Peace process update: Detainees go on

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001891

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS

NSC FOR E. MILLARD

LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10-09-12
TAGS: PGOV PTER PINS PHUM ECPS CE LTTE
SUBJECT: Peace process update: Detainees go on
hunger strike; Tensions in east; Tamil Tiger radio

Refs: Colombo 1858, and previous

(U) Classified by W. Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b, d).


1. (C) This update of Sri Lanka's peace process reviews
the following:

-- Demanding immediate release, Tamil detainees go on
hunger strike

-- Amid strong hints that a resolution may be near,
standoff involving captured soldiers continues

-- Tigers reportedly attack office of pro-government
Tamil party

-- Continuing cyclical trend, Muslims in east said to be
riled over what they consider their marginalization

-- The flavor of the peace process: After years of
clandestine operations, "Voice of the Tigers" radio said
to want official frequency

=============================
Detainees go on Hunger Strike
=============================


2. (U) About 150 Tamil detainees with suspected ties to
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have been on
a hunger strike since October 1. The detainees are
demanding their immediate release from jails in Kalutara
(south of Colombo) and Batticaloa in the east. The
prisoners assert that the law they are being held under,
the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA),is unfair and
should be repealed.


3. (C) The situation is becoming a bit of a cause
celebre. Various GSL ministers have been streaming to
the jail to urge the prisoners to break their fast.
Under pressure from the government, the Attorney
General's office has also announced that it will see
what it can do to obtain early releases for some of
those detained. (Note: The AG's office has already
taken steps that have resulted in the release of
hundreds of PTA suspects this year. Many of those
currently detained are reportedly hard-core LTTE
operatives, who were engaged in clear-cut terrorist-
related activities.) Tamil politicians are also turning
up the heat and are scheduled to visit Kalutara today to
check on the detainees' health. (Note: Most of the
detainees seem to be in good health, but some are
reportedly growing quite weak.) Supporting the
strikers, G.G. Ponnambalam, a senior Tamil National
Alliance MP, told us that the government must "remove
the PTA" because it is "contrary to all humanitarian
law."


4. (C) Comment: The detainees have chosen a clever
tactic: Perhaps because of Mahatma Gandhi's regional
legacy, hunger strikes -- despite a ritualistic quality
-- spark sympathy in Sri Lanka. That said, our guess is
that the uproar over this issue is LTTE-generated to a
large extent. The following sequence of events is
almost certainly more than a coincidence: The LTTE
delegates at the recent peace talks in Thailand raise
the PTA issue with the GSL team, but to no avail. Two
weeks later the detainees begin a hunger strike, which
is publicly (and loudly) supported by pro-LTTE Tamil
politicians. End Comment.

=============================
Standoff May Be Resolved Soon
=============================

5. (SBU) Amid some positive noises that a resolution
may be very near, the standoff over the LTTE's detention
of six Sri Lankan soldiers continues. (Note: The
soldiers have been held by the LTTE since their
September 25 capture in Trincomalee District. One other
soldier was released last week on humanitarian grounds.)
Despite vigorous entreaties from the GSL and the Sri
Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM),the LTTE has refused to
release the soldiers until two of its own cadre are
released in a de facto exchange. Extensive pressure has
been put on the GSL to take steps against the LTTE and
force the group to resolve the dispute (see Reftel).
Choosing a softer approach, the GSL arranged a bail
hearing for the two LTTE cadre on October 7. The SLMM
told us that the incident may be resolved as early as
later today. (Note: Mission has received late word
that the LTTE cadre were released early October 9 after
obtaining bail and that the soldiers' release also may
be imminent.)


6. (C) Comment: The government's first priority
throughout this incident has been to defuse it as
quickly as possible so that it did not prove disruptive
for the peace process. With the LTTE playing
unrelenting hard ball, that strategy has not been
totally successful. In playing this game, the LTTE may
reap a short-term gain by obtaining the release of its
cadre. In the longer term, however, the group has
dented its image as a cooperative partner in the peace
process -- and made the GSL look weak in the process.
End Comment.

