Her Story…
By Frederica Jansz
The fraudulent interview
On December 13, 2009 The Sunday Leader’s headline “Gota Ordered Them To Be Shot” – General Sarath Fonseka would become the most explosive story of the year.
The article which, perfectly accurately, quoted the General as saying he had heard that Gotabaya Rajapaksa had given an illegal order asking Brigadier Shavendra Silva (later promoted General) to not accommodate surrendering LTTE cadres, became more than a news story.
It became a political phenomenon and the allegations, denials, retractions and recriminations that followed are history.
However it is a history that has come to be grossly distorted.
As all the various parties caught in the story’s fallout struggled to save face, what began as a piece of journalism accusing the government of a serious war crime would become, through lies and deception, a coup for the Rajapaksa administration. Ultimately the campaign to vilify and distort the article and discredit me has now reached a point where I feel, I must comment and present what I believe to be an accurate version of the events leading to and following its publication.
To start at the beginning
After the presidential election was formally declared The Sunday Leader’s management made a decision that the paper would at an editorial level broadly throw its weight behind Sarath Fonseka’s campaign.
The Rajapaksa administration, by filing multiple law suits against this paper and failing to take real action in the ongoing investigation into Lasantha Wickrematunge’s murder, left The Sunday Leader’s management with no alternative.
Facing devastating court cases The Leader had no option but to back Fonseka and despite my personal reservations I sympathised with the management’s position and agreed to devote a large amount of page space to the General’s campaign.
As part of our effort to give publicity to Sarath Fonseka’s campaign I requested on Monday, December 7 an interview with the General. The interview was intended to both give the reading public a better idea of the General as a person and allow him to put forward his views regarding his campaign and major policy issues.
We requested the interview on December 7, and were told that it could be done on Wednesday December 9 but at extremely short notice we were informed that the General would only be able to see us on Tuesday December 8 at 5.30 p.m.
Even at such short notice The Sunday Leader considered the interview sufficiently important that Lal Wickrematunge, the Leader’s Chairman, Raknish Wijewardene, a journalist, Thusitha Kumara a photographer and myself gathered at the General’s office at Reid Avenue on December 8th a little before 5.30 p.m.
As the General was preoccupied with the important business of managing a campaign we waited over an hour for our appointment but were eventually granted an audience with the man himself.
The interview proceeded as a series of questions and answers on major topics and issues and a transcript of the interview by Raknish Wijewardene appeared in The Sunday Leader of December 13, 2009.
However towards the end of the interview we began to discuss the ethnic conflict and the role Fonseka had played in the war.
I then asked him one final question. In relation to claims made both internationally and locally that LTTE surrendees carrying white flags had, instead of being accommodated, been killed. I asked the General what really happened.
In that context Fonseka made the allegation that would later appear in the newspapers.
He claimed he had heard that Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered any surrendering LTTE cadres to be shot, and related the story of Pulidevan and Nadesan’s surrender.
When Sarath Fonseka made this allegation I reacted as any journalist would. A presidential candidate and decorated war hero was accusing the incumbent President’s brother of ordering the death of unarmed surrendering LTTE leaders and their families.
That was simply an extraordinary story and I knew immediately that this would be the paper’s headline for the week.
It was at this point that I took the decision to run Fonseka’s allegation as a headline separate from the main interview.
It seemed obvious that an allegation of this magnitude deserved special attention.
As the accusation; the massacre of surrendering cadres and their families was extremely serious, I contacted all of those implicated in the General’s denunciation.
When I spoke with General Shavendra Silva he said he could not comment without permission to do so. I then spoke with Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara who later got back to me saying he had discussed the matter with the current Army Commander Jagath Jayasuriya as well as General Shavendra Silva and collectively taken a decision that they would not issue any comment. When I spoke with Basil Rajapaksa he denied that Norway had got in touch with him regarding this issue. Rajapaksa however did not deny knowledge of the incident. I tried contacting Gotabaya Rajapaksa but was told he had not come into his office on that day, December 11, 2009. I left a message with his office but Gotabaya Rajapaksa holds a personal grudge against this newspaper and refuses to speak to the Leader.
However, having secured an adequate number of responses from the government and the army I was able to compile the story.
Realising the impact such striking allegations would have, at 9.45 a.m. before the paper went to print on Saturday I once gain contacted Sarath Fonseka.
During a twenty minute phone conversation the General reiterated that he stood by the allegation. At that point I asked him who the journalist was who had told him about the supposedly illegal order given by Gotabaya Rajapaksa to Shavendra Silva. Fonseka gave me the journalist’s name but asked that I not name him “for reasons for his own personal security.” A request I obliged.
Fonseka then said that he was willing to go on record with his claim and he assured me he would not back down. Only with that assurance did we go to print.
Fallout
On Saturday the paper went to print and at The Sunday Leader’s premises at Ratmalana extra precautions were taken to guard against possible government reprisals; new lighting was installed, and new private security personnel were hired. Publishing what we thought was a story that would damage the credibility of senior government officials the newspaper naturally feared that the government or those aligned to it would, as they have done in the past, react violently.
And that was our biggest mistake
We assumed the government would react as they have done in the past with threats and violence but the Rajapaksa regime is capable of learning and should never be underestimated.
By contacting Basil Rajapaksa we had already given the government advanced warning; they knew the story was coming and they reacted decisively; not with the violence as we had expected but with spin.
After the story broke, instead of flatly denying the allegation or threatening journalists the government began to portray Fonseka’s allegation as an act of treachery. The story of the massacre was irrelevant. What mattered was that by speaking out Fonseka was betraying Gotabaya, the army and the country.
