Jaffna in an uproar as Tigers ratchet up the

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000261

SIPDIS

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

LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2-14-13
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM CE LTTE
SUBJECT: Jaffna in an uproar as Tigers ratchet up the
pressure in the wake of confrontation with military

Ref: (A) Colombo 253 (Notal)
- (B) Colombo 244, and previous

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: Jaffna is in an uproar in the wake of a
February 12 confrontation between the Tamil Tigers and
the military. Angry over the incident in which several
cadre were injured, the Tigers forced the postponement
of the planned reopening of the Jaffna Library, a
cultural landmark. Tiger spokesman Balasingham was also
quoted as bitterly complaining about the incident,
asserting it was a threat to the ceasefire. With the
help of the monitors, the GSL is trying to tamp down the
tensions. In essence, this is another instance of the
LTTE's employing mafia-type tactics to prove a point.
END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) LTTE/MILITARY INCIDENT: Jaffna District is in
an uproar in the wake of a February 12 confrontation
between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and
the Sri Lankan military. The incident took place on
February 12 and was sparked when Sri Lanka Army (SLA)
troops stopped LTTE women cadre in the town of Manipay,
located just outside of Jaffna town. The cadre were
reportedly trying to pass through a military checkpoint
wearing their uniforms and reacted badly when the SLA
ordered them to remove their belts, which were of a
military style. (Note: The cadre seem to have been
unarmed, but, according to the February 2002 ceasefire
accord, they cannot be in uniform in government-
controlled areas, such as Jaffna.) The dispute quickly
flared into fisticuffs with pro-LTTE Tamil civilians
protesting the actions of the military and the SLA
calling out a riot squad. Several LTTE cadre and army
personnel were injured in the confrontation.


3. (U) SLMM/GSL REACTION: The Norwegian-run Sri Lanka
Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was quickly called in to
investigate the incident. In a public statement issued
soon thereafter, SLMM spokesman Teitor Torkelson said
the LTTE cadre had violated the ceasefire accord by
wearing uniforms in government-controlled Jaffna. He
also stated that the army used excessive force when
quelling the public demonstration. The SLMM pledged to
continue its investigation, and urged both sides to calm
down.


4. (SBU) Eager to protect the peace process, the Sri
Lankan government also urged that all sides cool off.
During a town hall-type meeting in Colombo hosted by a
local think-tank, G.L. Peiris and Milinda Moragoda, two
key GSL ministers involved in peace process issues,
briefly discussed the LTTE-military confrontation on
February 13. They asserted that the GSL was doing
everything possible to resolve the dispute. Moreover,
they said the Tigers had agreed with the GSL on the need
to lower temperatures.


5. (SBU) POSTPONEMENT OF LIBRARY REOPENING: The Sri
Lankan ministers evidently spoke too soon, as the LTTE
decided to up the ante. Pro-LTTE elements honored the
group's call for a work stoppage in large parts of
Jaffna on February 13. In the meantime, LTTE supporters
reportedly attacked the offices of an anti-LTTE Tamil
party in Chavakachcheri, a town located to the east of
Jaffna town. In reaction to the LTTE-instigated ruckus,
Jaffna's mayor announced late February 13 that the
planned reopening of the Jaffna Library scheduled for
February 14 had been postponed indefinitely. (Note:
The library is a cultural landmark for many Tamils. It
was burned down in fighting in the 1980s and all its
books -- some of them priceless -- were utterly
destroyed. In an attempt at reconciliation with Tamils,
the government has been working for some time to rebuild
the structure, which is believed to be almost finished.)
By all accounts, the announcement by the mayor was
engineered by the LTTE, which made clear that it was
angry about the February 12 incident and did not want
any sort of celebration of GSL-Tamil amity at this time.
In making this point, the pro-LTTE elements reportedly
paid a personal visit to the mayor, threatening him and
his staff.


6. (C) (((Note: The Tiger pressure was a bit much for
Jaffna's municipal council members and, shortly after
the announcement of the postponing of the library
reopening, they resigned en masse. Even Tamil United
Liberation Front, "TULF," members of the council --
usually a pro-LTTE block -- were apparently put off by
the LTTE's strong-arm tactics. In a rarity, for
example, V. Anandasangarai, a senior TULF MP and a
leader of the party, expressed public disappointment
with the LTTE. While dramatic, the resignations were
more symbolic than anything else inasmuch as members'
five-year terms of office were up next week in any case.
End Note.)))


7. (C) LTTE HITS OUT SOME MORE: Not content with just
shutting down the library's reopening, the LTTE decided
to up the pressure some more. LTTE spokesman and the
head of its negotiating team, Anton Balasingham, for
example, was quoted as bitterly complaining about the
incident, and stating that if the military did not
change its ways the Tigers would reconsider their
involvement in the ceasefire. Pro-LTTE students and
others have also planned a protest march for February 14
at the end of which a petition is to handed over to the
SLMM complaining about the military's actions on
February 12.


8. (C) COMMENT: The government and the SLMM continue to
work feverishly to tamp down tensions. The GSL, for
example, has announced that it is launching a full
inquiry into the military's role in the incident. It is
not yet clear whether the LTTE will respond in a
cooperative manner soon. Certainly, Balasingham's
reported statement that the ceasefire could be in the
balance was a bit menacing, as it was one of the first
times the LTTE has issued such a threat since the peace
process began. Another factor that seems to underlie
the Tigers' aggressive reaction includes the fact that
the group is clearly still sore over the February 7
incident in which three Tiger cadre committed suicide
after their arms smuggling boat was intercepted (see Ref
B). (Note: It is also the case, of course, that the
LTTE's latest protest campaign fits in well with its
long-standing opposition to the military's security
zones in Jaffna.) In addition, as reviewed in Ref B,
the overall pattern of the Tigers' latest antics
highlight their continued employment of mafia-type
tactics against perceived opponents. END COMMENT.


9. (U) Minimize considered.

WILLS