his election to high office some 68 service personnel

have been killed and almost as many civilians. The foreign press has

estimated the dead servicemen at well over 100. Only on Thursday

another claymore mine took the lives of a further 10 sailors. As the

body bags keep rolling in and the dead pile up, Rajapakse knows he

cannot cope. He also understands now why the LTTE desperately

wanted him as President of the south.

But if he kicked off on the wrong foot at home, he did the same

abroad. His first official Presidential state visit across the Palk Strait

was straight out of the pages of a comic strip written perhaps by

Andare or Gothabaya Rajapakse.

And there he was, the President, fresh from a disastrous official state

visit to India where only the cholesterol was present with none of the

protocol. He attempted to meet Jayalalitha in Chennai and was

snubbed. He tried to engage Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee in

New Delhi and was again ignored.

He took a retinue of some 80 nobodies at the expense of the Sri

Lankan public to keep him company. None of them had the good

sense, the panache, or the decorum to give this rough and ready man

from the south a lesson in diplomacy.

Thus it was that a much beleaguered President, ever ready to give ear

to anything and everything, ever willing to act on idle gossip and

unsubstantiated pish tosh and brimming to the eye balls with pent up

emotions grabbed the telephone instrument bearing SLT No. 2392047

sitting quietly beside him somewhere in Temple Trees on the morning

of January 11 (Wednesday) at 11:13 a.m. and agitatedly dialed the

number of the Editor, The Sunday Leader, Lasantha Wickrematunge.

The President then went off at a tangent in language even the foulest

pirates of the high seas, the worst criminals in Rumy Marzook's

prisons, the most inebriated of winos in Beliatta would blush to utter.

But why he did so even the President did not know. "Thamusai

Shiranthi gena liyala," he charged. When Wickrematunge asked him

repeatedly what the article was the newspaper was supposed to have

published, President Rajapakse could not say. It was obvious he was

acting on either a dead rope or the idle gossip of venomous elements

in his circle.

Grave threat

But Rajapakse not stopping to verify facts, not stopping at the very

least to read the English language newspaper, not even stopping to

think; called the Editor and threatened him with his life. "Thamusava

vinasha karala thamai mang ivara vennai," he said. When the Editor

told him that he is not one to give in to threats and was not afraid,

Rajapakse told him, "You will know fear. You don't know who Mahinda

Rajapakse is." (See box for transcript of conversation. We apologise

on behalf of the President for the language used by him)

Thus, even as our security forces were getting blasted by claymore

mines in Chettikulum, Rajapakse was blasting media personnel in

Colombo on some article he was told may have been written. God

forbid this man handle a delicate situation like the peace process or

even a full-on war.

Be that as it may, a threat to the life of an Editor of the independent

media made personally by the President in the foul language he did

may have been unheard of in the history of the free world but

Wickrematunge was quick to action.

Believing there was a real threat to his life, the Editor who has already

suffered several attempts to snuff him out and silence him by various

politicians, immediately wrote to the Inspector General of Police,

Chandra Fernando and to President Rajapakse himself. The letters

were hand-delivered the same day the Presidential threat was issued

together with a transcript of the conversation that took place and an

English translation for easy reference. (See elsewhere on this page)

Colombo a buzz

The Editor within minutes informed the Free Media Movement (FMM),

and other civil society organisations and on the morning of January 12

sent a copy of his letter to the IGP together with a covering letter to the

diplomatic community and to other relevant international organisations.

But even before he was to do so, by the afternoon of January 11,

Colombo was a buzz. Not only that, shocked diplomats were firing calls

to Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera. Samaraweera blushing

with embarrassment on behalf of the President was trying hard to

engage in some diplomatic damage control but was critical of the

Presidential gaffe to several others.

But if Colombo was buzzing, President Rajapakse had still not got over

his hissy fit. Within five minutes of having called the Editor at 11:13

a.m. on January 11, he was to call the Leader of the Opposition, Ranil

Wickremesinghe at his home. In the most agitated of voices and with

anger spewing forth he told Wickremesinghe, "You are his friend, tell

him to stop writing."

However, when asked what the Editor was supposed to have written,

again Rajapakse could not say except to utter vaguely that it was

about his wife and that he was told about it by Indian High

Commissioner Nirupama Rao. Furthermore when asked by others

close to him what the article in question was the President with much

agitation had said, "Mama danne kehelmalak ne." The Indian High

Commissioner told him, Rajapakse was to tell anyone who cared to ask

him.

Thus it confirmed that President Rajapakse was not even aware of why

he was acting in this manner. He seemed merely to have gone mad.