We believe the outcry that followed the story was to a large extent the result of an orchestrated campaign.
A government backed campaign to publicise particularly in Sinhala, a distorted version of the story, and present the General as a traitor. The objective behind the campaign was to convince the General that his accusations were eroding his popularity and to force him to back down in the interest of winning more votes.
This campaign began immediately after the newspaper went on sale with radio shows denouncing the story as an act of treachery by early Sunday morning.
The Sunday Leader’s message board which usually receives one hundred responses for a lead story was flooded with messages by 2 a.m. on December 13 and received well over one thousand (1000) responses to the story; the vast majority of them being extremely similar comments denouncing Fonseka.
Our analysis indicates that this was an orchestrated campaign with a small number of users using multiple log-in names to post multiple messages on The Sunday Leader website denouncing Fonseka as a traitor.
However the internet was only a small part of the campaign and by Sunday afternoon the state media was in a frenzy already denouncing the General as a traitor and alleging a conspiracy between The Sunday Leader, the General and the usual unpatriotic forces – the Western NGOs, etc.
Despite this pressure it is notable that in the hours after its publication the General stood by the story. In a press conference he gave on Sunday afternoon at the Jaic Hilton, documented by the BBC, he made no effort to deny the story.
It was only as the government’s denunciation campaign intensified with TV, radio, and internet sites declaring the former war hero a traitor that Fonseka’s advisors Mangala Samaraweera, Anura Kumara Dissanayake and Vijitha Herath in particular advised him to retract part of the story.
At a meeting with the Chairman of The Sunday Leader, Lal Wickrematunge on Monday, December 14, senior UNP leaders together with Samaraweera and the JVP insisted that a retraction was necessary as the story had damaged Fonseka’s reputation as a patriot.
It was requested that The Leader retract those parts of the article mentioning Shavendra Silva. The argument being that by criticising the army Fonseka was betraying his own comrades and losing public support.
However as a journalist and as someone who is committed to the truth I refused to publish a fraudulent retraction.
Also as I had contacted Shavendra Silva to get his version of events it was impossible for me to deny that he had been mentioned.
Later that same day, December 14, I met the General at approximately 2.45 p.m. whereupon he reiterated that he could not deny what he had said.
Mangala Samaraweera and Vijitha Herath however remained adamant demanding that The Leader publish a partial retraction. However as a journalist I refused to back down knowing that what I had published was the truth.
Finally, we agreed on a compromise whereby a clarification written by Sarath Fonseka would appear in The Sunday Leader of December 20, 2009 issue. This clarification emphasizes a technical point and is in no way a retraction.
However, The Sunday Leader is of course a weekly paper and during the course of the week pressure continued to mount on Fonseka.
Accused of betraying the army and conspiring to involve the international community in Sri Lanka’s internal affairs, at a hastily convened press conference at his offices at Reid Avenue the General addressed the matter of The Sunday Leader story.
Under immense pressure at this briefing and unable to flatly deny what he knew to be the truth, the General waffled and issued what was neither a clarification nor a retraction.
However over the following days his advisors and supporters would insist that Fonseka had denied the story.
The move from clarification to retraction and denial proved to be a disaster.
By backing down the politically inexperienced Fonseka ultimately played completely into the hands of the government.
He immediately came across as indecisive and weak. No one believed his half-hearted denials and his credibility suffered considerable damage.
The original article was written in part to demonstrate that Fonseka as a true war hero was not scared to confront the government’s bogeymen head-on. By backing down he proved himself to be incapable of tackling the Rajapaksas with the most powerful weapon at his disposal; the truth.
Again the fundamental mistake was the assumption that the government would react clumsily and violently and attempt to intimidate the newspaper into burying the story. By reacting with spin and turning Fonseka’s allegation into a question of patriotism the government was able to deal in its favourite currency of traitors and patriots.
By implying that the General’s comments made him appear a traitor and were losing him support, they put enormous pressure on him to rescind the story and squash any potential investigation into the event.
And Fonseka on the advice of his political advisors walked into the government’s trap; with a partial retraction that turned out to be a triumph for the government.
Fonseka’s garbled and gradual retraction destroyed his credibility, and also squashed any hope of an impartial investigation into the alleged massacre. As an added bonus for the government it also served to discredit that other thorn in the Rajapaksas side — The Sunday Leader.
As usual the government’s opponents — just like the LTTE, UNP and the JVP in the past — were through division, cowardice and petty-mindedness destroying themselves.
The end result has been devastating for Sarath Fonseka who has come across not only as unpatriotic but also as vacillating and indecisive.
To his credit the General never showed any enthusiasm for the denial always admitting that he had said what he had said. It was pressure from his advisors that pushed him to make his various half retractions.
To make matters worse however instead of burying the story after the press conference and clarification in The Leader, the JVP in particular began to circulate absurd rumors; that The Sunday Leader had conspired with President Mahinda Rajapaksa to discredit Fonseka, and that I had begged the General’s forgiveness for misquoting him etc. These hopelessly false allegations only had the effect of keeping an embarrassing story in the public eye.
Finally, the JVP threatened to sue The Sunday Leader for defaming Fonseka.
However, the UNP-side of the opposition alliance assured us that no Letter Of Demand would be forthcoming. In fact Malik Samarawickrema of the UNP finally issued instruction to bury the story and bring an end to a clumsy and bungled chapter in the General’s campaign.
And we at The Leader can only hope that once the story is buried the lies and spin associated with it will disappear as well.
The Red Comrades Bungle Again
The JVP in particular has failed to play a constructive role in containing the damage from the original story and the resulting government spin.
