FORMER LAKE HOUSE CHAIRMAN COMPLAINS THAT A CABINET MINISTER THREATENED HIM WITH DEATH AT A RESTAURANT IN COLOMBO
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles
June 04. 11.10 AM: A senior Sri Lankan journalist and a former Chairman of the Lake house, Lucien Rajakarunanayka has complained to the Prime Minister and police that a cabinet Minister of the UNF government , Mahinda Wijesekera had publicly threatened him and his family with death in front of a Japanese visitor at a restaurant at Colombo’s Hilton Hotel.
He said, “on the night of May 30, 2003, Mr. Mahinda Wijesekera, Minister for Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, threatened me and my family with death, in connection with a column I had written in the “Sunday Observer” around August/September 2001. The incident took place at the Japanese restaurant located at the Colombo Hilton.”
Rajakarunanayaka is the correspondent in Sri Lanka for the “Asahi Shimbun” a leading newspaper in Japan. The Head of its South Asia Bureau, Mr. Yukufumi Takeuchi, who is based in New Delhi, had arrived in Colombo that morning. The purpose of his visit was to travel to Mullaitivu and Jaffna the next day and spend two days there to write a special report on status of the peace process and the overall situation there. He was lodged at the Colombo Hilton (Room 1414) and requested Rajkarunanayaka to meet him that at 7.45 p.m. that evening at his hotel.
“When I met him at the hotel he invited me to join him at dinner to discuss the current political situation and update him on what I knew of developments in the North. He chose to have dinner with me at the Japanese specialty restaurant at the Colombo Hilton,” Rajakarunanayaka said.
”We occupied a table and proceeded with ordering our dinner. A short while later when I looked around, I noticed Minister Mahinda Wijesekera seated at a table parallel to ours. He was with a person who looked a foreigner. Later he was joined at his table by several other persons. When we had just begun our dinner, Minister Wijesekera raised his voice and called out my name several times. When I asked him whether he wanted to speak to me, he accused me of having written a column critical of him. This was written in the latter half on 2001. I then told the Minister that it was not the time and place to discuss this matter, especially because there was a foreigner present with me. Minister Wijesekera’s response to this (in Sinhala) was that the presence of the foreigner was the only reason that I was safe at that time,” he said.
”A short while later as disturbance from the Minister continued, Mr. Takeuchi himself told the Minister that I was his guest and requested him not to disturb us. Minister Wijesekera’s reply to him was that if not for his (Mr. Takeuchi’s) presence he would know what to do to me right there.”
”At this stage I asked the Minister whether he was threatening me. Minister Wijesekera shouted that he would finish me off during the period the current government was in office. He later said to my hearing that he would also finish off my family during the period of this government. He also said he would teach journalists how they should use their pen.”
In the face of these threats, Rajakarunanayaka said he remained patient and as calm as he could, because he was uncertain of what the Minister would do had he responded verbally or even summoned help from the hotel management.
“It passed my mind that in recent months several politicians of the Government, and even their children, had been involved in major brawls in large hotels, where weapons have also been fired by bodyguards of these politicians, and allegedly by some politicians too. I was also conscious of the need to safeguard Mr. Takeuchi who was with me. Later, as the Minister and his party was leaving, close to 10 p.m., one person in his party placed his hand on my back and warned that I should be careful about what I write in the future.”
”After they left, the Restaurant Manager and other members of the hotel staff came up to our table and apologized to me saying they regretted what took place but were in no position to intervene, fearing worst consequences. They apologized to Mr. Takeuchi, too.”
Describing his complaints to the Prime Minister and the Police Lucien Rajakarunanayaka said, “In all I had to face the threats to my life and to members of my family, undergo intimidation and general harassment by a Cabinet Minister of the Government for over one hour. I left the hotel shortly after 10 p.m. and discussed my ordeal and the death threats with my wife for a short while after returning home. I later telephoned Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe at his official residence “Temple Trees” at around 10.45 p.m. The Prime Minister who promptly responded to my call gave a patient hearing to my complaint. He denounced the behaviour of his Minister and said he would inquire into the matter. He said any journalist was free to write what he or she wanted to. He also inquired whether I required protection or any other assistance in the circumstances, which offer I turned down with thanks.”
”A complaint about these threats to my life and others of my family by Minister Mahinda Wijesekera was lodged by me at the Headquarters Police Station in Colombo on Sunday June 1, 2003. (Complaint No: C.I.B 1 190/02)”.
Interviewed by the BBC’s Sandeshaya over the incident the Minister admitted that there was an incident at the Japanese Restaurant where he took about ten people to dinner. But he denied that he threatened Rajakarunanayaka with death. He alleged that Rajakarunanayaka had falsely accused him of being an ebony thief in one of his columns. He said this was the first time he met Rajakarunanayaka after the allegation and he wanted to confront him over the false allegation. Denying he made death threats to the journalist Wijesekera said, “Gernadi Marala Paw ganne mokatada?”