Completely lost control. A characteristic that is lethal to a President of

such a fractured country as ours and one that is on the brink of

another bloody war.

Given the venomous tone in Rajapakse's voice and being by nature a

man who thinks before he acts and/or speaks and not wanting to

create dissension, Wickremesinghe did not relay the message of the

President to Editor Wickrematunge until about 1:30 p.m. He was to call

the Editor and tell him, "I am officially delivering the message given to

me by President Rajapakse for your information."

"At a personal level I would ask you to take adequate security

measures given the nature and the tone of the message received and

would advise you not to take the issue any further," Wickreme-singhe

was to also tell the Editor.

However given the seriousness of the threat and the high office from

which it emanated, The Sunday Leader decided to investigate the

cause of Rajapakse's fit of rage. We found out that it had nothing to do

with what we had written but was either more of a preemptive strike by

the President on what we may write or a misunderstanding of a

message received from the Indian High Commissioner.

Wires crossed

The President may have also got conflicting reports that this

newspaper had already published an article relating to the subject

which was a source of agitation for him when in fact it was not so,

hence his inability to draw the attention of the Editor to the article

referred to when repeatedly asked.

What subject you may well ask. And we today will tell you. For indeed

we had not intended to publish any details on the matter but President

Rajapakse's Billingsgate behaviour unbecoming of the high office he

holds and contrary to the Mahinda Chinthana public persona he

purports to project compels us to do so. It all started at the Guruvayur

temple in Kerala but more of that anon. (See opposite page for full

details)

A disaster

One is aware that President Rajapakse though having been in

parliament some 20 years was not a man who really did anything. As

Labour Minister in the 1994 Kumaratunga government, he was a

disaster. Again placing his relatives in high places and in true 'Helping

Hambantota' style creating separate companies of which his flesh and

blood had controlling interest, with ETF monies. A matter already

published in our newspapers over three months ago. As Fisheries

Minister, he fared no better.

Throughout his career he was lifted or pushed along by other more

able bodied men and indeed women. Never had the man been called

upon to engage in true governance. In the run up to the election he

was in his element. All he had to do was utter a few vacuous bombastic

words which meant little to the gullible masses and let Wimal

Weerawansa do the rest.

Today as President and with cannons to the right of him, cannons to

the left of him, cannons in front of him, volleyed and thundered

stormed at with shot and shell (with apologies to Tennyson) the harried

President is submerged. He needs to burst out or he will explode. This

he did last Wednesday.

At one of his many election dinners hosted at Temple Trees he was to

tell some young outstation lawyers, "Mama edath Mahinda Rajapakse,

adath Mahinda Rajapakse, hetath Mahinda Rajapakse." Alas, those

who know him only too well will tell you that this is in fact true and it

bodes ill for the nation.

If he wants to usher in a new era of decency he must lead by example.

If he says the future of this country are its children, he must set an

example in his own home. One only hopes his young children were not

around to hear their father speak in this manner, particularly in relation

to the 83-year-old mother of the Editor.

Untold story that had Mahinda fuming

This newspaper never intended to publish the details of President

Rajapakse and his wife Shiranthi's disastrous visit to the famous and

sacred Guruvayur Temple in Kerala at the tail-end of their failed visit to

India earlier this month. In passing we had mentioned President

Rajapakse had gone there for a special pooja for which he had to

shed his saluwa and don a vetti. However we refrained from giving any

further details. Today we are compelled to do so to point to the motive

for his fit of rage.

Humongous blunder

President Rajapakse who had already made every possible diplomatic

blunder in India politically was, at the tail-end of his visit, to make a

humongous blunder spiritually and socially.

The President and his advisors who obviously do not believe in doing

their homework before embarking on an official visit was to visit the

famous Guruvayur temple in Kerala - a place so sacred only Hindus

are allowed in and that too with nothing but a vetti to cover themselves.

Steeped in history and spiritual legend the Krishna temple is the fourth

biggest temple in India in terms of the number of devotees per day.

The temple dedicated to Lord Krishna popularly known as

Guruvayoorappan is famous all over India as a pilgrim centre. The

Sreekrishna idol of this temple is believed to have been worshipped by

Vasudevar and Devaki at Dwaraka. This shrine popularly known as

'Dakshina Dwaraka' (Dwaraka of south) is in the form of a rectangle.

Breaking hallowed traditions

President Rajapakse who had made a large number of vows was also

eager to engage in one of the poojas. For this, barebodied and sans

saluwa he donned a vetti and proceeded forth. Well and good. But

who should accompany him but his charming wife Shiranthi, who being

a Christian and Catholic was not allowed anywhere near the sacred

temple in terms of the hallowed traditions of the temple.

