Tamil Tiger leader Prabhakaran makes rare

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001587

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER PGOV PINS PINR CE LTTE
SUBJECT: Tamil Tiger leader Prabhakaran makes rare
public appearance

Refs: (A) Colombo 1583, and previous
- (B) FBIS Reston Va DTG 072251Z Sep 03

(U) Classified by James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b,d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Tamil Tiger leader V. Prabakharan gave
a brief speech at the opening of an office for the LTTE
"police force" in the north-central Vanni region on
September 7. While the speech was somewhat
confrontational in tone, he did not comment directly on
the peace process. The September 7 appearance by
Prabhakaran was one of only a handful this year by the
notoriously reclusive LTTE leader. END SUMMARY.

============================
An Appearance by Prabhakaran
============================


2. (SBU) Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader

V. Prabakharan made a public appearance on September 7
at the opening of a new headquarters for the "Tamil
Eelam police force." The event took place in
Kilinochchi in the LTTE-controlled Vanni region of
north-central Sri Lanka. Other participants at the
ceremony included: Pottu Amman, the LTTE's intelligence
chief; S.P. Thamilchelvam, the group's political chief;
and Soosai, the commander of the "Sea Tigers."
The event received significant coverage in pro-LTTE
press outlets. The webpage of the LTTE Peace
Secretariat (lttepeacesecretariat.com) and "TamilNet,"

SIPDIS
for example, reproduced the text of Prabhakaran's brief
remarks and posted numerous photos of the ceremony.

======================
A Confrontational Tone
======================


3. (SBU) In terms of substance, Prabhakaran's comments
were a bit confrontational in tone. He did not directly
comment on the ongoing peace process, however, though he
referred to a Tamil "homeland" and "nation," constructs
that are controversial to many in the south. Some key
snippets from his remarks included:

-- "A nation gets its nobility only when its society
attains upliftment...Social interaction and
relationships evolve out of this attainment. Such an
interlinked social life as a nation is in no way a
concession bestowed upon its people; nor is it an
automatic evolution with the passage of time."

-- "As one of the steps in the right direction, the
Tamil Eelam police force was institutionalized a decade
ago in our land. The ground situation then was grave
and crisis-ridden. The Sinhala regime's genocidal war
on our soil was being prosecuted with vengeance. An
economic embargo was rigidly enforced and there was a
scarcity of food and all other essentials for
livelihood...Above all the Sinhala chauvinistic regime
engaged itself in manifold attempts to destroy our
cherished collective social life and through that tried
to erase our existence itself. It is under such grave
circumstances that we institutionalized the Tamil Eelam
police service in our soil to preserve and protect unity
and the integrity achieved through the sacrifices of
several thousands of our fighters. This is an important
turning point in our liberation struggle; an important
milestone in the structuring of our homeland."

-- "With the unstinted support of the people, our police
force is able to effectively keep crime away from the
society insofar as that the hostile Colombo press,
though unwillingly, praises the effectiveness of our
police force which carries out its functions in a
people-friendly and disciplined manner. Going the extra
mile, the Tamil Eelam police force is functioning with a
sense of patriotism and humanitarian values. I am
really proud of this achievement."
===============
A Rare Sighting
===============


4. (SBU) Prabakharan's September 7 public appearance
was a rare one. So far, the pro-LTTE media have
mentioned his activities only on a handful of occasions
this year, including:

-- On July 26, Prabakharan presided over a ceremony in
the Vanni to mark the completion of training of LTTE
military officers. Prabakharan reportedly made a speech
at the occasion, but it was not reproduced in the pro-
LTTE press.

-- On July 16, Prabakharan took part in a commemoration
ceremony in the Vanni for Charles Anthony (a.k.a.
"Seelan"),a LTTE commander who was killed in July 1983.

-- On May 15, Prabakharan met with Norwegian Foreign
Minister Jan Peterson in Kilinochchi.

-- On May 12, Prabakharan presented an award to the
family of a slain Tamil politician.

-- On May 8, Prabakharan met with Japanese Special Envoy
Yasushi Akashi. Anton Balasingham, the LTTE's London-
based spokesman, also participated in the meeting.

-- On February 20, Prabakharan participated in the 14th
anniversary celebrations of "Eelanaatham," a pro-LTTE
Tamil-language daily newspaper published in the Vanni.

=======
COMMENT
=======


5. (C) Prabhakaran is notoriously reclusive. In
keeping public appearances to a minimum, Prabhakaran is
clearly concerned that he could be a target of attack by
his numerous enemies. At the same time, observers have
commented that he takes care to cultivate an image of
being withdrawn from day-to-day concerns, wanting to be
looked at as a leader who focuses on the big picture.
One annual event that Prabhakaran has participated in
routinely by making a long speech is LTTE "hero's (or
martyr's) day," which is on November 27. He used this
occasion in 2001 to announce the group's interest in
beginning a peace process with the government. There
are no indications yet as to what he has on his mind for
this year's speech. END COMMENT.


6. (U) Minimize considered.

LUNSTEAD