Manipulation is a broad brush. By strictest terms, it is, and...

Manipulation is a broad brush. By strictest terms, it is, and banks have paid fines for doing so. On multiple occassions.

As for a secret cohort of government officials being involved to depress prices? Its open to conjecture and far from being certain . There is motive and means is about all that can be drawn, and historically they have done this with london gold pool in late 1960`s.

Gold is also different to most other commodities in that it is not consumed and very rarely settles in physical. Is large increases in synthetic supply via futures contracts (aside from legitimate hedging purposes by miners) manipulation?

Saying the market isnt manipulated is likely worse than saying a secret handful of governments manipulate the prices by leasing their countries reserves. Gold bugs may be drawing conjecture thats unproven in dignified circles, but the financial penalties paid by banks for manipulation is pretty conclusive that the gold market has (at least in recent history) been manipulated