Doctors ‘heavily coached’, pressurised before press conference - US

In a Wikileaks cable released today, it is alleged that the US Embassy charge d’affaires James Moore had reported back to the US that the five doctors who worked inside the No-Fire Zone during the last stages of the war were pressurised to recant the statements they had made from the No-Fire Zone and had been heavily coached for the press conference held in July 2009.

In the Cable dated 24 August 2009, it is stated that “Four government doctors, held by the police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) since the end of the war in May for allegedly filing false reports on civilian casualties in the No-Fire Zone during the last several months of the war, were released on bail today. “  The Cable adds that they were heavily coached for the press conference, given specific lines to say, and even practiced with several members of the local media beforehand. “They said they XXXXXXXXXXXX had not lied when giving their original statements during the war.” The Cable claims.

“The release of the four doctors is a welcome step by the GSL, but clearly they remain under investigation by the CID and now also are potentially under threat of abduction or extrajudicial killing. Post will continue to monitor the situation very closely, but for now the doctors appear to want to maintain as low a profile as possible, without undue attention brought to them either in Sri Lanka or internationally.”

Addressing a press conference on July 8, 2010 five doctors who worked inside the final conflict zone (the government-declared “no-fire zone”) and who released accounts of the situation and the numbers of killed and wounded civilians said they were “pressured” by the LTTE to release the casualty figures during the fighting, and that in reality the number of killed and wounded civilians was much lower.

Full Cable;

Monday, 24 August 2009, 13:34

S E C R E T COLOMBO 000830

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB

EO 12958 DECL: 08/23/2019

TAGS PGOV, PREL, PREF, PHUM, EAID, MOPS, CE

SUBJECT: DOCTORS FROM NO-FIRE ZONE RELEASED ON BAIL

REF: COLOMBO 695

Classified By: CHARGE D’AFFAIRES JAMES R. MOORE. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D)

1. (S) Four government doctors, held by the police Criminal Investigation Division (CID) since the end of the war in May for allegedly filing false reports on civilian casualties in the No-Fire Zone during the last several months of the war, were released on bail today. XXXXXXXXXXXX

2. (S) The doctors XXXXXXXXXXXX had been pressured to give the press conference held in early July (reftel), where they recanted all the statements they had made from the No-Fire Zone. They said they were heavily coached for the press conference, given specific lines to say, and even practiced with several members of the local media beforehand. They said they XXXXXXXXXXXX had not lied when giving their original statements during the war.

3. XXXXXXXXXXXX.

4. XXXXXXXXXXXX

5. (S) Comment: The release of the four doctors is a welcome step by the GSL, but clearly they remain under investigation by the CID and now also are potentially under threat of abduction or extrajudicial killing. Post will continue to monitor the situation very closely, but for now the doctors appear to want to maintain as low a profile as possible, without undue attention brought to them either in Sri Lanka or internationally. End Comment. MOORE