But at the time of the pooja no one in the temple was any the wiser and

the pooja was conducted and temple activities went on apace.

However word gets around and Keralites in general, the Indian media

and more importantly the temple administration were buzzing with the

news that a Catholic had stepped onto sacred soil. The temple

administration was to immediately write to the Indian High Commission

in Colombo and ask for clarification and confirmation as to whether the

Sri Lankan First Lady was indeed a Catholic.

President Rajapakse got wind of this letter from the Indian High

Commission and panicked. The President was told by High

Commissioner Rao, the story about Shiranthi visiting the temple was all

over and if reported in Sri Lanka and gets back to India would cause a

lot of problems.

According to what Rajapakse was to later tell confidants, Rao had also

said the only paper that might carry the story is the "Leader."

Rajapakse who has been riding high politically on the Sinhala Buddhist

ticket was not about to admit that not only was his wife Catholic but that

he did not know the first thing about the sacred customs of one of the

most famous temples in India. Indeed a temple many Sri Lankan

Buddhists frequent. Buddhist are allowed in, as Buddhism is not

considered a religion. So too are Jains allowed into the precincts of the

holy place.

Image at stake

The rule is so strict that the world's most powerful woman in terms of

numbers she controls, Sonia Gandhi has not been able to visit the

temple. Neither has Indian President Abdul Kalam who is a Muslim and

one of his predecessors, Giani Zail Singh.

President Rajapakse's Sinhala Buddhist image was at stake - the only

reason that he was President of Sri Lanka was due to the racism and

intolerance of the majority Buddhists and Rajapakse desperately

wanted to preserve his hardline image. He also did not want a

backlash in India with the likes of Vaiko taking up the issue as

sacrilege. He may have admitted in passing that his wife was Catholic

and that his children were fortunate enough to attend one of the

foremost Anglican schools in the country but he didn't do it too often.

In fact the rule is so strict that now the temple will have to be closed for

three weeks while it is washed and cleansed thoroughly. Not only that

according to belief none of the poojas conducted during the month of

'defilement' by Shiranthi will have effect and that includes the one

conducted by President Rajapakse himself.

This means that all those poojas will have to be conducted again - a

costly affair considering the huge sums of money spent on these

poojas by the devotees. But worse still for the temple, it is probably the

temple that will have to pick up the tab for the poojas considering that

the repeat performances had nothing to do with the devotees but with

Sri Lanka's President and First Lady.

Spiritual etiquette

If Rajapakse had only done his homework. If only the very efficient Sri

Lankan Foreign Ministry had given him a dos and don'ts list. In fact

they could have got such a list off any old website or tourist brochure.

But President Rajapakse need not have gone far to learn the spiritual

etiquette. All he had to do was to call Indian High Commissioner

Nirupama Rao, a Keralite herself, and ask her advice. She would have

certainly known the spiritual sensitivities surrounding Guruvayur. But

he chose not to do that.

A President who acts on gossip

President Mahinda Rajapakse while admitting he spoke to Editor

Lasantha Wickrematunge however reportedly denied that he used foul

language to a daily newspaper last week. But in his denial he again

branded himself a liar.

Firstly, in his conversation of January 11, he did not mention his

children but only his wife and he did not mention anything about

"narrow political ends." But more importantly President Rajapakse

alluded to an earlier friendly telephone conversation with

Wickrematunge who had later in the newspaper reportedly interpreted

this telephone call as an attempt to befriend him because he feared

the Editor.

Rajapakse must first read an English newspaper before he attempts to

make any allegations or base his actions on articles purportedly

written. While we admit that President Rajapakse telephoned the Editor

of this newspaper and engaged in a friendly conversation shortly after

the election, we categorically deny we wrote anything in any section of

the newspaper regarding the same.

In fact it was Rajapakse who requested the Editor not to write anything

on their conversation and we did not. A perusal of our newspapers will

bear proof to this fact. And we challenge Rajapakse to submit any

proof of this absolute lie. In fact his second lie only confirms the

version of the events of January 11 as related by this newspaper. And

having a chat with the President is no big deal to report on. We report

the news and not how we got it.

And in the true spirit of decency we still refrain from publishing the

details of that first friendly conversation, the contents of which

President Rajapakse requested Editor Wickrematunge not to divulge.