As Fonseka’s patriotic credentials came under threat the patriotic JVP fearing an erosion of support became determined to prove that SF was a true patriot and in doing so did half the government’s work.They first pushed him into the devastating half retraction but having done that they realised that a retraction wasn’t enough and that in order to prove that he never said what he did actually say, he would have to sue.
Understandably the General is reluctant to sue as he is unable to honestly deny he made those comments. The General’s reluctance compelled the JVP to resort to new muckraking tactics, and they began to claim that the article was the result of a conspiracy between The Sunday Leader and the Rajapaksas.
Of course the idea of any collaboration between The Sunday Leader and the Rajapaksas not even a year after Lasantha Wickrematunge’s assassination is offensive and absurd.
Apart from these fraudulent claims, JVP mouthpieces online have published that at some point I began weeping and begging the General for forgiveness.
Personally however I’m not much given to tears and the JVP’s and Sarath Fonseka’s troubles are definitely not going to move me to tears any time soon. I certainly don’t feel I have anything to apologize for other than perhaps underestimating the sheer cunning of the Rajapaksas’ media machine and the JVP’s stupidity in playing into the government’s hands.
Extraordinarily, Lanka-E-News even went so far as to run a completely fabricated interview I was supposed to have conducted with General Shavendra Silva. They composed an entirely fictitious interview including a set of questions and answers with the General.
While this is an unusually creative attempt at defamation, in reality since my one telephone call to General Shavendra Silva on Friday December 11, 2009 to ask for his version of the original allegation I have not spoken with him once nor have I ever met him. I have certainly never conducted an interview with him.
Thereafter Lanka-E-News continued to publish more defamatory and outright lies against me. These claims are as baseless and absurd as the purported interview with Shavendra Silva.
Rajiva’s Letter – Proof Of Government Spin
That the government deliberately spun the reaction surrounding the article to its advantage is clear from the events surrounding Rajiva Wijesinha’s response to UN Special Rapporteur for Extra Judicial Killings, Phillip Alston’s query.
Alston has called for a government response to Fonseka’s allegations. However Wijesinha used Fonseka’s clarification in The Sunday Leader where the General claimed that no white flags were in fact carried to argue that there was no basis for an investigation.
Wijesinha’s response implied that the government accepted Fonseka’s clarification and was using it to clear its name at the UN and that as such there was no story.
Days later however the government withdrew this letter, in order to exacerbate the fall out from the story, which they would continue to spin to their advantage.
By keeping the story in the news they would continue to discredit Fonseka but when it suited them, preferably after the election they would use his clarification to quash any potential war-crimes investigation.
Fonseka’s bungling media camp however failed to see that Wijesinha’s letter and its subsequent withdrawal effectively vindicated their man. And they failed to point out that the letter proved that the government itself had accepted Fonseka’s clarification.
You say that the Sunday leader decided to to be partial to SF and the UNP. So how can you now call your newspaper INDEPENDANT?? You have become a tool of the Non governmental parties.
>>
.. the government began to portray Fonseka’s allegation as an act of treachery. The story of the massacre was irrelevant. What mattered was that by speaking out Fonseka was betraying Gotabaya, the army and the country.
<> just like the LTTE, UNP and the JVP in the past — were through division, cowardice and petty-mindedness destroying themselves. <>By reacting with spin and turning Fonseka’s allegation into a question of patriotism the<<
These allegations are NOT spin but the reality! Of course it is a question of patriotism and on top of all he puts the blame on the forces he himself directed, as he says! What a traitor, a first time case in the whole of world history in my knowledge.
Sunday leader is one paper I read to complement the government media to get a balanced view. With your revelation that the management decided to suppport SF, I now have to treat yours as any other, unfortunately.
IF U WANT A BALANCED VIEW READ THE ISLAND /MIRROR/TIMES. GLAD U NOTICED THE TRUTH!
මේ ගෑණි ආණ්ඩුවත් එක්ක කුමන්ත්රණය කරල, ජෙනරාල්ව විනාශ කලා.!!!!!!
You Greens are always green to the truth. Don’t blame your supporter; you stupid.
What is more important here is Fredrica accepts that their Paper was to support Fonseka. Is this fair use of media? Why it is necessary to appoint competent authorities to state media? These anti-national papers too should be under same control.
hahaha…..this is how UNP and JVP act whoever against them. but they talk about and cry for media freedom. journalist should show their gratitude to this gov. as they r still alive after throwing so much mud on Gov. Do u really believe that u will b able to talk under SF rule?
Yes I have stopped buying this paper from next week. They do not have any useful articles but just concentrating on supporting MR indirectly. Even Sunday Times is following a similar stance. Best is the websites of other opposition electronic media.
Also i heard that you went on Rupavahini and ITN stating that your story is true. Is this so Fedrika ? If so there is no oubt whom you and the owners are supporting.
That is true she has conspired with Bandula Padmakumara to get Rupawahini Chairperson post.
LOL… how can you believe anything coming out of “other opposition media” like the Lanka-UNtruth and Lanka e news??? they pulish 99% rubbish.
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එකක් කඩතොලු මකා ගන්නට ¶
ගොසින් මට උන කාරියා ……..
දෙකක් කඩතොලු හදා දුන්නයි ¶
ෆෙඩ්රිකා ආචාරියා…………….
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Absolutely right.
Fredrica, you didn’t “see” the cunning of the government spin doctors? Then you should retire, for it is obvious to anyone that you had ditched out a good story “against” SF. Isn’t this Ranil’s pet newspaper? Would Ranil allow another to win in his stead? Come on, girl, you “knew” the consequences of this “story”, didn’t you?
