Sri Lankan government requests assistance re

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000830 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, SA/CT NSC FOR E. MILLARD LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/13 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER CE TH LTTE SUBJECT: Sri Lankan government requests assistance re reported arrest of LTTE personnel in Thailand Refs: (A) SA/INS-Colombo 05/17/03 unclass e-mail - (B) FBIS Reston Va DTG 131145Z May 03 (U) Classified by Ambassador E. Ashley Wills. Reasons 1.5 (b, d). ¶1. (C) Over the May 17-18 weekend, key Sri Lankan minister Milinda Moragoda spoke with Ambassador Wills several times re the May 12 arrest of three suspected Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) members in Thailand on weapons charges (see Para two for more details). Minister Morogoda expressed concern about the situation, commenting that LTTE personnel had been mysteriously released from custody in Thailand in previous such cases. Morogoda attributed this to the LTTE's bribing of Thai officials. Morogoda stressed that the GSL wanted the suspects to remain in custody while the case is investigated and prosecuted. Morogoda requested that the U.S. press the Thai government on this matter, urging it to cooperate fully with the GSL. ¶2. (C) Based on what Mission has heard from news reports and from contacts, the three suspected Tiger personnel were arrested on May 12 in a hotel in the town of Ranong, some 570 kilometers south of Bangkok. The men were reportedly in possession of 13 semi-automatic pistols and nearly 50,000 rounds of ammunition. The three were identified as Asseervathan Sathyapavan (35), Thevarajah Sasiharan (29),and Gunapala Sugiv (27). The men reportedly admitted obtaining the weapons for the LTTE. According to reports, the men were charged by Thai authorities with illegal possession of firearms and the carrying of firearms in public. (Note: In his conversation with Ambassador Wills on May 16, Minister Morogoda told the Ambassador that the GSL had information that notorious Tiger supply head K. Pathmanathan, a.k.a., "KP," was en route to Thailand, apparently with the intention of securing the release of the LTTE personnel through fair means or foul.) ¶3. (C) COMMENT: Given Morogoda's deep concern, we suggest that Embassy Bangkok urge the Thai government to cooperate fully with the GSL on this matter. (Note: We have heard unconfirmed press reports that Sri Lankan government officials are already en route to Bangkok to discuss the case with the Thai government.) END COMMENT. ¶4. (U) Minimize considered. WILLS