However, it is obvious that the President is a man who given enough

rope will hang himself. If the highest in the land is now to act on the

basis of mindless gossip and Chinese whispers, what is to become of

this nation? Surely, the Commander in Chief may order a war without

verification on a baseless rumour of an incident in the north? He is

also a man capable of issuing threats to the media while talking about

democracy and human rights. He has proved himself a man who will

sooner make this country a banana republic than a democratic one as

envisaged by his own Chinthana.

Editor's letter to the President

11 January 2006

President Mahinda Rajapakse,

Temple Trees

Colombo 03.

My dear President,

I was shocked and surprised by the tone and content of your

telephone call to me at 11:13 this morning. I cannot imagine that the

occupant of the highest office in our land could utter such foul, lewd

and disgusting words: indeed the language of the gutter. It is

unbecoming and disgraceful of you to have uttered threats against me,

and I want to repeat the assertion made by me during your hysterical

ranting that I will not be bowed by them. You more than any other

politician have paid lip service to human rights and the building of a

decent society in Sri Lanka. It is all the more shocking then, that you

should conduct yourself in such a low manner.

Given the office you hold, I have no doubt it is well within your power to

do me harm, whether or not through the abuse of the state machinery

that lies at your disposal. I have therefore no choice but to give your

threats the widest possible publicity in the hope that this will persuade

you to desist from the course of action you are clearly contemplating,

to eliminate me or do me harm.

No doubt you will deny the content of the conversation that took place

this morning as you would a request made to me prior to the

presidential election inviting me to run your election campaign with

your brother, Basil Rajapakse which I politely declined. You have no

choice but to deny the threat made, given the lip service your public

persona pays to the upholding of decent values.

You know better than anyone that The Sunday Leader was infinitely

more critical of your predecessor, Chandrika Kumaratunga, than it has

been of you. Yet, she never stooped to the level you have, even

though she was reported to have given ear to a plot to "kill an editor or

two."

Leader of the Opposition, Ranil Wickremesinghe informed me that you

had spoken with him at around 1 p.m. on the same subject which was

within a matter of two hours of threatening me, and asked him to

request me to desist from publishing in future any story you consider

provocative.You have specifically mentioned the publication of a story

relating to your wife, Shiranthi. I have no idea what story you are

referring to: you failed to tell me, and you evidently failed also to tell

him. Yet, I wish to remind you that should you have anything to convey

to me, your purposes would be best served by informing me directly

rather than threatening me in vile language.

Given our long acquaintance, you should know better than anyone

that I am not one to be swayed by third parties. I take this opportunity

to also remind you in that context your request to me as Prime Minister

to refrain from publishing details of the 'Helping Hambantota' account

in July 2005 and my refusal to oblige you. Indeed, when there is news

that it is in the national interest to publish, be assured that nothing will

prevent The Sunday Leader from publishing it.

I urge you even now to respect the great office to which you have been

elected, and to conduct yourself with the dignity and decorum the

people and Sri Lanka have a right to expect of you. It does not become

the presidency that you should threaten journalists or indeed, plot

violence against them.

With best wishes for the new year,

Yours sincerely,

Lasantha Wickrematunge

Attorney-at-Law,

Editor, The Sunday Leader

Editor's letter to the IGP

11 January 2006.

Mr, Chandra Fernando,

Inspector General of Police

Police Headquarters

Colombo 1.

Dear Sir,

At 11:13 a.m. today I received a call on my mobile phone from

telephone number 2392047. Speaking in Sinhala, the operator told me

that she had a call for me from His Excellency, the President. The

number is registered on my mobile phone, a certified copy of which

can be furnished if necessary. A man then spoke to me in English, and

asked me to hold the line as His Excellency the President wished to

speak to me.

Shortly thereafter, President Mahinda Rajapakse came on the line. I

recognised his voice because he has on several occasions spoken

with me by telephone, including after his election as President. I have

known President Rajapakse and associated with him for more than 20

years prior to that and am well acquainted with his voice.

I made a contemporaneous note of the conversation, in Sinhala, which

I attach hereto, together with a translation in English.

As you will see from this note, President Rajapakse used foul, abusive

and threatening language unbecoming of the high office he holds. He

told me repeatedly, "What have you written about Shiranthi in the

Leader?" However, when I asked him, "What is it you are referring to?

Have you read whatever it is you are referring to?" he replied with the

words, "I know what to do to you." He continued to mouth vile and

defamatory references to my mother and threatened to destroy me,

"wait and see what I am going to do to you." As the President

continued, apparently in a state of hysteria, I told him not to threaten

me and that I will not give into such threats. I have no choice but to

interpret the President's words, however, as a threat to my life.