“The Sunday Leader’s management made a decision that the paper would at an editorial level broadly throw its weight behind Sarath Fonseka’s campaign”
Then you say you are “Unbowed and Unafraid” WOW
Hey “independent Media” coyotes, cry more !
Not only e-news, even the BBC web site says that General SF has taken legal action against the Sunday Leader. It say thus:
“Denying the comments, Gen Fonseka has sent a letter of demand to the newspaper seeking Rs. 500 million as damage.”
I think he sent the letter without the address.
HAHA.. I can send a letter asking 500 Million, but doesnt mean someone is going to give me a penny.. !!! Wake up and smell the snitch..!!!
You say that the Sunday leader decided to to be partial to SF and the UNP. So how can you now call your newspaper INDEPENDANT?? You have become a tool of the Non governmental parties.
>> .. the government began to portray Fonseka’s allegation as an act of treachery. The story of the massacre was irrelevant. What mattered was that by speaking out Fonseka was betraying Gotabaya, the army and the country.
just like the LTTE, UNP and the JVP in the past — were through division, cowardice and petty-mindedness destroying themselves. By reacting with spin and turning Fonseka’s allegation into a question of patriotism the<<
These are NOT SPIN but the simple truth ! Of course it is a question of patriotism. On top of all, he puts the blame on the forces he himself directed, as he says! What a traitor, a first time case in the whole of world history in my knowledge.
Sunday leader is one paper I read to complement the government media to get a balanced view. With your revelation that the management decided to suppport SF, I now have to treat yours as any other, unfortunately.
Fedrika, you have a good back bone. I trust you and hats off for your bravery to tell the truth to the world. Fonseka has done his folly. It is not your probl. kep up your god workem.
CAN U CHK & LET US KNOW WHERE HER BONE IS??
BACK BONE FOR WHAT ? TO STAND WITH THE LTTE ,TO SUPPORT THE NGO’S TO WORK AGAINST THE SRI LANKAN STATE …………
give me a call ,when that checking begins . I hope we will be able to see some ugly things.
I live overseas but privy to the subject matter. Two days after Prabhakaran’s death in May, I had a call from a close friend of mine (former CID) who lives in the U.S. He had just received a call from an old colleague from the police in Colombo. The latter had confessed that a senior army officer known to him had spilt the beans by saying that Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had ordered the killing of Prabha and eleven others who came out of hiding raising white flags depicting they are “surrendering”. Just prior to this order, telephine wires were burned with desperate LTTE hierarchy appealing to Norway to help them save Prabha and the gang. Finally, Norway approached an influential lady journalist from the London, England who got in touch with Palitha Kohona, Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The journalist appealed to PK to speak to his good friend, the President or his brother Gota and save the lives of Prabha. PK replied saying that he cannot do anything now, and it is too late. PK had told the journalist that in a war, certain things right or wrong have to happen. At this point, they fight to save Prabha broke down.
The reason I am coming out with this is to prove that Gotabhaya really did give instructions to the Army to kill Prabha and others on sight, even if they come out with white flag of surrender. So, Gen. SF is correct in his story and I do not know why he is fooling around with denying the story.
it is true that this story damaged the SF political campain to a great extent. Forget about politics.. we wanted to eleminate bloddy Praba and other leaders just to save innocent Sri Lankans . So irrecspective of who gave the command ( Gota, SF, MR or anybody) that was the most effective and correct decsion.
If a little window was given to LTTE th’ white flags.. we would suffer for another 30 years.. that’s sure..
Those who sow the wind, reap the whirlwind. Man kind always forgets that whatever one sows , ( good or bad) will inevitably will bear the consequence of ones actions. The best definition of insanity is to sow the same seed over and over again and expect a different harvest. Sri Lanka unlike some other countries in the world, never had any statesmen ruling it. Statesman whose character was noble, honourable, above board, untouched by the fallen human nature, with the exception of Hon. D.S . Senanayake and Mr. Dudley Senanayake. Where there is no vision, people perish. When most people do not know , what it means to be honest in todays world, how does one expect, them to speak the truth. We live in a fallen world that is very quickly self destructing. Most people who have aspired to rule the country so far have no concept of what it means to be integral. Only if one knows what ” truth is ” then can they speak it. After having watched the country self destruct because of the policies of the past several governments since 1948, I have no hope for the country. God help us all !!!
It’s good that you have witnessed the self destruction of the country from as far as 1948. I would be very glad if you have tried to change that trend in the extent that you are capable of. I hope you are not someone like old education experts who blame others for the poor English education among our students
if you create your own yardstick, you can create as many statesman and non-statesman.
And regarding ‘the truth’, whose truth you believe ?
All of these come to the very basic bottom-line:
“How you understand”
-that again subjected to ones capacity to understand.
You do not belong in this country, live overseas for ever and die there. You have no idea what this country went through for 30 years. What good can this socalled truth of yours bring about to OUR ( not yours ) country, jack ass ?
Sunday Leader (the great liar), MR & the government (great thieves), SF (the great fool) , UNP (the great looser) , JVP (great murders) & all the other political parties are in the same boat with same goal; cheat to the nation/people, do the business well & mainly earn money as much as possible!!!!
All of you cheaters should go to the hell & join with Prabakaran & gan ; if want to see a peaceful country…
if i have chance,i will put some sugar in to u r mouth……. very good comment
Ravi… wait till 27th and you can eat your words… we are living without fear now because of SF.
We see the current result of the war because
1. we got Gota & MR in the team
2. we got SF in the team
I go for 1.
Simply, without 1, 2 never exists.
if you still do not understand, take out MR & Gota from the team, and visualize what would have happened to this country in the hands of LTTE.
