Reports continue to flow in linking the Tigers

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001034

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT; NSC FOR E. MILLARD

LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06-13-13
TAGS: PGOV PTER PINS PHUM CE LTTE
SUBJECT: Reports continue to flow in linking the Tigers
to violence against Tamil opponents

Refs: Colombo 1029 (Notal),and previous

(U) Classified by Ambassador E. Ashley Wills.
Reasons: 1.5 (b,d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Reports continue to flow in linking
the Tigers to violence against Tamil opponents. In
addition to over 20 killings in recent months, the
latest incidents involve the slayings of two Tamils in
the east. The GSL is having problems proving Tiger
involvement, though it may have garnered a break when it
captured two suspected Tigers this week. The killings
have contributed to a growing sense of unease about the
Tigers. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) MORE KILLINGS: Reports continue to flow in
linking the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
organization to violence against Tamil opponents. The
latest incidents include the slayings of two anti-LTTE
Tamils in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province. In the first
incident, a former member of the Eelam People's
Democratic Party (EPDP) was shot and killed on June 7
outside of Trincomalee town. In the second incident, a
former member of the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization
(TELO) and his young child were killed in a hand grenade
explosion on June 6 near Batticaloa town.


3. (C) These latest killings come on top of those of
about 20 anti-LTTE Tamils since the start of the year
(see Reftels). The victims have been divided into two
broad categories: (1) Members or former activists of
anti-LTTE parties (such as the victims in the two most
recent killings); and, (2) Tamils who work or formerly
worked as informants for Sri Lanka's military.


4. (C) PROVING LTTE INVOLVEMENT DIFFICULT: As with
virtually all of the previous killings, no one has been
arrested in the latest incidents. The wave of attacks
have been extremely well-planned with the perpetrators
often driving quickly away in vehicles and melting away
after that. Contacts in the government and other
observers, however, universally believe that the LTTE is
to blame. In a June 12 conversation, for example,
Taranjit Sandhu, Indian High Commission polchief, told
us that the incidents have all the hallmarks of LTTE
targeted assassinations. Sandhu also noted the obvious
fact that those who have been killed are or were anti-
LTTE activists, making the Tigers the party that would
feel it had the most to gain by employing such terror
tactics. Sandhu went on to note unconfirmed reports
circulating in the north and east that LTTE leader V.
Prabhakaran has actually issued written instructions for
anti-Tiger Tamils to be killed.


5. (C) For its part, the LTTE has denied it is involved
in the killings. These claims have been echoed by pro-
Tiger politicians. In a recent meeting with the
Ambassador, for example, Kumar Ponnambalam, a MP for the
Tamil National Alliance with close LTTE associations,
was adamant that there was absolutely no evidence
linking the LTTE to the crimes.


6. (C) A BREAK?: The GSL might have garnered a break
in their efforts to prove the Tigers' involvement in the
killings. As first reported in Reftels, two suspected
LTTE cadre were stopped during a random police check in
central Colombo on the evening of June 10. The two men
who were armed tried to run away, but were captured, with
one of them swallowing a cyanide tablet. The two men are
now in custody, with the one who took cyanide in critical
condition in a hospital. Government officials have told
us that they believe that the two suspected cadre were
apparently on their way to try to assassinate a Tamil
informant for the military when they were intercepted.
At this point, interrogation of the one healthy suspect
is continuing, with the government relatively sure that
it has netted its first big breakthrough regarding the
recent spate of killings.


7. (C) (((Note: Shortly after the two suspects were
captured on June 10, two policemen were captured by the
LTTE in the Trincomalee area. The LTTE has announced
that it is holding the two policemen captive until the
GSL releases a LTTE cadre who is now in jail. There was
some initial speculation that the LTTE might be holding
the two policemen in exchange for the LTTE suspects
arrested in Colombo, but this has not yet panned out.
The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission is looking into the
matter and is trying to arrange a meeting with the LTTE
to discuss it.)))


8. (C) COMMENT: While the government tries to catch
the perpetrators of the killings, there is little doubt
that the LTTE is the culprit. As noted, the attacks
have all the hallmarks of LTTE operations, including --
as with the June 10 incident -- the use of cyanide by an
operative who is captured. In addition to the LTTE's
increasingly shrill communications turning down offers
to restart the peace talks, the recent killings have
contributed mightily to a growing sense of unease about
the Tigers and their intentions. END COMMENT.


9. (U) Minimize considered.

WILLS