Amid some positive news, violence in east

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001904

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS

NSC FOR E. MILLARD

LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10-10-12
TAGS: PGOV PTER PINS PHUM MOPS CE LTTE
SUBJECT: Amid some positive news, violence in east
leaves at least seven suspected Tiger supporters dead

Refs: (A) FBIS Reston Va DTG 100403Z OCT 02

- (B) FBIS Reston Va DTG 091457Z OCT 02
- (C) FBIS Reston Va DTG 091245Z OCT 02
- (D) Colombo 1891, and previous

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


1. (C) Summary: Police shot and killed at least seven
suspected Tamil Tiger supporters on October 9. The
incident was triggered by an attempt to storm a police
station in the east. On a positive note for the peace
process, the Tigers released six soldiers after
obtaining the release of two of their cadre. In
addition, responding to the successful intervention of
GSL Minister Moragoda, over 200 prisoners suspected of
ties with the Tigers have halted a hunger strike. Given
the mix of good news with the bad, the peace process
seems to have lurched into a particularly volatile
period. End Summary.

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Bloody Incident in the East
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2. (SBU) Special Task Force (STF) police and Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) supporters engaged in a
bloody firefight on October 9. The incident took place
near Akkaraipattu, a coastal town in the eastern
district of Ampara. While reports are sketchy, the
incident apparently was touched off by an argument
between STF police and LTTE operatives backed up Tamil
civilians. The operatives reported the incident to an
adjacent LTTE base, and a group of suspected LTTE cadre,
apparently joined by Tamil supporters, decided to storm
a nearby STF camp. It is not clear who took the first
shot, but the STF, firing heavily, repelled the attack,
with its forces sustaining several injuries during the
incident. (Note: The STF is a highly trained police
unit deployed throughout Ampara. Three-thousand strong
in Ampara, the STF has had considerable success
countering the LTTE, largely due to its small unit
tactics. End Note.)


3. (C) The incident has prompted considerable concern
about its potential ramifications for the peace process.
Indeed, based on reports Mission is receiving today, the
east is quite tense over the incident, although no
violence has been reported as of yet. Milinda Moragoda,
an important GSL minister involved in peace-related
issues, told us that he was very worried about what the
LTTE might do in response. (Note: For its part, the
LTTE has not yet apparently announced what it plans to
do, if anything.) Nimal Goonetilleke, the head of the
STF, was rushing to Ampara today to check on the
situation. Moragoda added that the Norwegian-run Sri
Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was also planning to
investigate the incident.


4. (C) (((Note: Even before this latest incident, the
east has been the epicenter of much instability. There
has been a recent spike in anger among Muslims in the
area, for example, over what they perceive to be their
marginalization in the peace process. The situation
seems to be growing worse: there are reports that a
number of Muslim MPs are now threatening to boycott
Parliament if their concerns about the peace process are
not met. Moragoda told us that the GSL was trying to
head off this protest. End Note.)))

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LTTE Releases Soldiers
--------------


5. (C) On a positive note for the peace process, a two
week-old standoff between the GSL and the LTTE in
Trincomalee has ended. As foreshadowed in Ref D, the
LTTE released six Sri Lankan soldiers from detention
late October 9. The LTTE took this action after the
government met the group? demand and released two LTTE
cadre from its custody earlier in the day. During a
meeting with visiting DRL P/DAS Parmly on October 10,
K.C. Kamalasabayson, the Attorney General, expressed
relief that the situation had been resolved, noting that
the standoff had proved destabilizing in Trincomalee.
(Note: Many Sinhalese and some Muslims in the area had
taken to the streets in various demonstrations
protesting the LTTE's detention of the soldiers.)
Kamalasabayson said he had urged the judge involved in
the LTTE cadre? case to grant bail and release them in
order to cool the situation down.

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Hunger Strike Lifted
--------------


6. (SBU) In another positive development, Tamils
detained in various prisons lifted their hunger strike
on October 9. The approximately 200 detainees, who had
begun their action on October 1, were demanding their
immediate release from jails in Kalutara (south of
Colombo),Batticaloa in the east, and elsewhere. The
prisoners asserted that the law they were being held
under, the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA),was unfair
and should be repealed. The strike ended after a visit
to Kalutara prison, where most of the detainees are
housed, by Minister Moragoda late on October 9.
Moragoda pledged to the detainees that the government
would carefully look at their cases in the next 30 days
in an effort to see whom it could release. Attorney
General Kamalasabayson confirmed to P/DAS Parmly that
his office would actively review the detainees?cases.
He thought that most of the detainees probably merited
release. About 50, however, were hard-core LTTE cadre
who had been engaged in terrorist attacks, who could not
be released.


7. (C) (((Note: Apparently in reaction to the
complaints of the detainees and the LTTE about the act,
Kamalasabayson noted that the government was actively
considering revoking the PTA. Confirming the Attorney
General's comments, Mission has learned that the weekly
cabinet meeting on October 9 actively considered the
issue of doing away with the PTA, which has been in
place for almost 25 years now. The cabinet agreed to
review the issue further.)))

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Comment
--------------


8. (C) Given the mix of good news with the bad, the
peace process seems to have lurched into a particularly
volatile period. Due to the Ampara incident, the
situation in the east seems to be even more tense than
usual. It is still not clear what the LTTE reaction
will be, but the group rarely backs down when it feels
it is under pressure. On the other hand, the GSL gave
the LTTE what it wanted with respect to the de facto
prisoner exchange in Trincomalee and by agreeing to
reconsider the utility of the PTA. Whether this will
be enough to assuage the LTTE is unknown.


9. (C) (Note: Regarding the LTTE's possible reaction
to the Ampara incident, Moragoda told us that senior
Tiger negotiator Anton Balasingham was supposed to
transit Colombo today in order to visit the LTTE
leadership in the north. The trip was postponed at the
last moment, however, and he wondered whether
Balasingham was angry over what took place in Ampara.
When asked, the Norwegian Embassy told us that it
thought that "practical reasons" had prevented
Balasingham's visit, but it was still checking. End
Note.) End Comment.


10. (U) Minimize considered.
WILLS