Dashak, It is not that they do’nt
know that, they know very well that without MR& GR there won’t be any SF or victory over terrorism but you can’t say that and win elections
Cheers, most of want exactly that….
Then, only infants, mentally disables,and few other people will remain in Sri Lanka (and in the world too). I hope you will be one of them.
Hi HUD,
For your information I’m & my family having very good life & living in aboard with peaceful minds. It’s very sad to see what how the political feild destroy our beautifull Lanka while other many nations were blessed with good leaders & enjoy the life.
By the way, seems you’re like a frog in a well; open your eyes & see how selfish all those SL politicians. Do you really think they’re crying this much hard for the votes simply bc. they want to develop the country…. If it’s you’re out of your mind!
Fredrika,
Ya you have a good back bone.
keep it up,god bless you
BACK BONE FOR WHAT ? TO STAND WITH THE LTTE ,TO SUPPORT THE NGO’S TO WORK AGAINST THE SRI LANKAN STATE …………
Why cant you believe S.D.Dissanakes story. According to him it is the LTTE who shot and killed the surrendering LTTE. One of the dead LTTE even handed over the bullet to SD. He has it as the proof. Please believe him and me we are Sri Lankan. we don’t lie
You great !
Main point attracted me from the whole article was “After the presidential election was formally declared The Sunday Leader’s management made a decision that the paper would at an editorial level broadly throw its weight behind Sarath Fonseka’s campaign.”
So how can you expect anything against the government from government media?
I have never being a fan of Sunday leader during the war for its anti government stance. All politicians are corrupt and rob everything at their disposal and it not new to this government. To attack the government at the hight of the war is uncalled for and that seemingly undermined the war effort.
When I read the article on 13th December I was shocked to realiszed how can the Sunday Leader can be of this much help to the government publishing a story that was going to be in their favour. that article sealed the defeat of the General if he had any chance of winning. No point whinning about the article now by the opposition now. Damage is done!!
Sunday leader is always partial to the western interrests. They hail betrayals and oppose patriotism.
As a lay person, I always think that a journalist has a responsibility when handling very sensitive information like this. It puts the whole country’s dignity and the credibility at stake. What dd the editor wanted ? A senstional headline which will sell the newspaper..Never mind the repurcussions it could bring on your country.
Now the damage is done. The Government handled the issue well and made a traitor out of a hero. The damage the leader sory did to SF is immesurable. Whatever the editor wttes in english doesn’t reach the villager. The damage is done.
The Sunday Leader also should learn a lesson. Not to slander anybody they don’t particularly like. Think before you go for the kill….
Mrs FD, serves you right.
let the politicians mind their own business. the public or media can do nothing but observing. none of the leaders is in need of developing this country. they put it down day by day. sri lankans should realize this and continue with their duties to lead their economy. at last we DO suffer
SUNDAY LEADER EXPOSED ONCE AGAIN!! LIARS!!
Editor,
” Personally however I’m not much given to tears and the JVP’s and Sarath Fonseka’s troubles are definitely not going to move me to tears any time soon. I certainly don’t feel I have anything to apologize for other than perhaps underestimating the sheer cunning of the Rajapaksa’s’ media machine and the JVP’s stupidity in playing into the government’s hands. ”
This is all ? You have no feeling or remorse letting down the Army or the Country, before a World which waits on third world carrion ? The hypocrites in West licking their wounds when the UN could not implicate us would be very happy..
SF is a traitor, he betrayed the army he lead. You betrayed SF, Army and the whole country because of a personal vandetta.
Shame.
This is a good lesson for the ‘side drummers’.
The Leader item clearly says SF said it,he stands by it.
The side dummers drummed it into him to say otherwise giving the words a slight ‘spin’.Unfortunately it gives a different picture of the commander that he is weekling at the insistant behest of side drummers drumming into him.
Yes,Rajiva’s letter being withdrawn clearly shows that the government feet are shaky.
Sunday leader – keep the TRUTH ever alive.Thats what we want to hear.
The TRUTH will make you FREE.
my dear Fedrica. fedrica… fedrica……why do u like animals so much? U LIKE TIGERS , ELEPHANTS , SWORNS……….dont u like handsome man like me
You know why they like those animals? That is where the money comes to them when they write against our motherland. most of the NGOs fund them as long as they write against our motherland, government and when they encourage terrorists…
Not olny NGO. LTTE is their main financier.
As to what has come out from her Leader is farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr dangerous than the LTTE. Take notice MR and act wisely.
Moda Puppet POnseka is nothing but a baite of the UNP traitors…
We are talking about terrorists who have no qualms about sending pregnant women with to C4 explosives wrapped around their bellies to kill innocent civilians! LTTE were given plenty of chances to surrender but they did not take up. So if Gota did give that order in the grand finale- by all means he has done our country a great service as he probably avoided a mass suicide that would have cost the lives of many more Sri Lankan soliders. I am not a fan of this government for a lot of reasons but do certainly respect the Rajapakse’s for wiping out the LTTE. Unfortunately for the opposition campaign SF has proved without any doubt that he had much less to do with the real victory than did Gotabaya Rajapakse!
All the above reponses are about who said what. No one says for sure whether any crimes were committed or not. If no crimes were committed SF cannot be a traitor for he has not let out any state secrets and the govt should flatly deny what SF had stated. If war crimes did happen thats another story. In civilised societies surrendees however evil their actions are should be tried in courts and made to suffer the consequences. The crimes USA committs in Iraq / Afghanistan are wrong and that doenst make any other country doing similar crimes right.
What a guy, this man is? Why talk ot USA when we have bigger things happening in Sri Lanka. It is a Sri Lanka blog we are posting our comments. Keep to the point you idiot, and we shall be ok.