=====================================
Tigers Reportedly Attack Party Office
=====================================


7. (SBU) LTTE operatives are being accused of attacking
the office of a pro-government Tamil party on October 5.
The incident reportedly involved an attack by a group of
lightly armed men on an office of the Eelam People's
Democratic Party (EPDP) on Delft Island off the coast of
Jaffna. Several people were lightly injured in the
melee and there was some damage to the EPDP's office.
The EPDP, which has also claimed that one of its party
members was briefly abducted, has placed blame on the
Tigers, asserting that the attack was led by a LTTE
operative named "Carter." (Note: This is another
interesting LTTE nom de guerre, following along the
lines of other cadre we have heard of with White House-
flavored names like "Kennedy" and "Reagan." We are not
sure what the gag is here, but it is apparently amusing
to the LTTE. End Note.) For its part, the LTTE has
denied involvement. The SLMM is investigating the
incident.


8. (C) Comment: The EPDP acted as a pro-government
paramilitary organization for years before it agreed to
disarm earlier this year. (Note: Along with several
other Tamil paramilitary groups, the EPDP did turn in
some of its weapons. It is said to have retained some,
however.) The group, which has been largely pro-peace
process in its public utterances, has long maintained
strength in the islands off Jaffna. The LTTE has been
actively challenging the EPDP's political control of the
islands and it would not be surprising if it was indeed
behind the Delft attack. End Comment.

=================
Tensions in East
=================


9. (C) Mission has picked up numerous recent reports
that Muslims in the east are again very upset over the
peace process. The active ingredient in the latest
uptick in tensions involves recent comments by Rauf
Hakeem, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader and
GSL Minister. In a statement in late September, Hakeem,
who was a member of the GSL's negotiating team during
the recent Thailand talks, said he did not see the need
for Muslims in the east to have a separate governing
council in any interim administration formed for the
region. These comments were explosive in the east and
many eastern Muslim leaders denounced Hakeem. Jehan
Perera of the National Peace Council, a local think-
tank, told us that Hakeem's comments were "ill-advised,"
as they signaled to eastern Muslims that they were a
"marginalized group."

10. (C) Comment: The tensions among Muslims in the
east are cyclical and Hakeem's remarks clearly provoked
anger after several months of relative calm. It is not
clear why Hakeem made his remarks, as it is widely
agreed that the best path at this time is for both the
GSL and LTTE to avoid discussion of "big picture"
structural issues. Hakeem, who is not from the east,
also did himself a disservice by reinforcing among
eastern Muslims the perception, real or imagined, that
he does not cater to their concerns. End Comment.

=====================
"Voice of the Tigers"
=====================


11. (SBU) The LTTE's "Voice of the Tigers" clandestine
radio service is said to want to obtain a FM frequency
from the Sri Lankan government. The LTTE reportedly
made this request to GSL officials during recent mid-
level meetings in Kilinochchi, the LTTE's headquarters
in the north. Confirming that it had heard of the
LTTE's interest in obtaining a frequency, the
government's Telecommunications Regulatory Commission
(TRC) has told us that the Tigers have not filed an
official application as of yet. The TRC says the
request lies with the Peace Secretariat.


12. (C) In making the request, the Tigers are
apparently looking for countrywide radio coverage. At
this time, the Voice of the Tigers can only be tuned in
on limited FM and short-wave radio frequencies in
northern and eastern Sri Lanka, and only at night.
(Note: The FM frequency is between 94.1 and 96; the
short-wave frequency is on 41 meter bands.) The Tigers
presumably want all-island coverage in order to reach
out to Tamils in Colombo and central Sri Lanka (unless
they also go in for English or Sinhala services, in
addition to their Tamil-language broadcasts).


13. (C) Comment: The Voice of the Tigers has broadcast
some pretty bloodcurdling stuff in the past, including
salutes to the LTTE's many terrorist acts. The fact
that the Tigers apparently feel comfortable approaching
the GSL regarding an expansion of services -- and that
the government seems to be considering the request -- is
a solid indication of how far the peace process has
caught on. It is not clear how popular Tiger radio
might be if it is ever given wide exposure. Renditions
of LTTE "patriotic" music and replays of turgid speeches
by V. Prabhakaran, the group's leader, would probably
only have a limited appeal in the south, to put it
mildly. End Comment.


14. (U) Minimize considered.

WILLS