Further, one of the most prominent businessmen in our country (I shall

disclose the name to you if it is necessary to aid your inquiries)

recently informed me that the President had told him that he intends to

"destroy" me. He interpreted this as a threat to my life. So seriously did

he take the threat that he spoke also to my brother, Lal

Wickrematunge and another mutual friend, and requested them to

convey this message to me and urge me to take care.

I am therefore bringing this matter to your urgent attention and

requesting you to take immediate steps to ensure my security given

the serious nature of the threats made by the President of the country

who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the security forces and

Defence Minister. I also request you to investigate this matter fully and

I am willing to furnish you with such information as may be necessary

to facilitate such an inquiry.

I wish to remind you that I consider this a grave threat to my life

especially given that several journalists have been assassinated in

recent years, including Mr. Rohana Kumara, Mr. Mariyadasan

Nimalaranjan and Mr. Dharmaratnam Sivaram. In some of these cases,

the murders were preceded by threats made by leading politicians.

The threat made against me by President Rajapakse was, however,

more serious and immediate than any of those directed at the above

late journalists. You will also undoubtedly be aware that there have

been two previous attempts on my life, one involving firearms: and in

the latter case, despite complaints to the police, no action has been

taken.

In the run up to the presidential election of November 17, 2005, The

Sunday Leader press at Ratmalana was torched. Shortly after his

election, the President was also reported as having told Mr. S.B.

Dissanayake that he will use the judiciary to jail some journalists. I

have grave apprehensions, therefore, that President Rajapakse will

use the machinery of the state to harass and intimidate me, and

possibly even take my life.

The President had also within two hours of the threatening call to me

spoken with the Hon. Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Ranil

Wickremesinghe and requested him to speak with me as well and urge

me to refrain from writing articles he considers provocative claiming his

(the President's) patience was running thin. Mr. Wickremesinghe

communicated to me the President's message. The telephone

conversation initiated by the President to the Leader of the Opposition

subsequent to the threat issued to me is further proof that the

President did speak with me in the morning.

I would be grateful if you would kindly arrange therefore, without delay,

to provide me with adequate security against this threat.

In the hope that it will result in additional pressure on President

Rajapakse to desist from the criminal course of action he appears to

be contemplating, I am copying this letter to the heads of foreign

missions in Colombo, the Leader of the Opposition and the presidents

of the Free Media Movement, Transparency International and Bar

Association of Sri Lanka.

Yours faithfully,

Lasantha Wickrematunge,

Attorney-at-Law,

Editor, The Sunday Leader

The President's telephone call

Telephone call made by the President of the Democratic Socialist

Republic of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapakse to the Editor-in-Chief, The

Sunday Leader, Lasantha Wickrematunge on January 11, 2006 at

11.13 a.m.

(English translation)

Mahinda: What have you written about Shiranthi in the Leader?

Lasantha: What has been written?

Mahinda: You should know what has been written

Lasantha: Did you read it? What are you talking about?

Mahinda: About what? F. your mother (am.. Hu..a), son of a bloody

wh. (k.ri ve.e putha) I will finish you. You have hit me, now you are

hitting my woman as well.

Lasantha: What has the article said?

Mahinda: 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.

You hit me even during the election. Pariah.You are hitting even now...

I will destroy you.

Lasantha: 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.

Mahinda: Pariah.You are not scared!.... I will show you what it is to

be scared. I will rest only when I destroy you. You wait and see.You

don't know who Mahinda Rajapakse is.

[Courtesy:Sunday Leader]

http://www.tamilweek.com/Mahindas_real_chi...thana_0115.html

Mahinda: Pariah.You are not scared!.... I will show you what it is to

be scared. I will rest only when I destroy you. You wait and see.You

don't know who Mahinda Rajapakse is.

ஏறக்குறை இதே வார்த்தைப் பிரயோகங்கள் மூலம்தான் "மாமனிதர்" ஜோசப் பரராஜசிங்கமும், இதே வார்த்தகளைப் பிரயோகித்த சிறீலங்கா ஜனாதிபதி மகிந்தவினால் கொலை செய்யப்படுவதற்கு முன்பு மிரட்டப்பட்டார்!!!!!!!!! பாவம் லசந்தவின் இறுதி நாட்கள் எண்ணப்பட்டுக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது!!

மாமனிதர் யோசப் பரராஜசிங்கம் படுகொலை செய்யப்பட முதல் தமிழ் தேசிய கூட்டமைப்பு பாராளமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள் ஜனாதிபதியை சந்தித்த போதும் சில சூடான கருத்துப்பரிமாற்றங்கள் நடந்தது என்று கூறப்படுகிறது.