දඹර අමිල හිමි හෝමාගමදී කල ඉතිහාසගත කථාව
Historic Speech of Dambara Amila Himi
http://electionjokes.ning.com/video/dambara-amila-himi-historic
Have you heard Ven. Amila’s speeches when JVP was in the UPFA government? I have.
SF did the right thing by revealing war crimes. At the first time, if government denied this statement there wouldn’t be any problem for country. JANSZ, did she paid by MR?
You say SF did the “right thing”. Then you accuse Jansz for reporting so called “right thing”.
Man…..You have all the credentials to be a stupid.
your have all the potential to be the next JVP leader
According to BBC’s “International Terrorism : LTTE” (which was on the History Channel), LTTE has done over 60,000 kills throughout their operations. The program says that this amount cannot be reached by adding all the rest of guerilla kills.
Is that a “right thing”?
fredrica,
it seems nw ur taking da side of governmnt lol hw much did dy pay you??? lmao. leader is a unp related paper frm past so u wont publish such a news if u suportn SF wt a joke lol
other thing looks ur nt a sri lankan 2 publish such a news. if u lv ur country u dnt try 2 give ass to foreign ppl by giving such a news specially for international countries.
ur nt a sri lankan u dnt love our own nation
Well done fedrica, Go ahead………..and catch up the foolish general……
Dear Fredricka,
To me your episode is about the pathetic situation of the editorial and newspaper independence in Sri Lanka. The implications are much bigger beyond this pretty squabble about the presidential political campaign. You have blatenly revealed that the so called “alternative” or anti-government press is not independent. You have admitted that your reportage and editorial policy is pro-General. Why? So regardless what this General is upto (including the possible bretrayal of his follow officers), you will not be critical about his policies or actions. If any of other professionals stated a similar “biased” view, many fellow professionals will kick him out from their profession. Does editors guild going to do something about Fredricka’s statement? Fredricka, you have a responsibility to inform the public. Do you think any of us now could read Sunday Leader without the perception about what you said? I think the supream duty of a news paper editor. This is to be objective and impartial. You have sacrificed both these virtues by prostituting your ability to write and inform people. This is one of reasons why our country could not get rid of bad governance, because your editorial policy is not to correct the wrong doing of the rulers but to support some other to become a ruler. I am ashamed of you as a fellow professional. Get out from Sunday Leader and start a consultancy firm (to provide editoral advices to the university student to write their thesis). This will be much honerable than let bankrupt politicians to use your professional skills. I really felt filthy when you mensioned that you guys (apperantly Mangala and Anura Kumara) assumed that government will react violently and damage the Sunday Leader property, after seeing this news. It is blatantly obvious that these bankrupt politicians are trying to get political milage out of such an attack. I can see you as a professional has become a pawn in the hands of these inept politicians. Get out from Sunday Leader and do not prostitute your skills as an editor.
Good luck
Ordinary Citizen
well said !!
I believe that you along or Leader as a whole working with Mahinda.
Fedrika…. why are you illegally using a private road to enter your house ? Why have you even created an entrance from your side when a court ruling has been already given to close your gate to the private road. If it was someone else you would have written pages about it.
Fedrika
What has happened is happened now.No turn back. Sri lanka seems to have the blessing of unseen power of late. SF was just a tool used to gain the victory over LTTE. The tool tried to be the sole owner of the victory. For that he tried to tarnish the image of Gota and MR. It failed and it turned out to be curse for himself. Its where sri lanaka is lucky. Tirany revealed. SF already lost. Thanks god.
The editor Fdrica Janzz doesn’t know about the responsibility of her work. First she should have understood who is Sarath Fonseka. If she had gone through his life in the army she shouldn’t have go for an interview this sarath Fonseka. He is an idiot. Sri Lankan were very unfortunate to have such a idiot as army commander which now we have to pay the price. Fedrica knows very well that publishing such news article will be harming the country. If she don’t know she is not fit to be a journalist. She has violated the basic ethic of journalism by taking side to support General. I think now she has realist that she had supported to an idiot traitor to become the president of this country. It is like Idi Ammeen bringing to power. I noticed that from the very beginning that The Sunday leader is harming the country by publishing articles which are baseless. Fedrica note that public will never forgive you the crime you did.
Dear Lionel
Well said. ‘Truth can not be made but it exists’. Many journalists try to make their own-truth. Not only FJ but others too. I remember how the media reported the past students unrest when I was in university. They take a side and create truth for that side. Their truth can be easily marketed. It is interesting and beautiful. But all these people know the truth and cheat themselves. So I read their truth, but not trust.
There are number of parties ruined the world
1. Politicians
2. Journalist
3. Religious leaders
Until all these parties are in the world their will be no peace, but wars, crises and problems. You can add more to this list
I can add:
colonial powers,
neo-colonial agents,
World Bank, IMF, WTO, and the like, (and finally, top it up with)
ignorant voters
They all on a race to ruin the world
The truth shall make us all free in the end. SF spoke too early instead of waiting for the hustings and then let the cat out of the bag! Hope he learns along the way. Yes, many may not like the LTTE but war is also governed by international rules. SrI Lanka has to rise up to the challenge it agreed to under the relevant Convention and not shy away from its responsibilties.If it is contentious then there has to be a fair and impartial investigation.
Actually if Gota or anyother asked to kill LTTE leaders I would be grateful to them that they gave the orders.My nephew who was an agricultural officer who went to help farmers in the north did not stand any chance when he was caught by LTTE.He and seven other Singhala officers were burned alive to death in a paddy field just because they were Singhalese and were doing their duty although they knew it was a dangerous job.My neighbour and friend lost his loved daughter and wife to the Dehiwala train bomb.I wanted LTTE leaders burned alive whether they surrendered or not as their victims never had any chance.So called human rights people never tried to save 700 un armed Police killed by LTTE.I think SL journalists have short memories.I wish and hope MR will win again as he was the only one who really had the courage to fight LTTE and stop them.SF is a traitor who named his own officers just because he wants to be the president.DISGUSTING
I’m totally agree with you Ashok.
SF must move away from my RED Brothers in order for him to win. Otherwise my brothers will do the same that they have done to Chandrika, and Mahinda. They will take him to a certain distance and desert him to find his way through.
I must also mention that SF must move away from Mangala as well, he’s no better than my RED Bros.
Boomarang has hit the same place it was thrown. I have no other comments. In buddhism, it is said as ” Chethana Bikkawe Kamman Wadhami”.
From Canberra: Frederika, I am thankful that you showed excellent journalistic courage in sticking to your report, despite efforts to distort the Gen Fonseka’s original statement by various political goons with the benefit of hindsight. Such courage should be admired, and not villified as an attack on Gen Fonseka. Politicians must have the fortitude to take care of themselves and take responsibility for what they say and what they do. I am appalled by the suggestion by some contributers here, who suggest that Frederika or the Sunday Leader has engaged in some conspiracy against the General.
I was in favour of SF up to yesterday. I read all the news letters in web sites. When Anura Kumara said that FJ cried before them, I sent an email asking them not go so low. Because I know FJ will never do that. She stood couragesly even at Lasntha’s death. But my problem is how can we trust this man. I f he can not stick to his word how can he become a leader. Where is his military training. Sf has already done immense damage to him in his campaigne. By doing these things, he has shown 2 things of him self. One is that he is a lier and he can lie at any time for his own benifite, Secondly he is a weak personality who can be amenable to others. Problem is not listning to others, but listning to these people.
We call SF a traitor because he is acting on behalf of LTTE agenda. We have fought against LTTE propoganda and defend our country. He is not saying things against a person but a country. If his pea brain cannot understand that it is a very dangerous situation for the country. Sunday Leader you are not second to SF. You are the scum of SL and brainless and very bias. Patriot Sri Lankans will NEVER support him. If othwer IDIOTS support him, and he comes to power, and if these ediots suffer. It serves them right.
What was your idiotic intention of publishing this, you brainless dumb asses of SUnday leader. OH YES, YOU THINK IT IS A BIG DEAL TO KILL THESE MURDERERS WHO REFUSE TO SURRENDER, KILL ESCAPING CIVILIANS, WHO KEPT CIVILIANS AS HOSTAGE TILL LASTMINUTE, SEND CIVILIANS TO FRONT LINE TO BE KILLED. Oh my what a crime, my bloody foot.
You brainless unpatriotic BS journalist you are a disgrace and curse to country. Let you and your loved ones die in an suicidal attach. it is my wish for you for the new year.
If the general heard about this when he was the army commander he should have iniciated an inquiry immadiately,if he was a strightforward commander as he claims. howcome nobody not even the editor of the sunday Leader question the general about this.
Our innocent general couldn’t do do anything. Because he had to look after White van squad, Journalists and his son in-law’s arms deals in Colombo. War had been handled by Gota(As SF says). SF had received only some information through embeded journalists. Other than that SF had no connection to the battle field.
SF did the right thing, and JANSZ too.. Government taking this thing to roll back SF’s campaign.
Dear Sunday Leader,
Thank you for accepting that you were wrong this time as you have always been. You have very clearly explained in this letter that your decision to support the General was wrong as he is “not only unpatriotic but also as vacillating and indecisive – your own words”
I challenge you to publish these short comments from me.
Mohan
Fredrika,
I would start by saying I’m a supporter of MR.As I think Sf is not a mature leader to lead the country at all.Second I would ask you to find a media institution you can probably work according to your concience without sympathasizing or being partial to any body.
ෆෙඩ්රිකා,
ඔයා තමයි අපිව ගොඩගත්තෙ. ඔයාට කීයක් ඕනැද?
අපි කලින් කථා කරගත්තෙ ඩොලර් මිලියන 10 කට උනාට, දැන් ඩොලර් මිලියන 100 ක් උනත් කැමතියි.
Come soon!!!
See yourself.,,
Great Ambalangoda puppet show. Until 26th.
Hello Sunday Leader??? What a media in our country ? a lengthy statment given by SF. then he denied also he quoted u misunderstood what he said??? what a joke? plz tell general to take rest and sleep well. why every one look rajapaksa family? Gota is not eligible? Basil is not eligible? This is the only reason they won the war. u did not see how many military and media personal on the LTTE pay roll during UNP and Chandrika goverment? when rajapaksa family involved every things came out to light. may be many contractors affected by this family rule? it is better for country/
Fedrica while you stand for your story, your brother newspaper, Irudina says that Sunday Leader has accepted the clarification of SF without a comment of the editor. We would like you to comment on this.
This story did worse than good. Sri Lanka became disgraced. Isn’t there any code of conduct for you media people. Don’t spill out everything you hear like idiots who are going after money. You have a responsibility and accountability toward your country.
To all my esteemed fellow “opinionators” -
The purpose of an Editorial is to write an opinion (which inevitably will have a slant or a bias). The Sunday Leader can publish what they want to (as long as they can produce their sources — if a lawsuit is actually filed). How naiive to think that a mere threat by itself warrants culpability or legitimizes the argument of folks (i.e. JVP). Frankly, the govt. owned Daily News publishes utter rubbish/govt propaganda disguised in the form of “news”.
Something about what’s good for the goose ….
As an expat who has watched this madness you call “elections” unfold, I am appalled; yet, not surprised.
I mean … you were up in arms when the Editor of the Sunday Leader was murdered while the nation knew who the culprits were. Then … you went nuts on the internet calling for accountability.
Weren’t you the same folks who were ready to crown your current president a King? Why have you turned on him? Did you finally realize that he is no better than the rest of the “slick willy” politicians?
Who is Sarath Fonsekam really? Service to the country is always commendable. A military background is helpful — but that does not guarantee that he will have a deep abiding respect for the individual’s right to live in freedom and with dignity
Don’t get me wrong … I don’t know the very folks who are now mumbling & whining were thinking when they voted Rajapaksa into office.
After all, Fonseka & the defense minister of Sri Lanka, have dual citizenship or residency in the U.S. Sure sounds like they both drink water from the same well.
Don’t attack the Reporter or a newspaper … instead, google these stories for multiple sources and voracity. There certainly is a ring of truth to the story because of what the international monitoring agencies have reported over and over about war crimes & corrupt political system.
Winning at all cost is very short-sighted when you consider the generational effect all of this will have socially, economically, psychologically & geopolitically. A nation must never lose its soul in order to avenge the horrors of violence.
Like you, I dispise what the LTTE did to beautiful Sri Lanka. Like you, I abhor what politicians have done to rape the country – all in the name of war & national security.
But for God’s sake … pull your head out of the sand and take a good look at your diminishing rights & constitution and the widening margin between the haves and have nots.
Don’t shoot the messenger; but look at the two main players and their two stories. I am sad for Sri Lanka … you are truly stuck having to select the better of two evils.
In case you wondered, dear reader … I left Sri Lanka as a child — but have enthusiastically looked to my roots whenever possible.
The Sunday Leader is a total joke.
What a pathetic excuse of a paper, claiming to be independent but taking an editorial line in support of one political candidate.
Nimal … this happens all over the world — pretty normal for a newspaper to write an Editorial in support of a candidate.
But this is what The Sunday Leader claims it doesn’t do. it literally screams about this, going on about being “unbowed and unafraid.”
All lies.
Sorry .. tired & long day .. here’s a proof-read version:
To all my esteemed fellow “Opinionators”:
The purpose of an Editorial is to write an opinion (which inevitably will have a slant or a bias). The Sunday Leader can publish what they want to (as long as they can produce their sources — in the even a lawsuit is actually filed). How naive to think that a mere threat of a lawsuit by itself warrants culpability or legitimizes the argument of folks (i.e. JVP). Frankly, the govt. owned Daily News publishes utter rubbish/govt propaganda disguised in the form of “news”.
Something about what’s good for the goose ….
As an expat who has watched this madness you call “elections” unfold, I am appalled; yet, not surprised.
I mean … you were up in arms when the Editor of the Sunday Leader was murdered while the nation knew who the culprits were. Then … you went nuts on the Internet calling for accountability. You were thirsting for a public trial and a flogging in the town square. And then … poof!
So many of you were ready to crown your current president King. Why have you turned on him? Did you finally realize that he is no better than the rest of the “slick willy” politicians who’d sell you out for a dime?
Who is Sarath Fonseka really? Service to the country is noble and always commendable. A military background is helpful — but that does not guarantee that he will have a deep abiding respect for the individual’s right to live in freedom and with dignity.
I don’t know what the very folks who are now mumbling & whining were thinking when they voted Rajapaksa into office. Where were your blogs when the Rajapaksa clan sucked the lifeblood out of a Nation?
As for Fonseka … he, like the Defense Minister of Sri Lanka, has dual citizenship or residency in the U.S. Sure sounds like they both drink water from the same well.
Don’t attack the Reporter or a newspaper … instead, google these stories for multiple sources and voracity. There certainly is a ring of truth to the story because of multi-sourced reporting by bloggers, reporters & monitors from all parts of the world who have written extensively about alleged war crimes & an out-of-control political system.
Winning at all cost is very short-sighted when you consider the generational effect all of this will have socially, economically, psychologically & geopolitically. A nation must never lose its soul in order to avenge the horrors of violence.
Like you, I despise what the LTTE did to beautiful Sri Lanka. Like you, I abhor what politicians have done to rape the country – all in the name of war & national security. But for God’s sake … pull your head out of the sand and take a good look at your diminishing rights & constitution and the widening margin between the haves and have-nots.
Don’t shoot the messenger; but look at the two main players and their two stories. I am sad for Sri Lanka as you find yourselves stuck between having to select the better of two evils (ninconpoops or whatever else one should call ‘em).
In case you wondered, dear reader … I left Sri Lanka as a child — but have enthusiastically looked to my roots whenever possible
Last thing Sri Lankans need is expatriates preaching to them from their ivory towers.
Patriotic sri lankans whether sinhala, tamil or muslim hate LTTE leaders. They remember the devastation they made in the all over the country. They dont want Prabakaran , nadason or others to be alive after the destroying the LTTE. They dont want to waste public money to spend to see whether they are inocent in the court.. Everyone fired crackers and celebrated in the street despite any difference after army kill them. The importance of whether it is a war crime or not is only relevant to traitors and international NGO who were on the pay role of LTTE and who had lucritive business from the war. Patriots dont care what you say. You want to be a good one now. I think you made the general in to trouble by trying to put the govt in to trouble.
Fonseka has proved that he is a traitor, and nothing else.
Fonseka has become a cancer to the entire country now.
අනේ පව් ලස්සන කෙල්ල ෆෙඩ්රිකා එයාව අඬවන්න එපා හරිද