SRI LANKA: VIOLENCE IN TRINCOMALEE ESCALATES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001924

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS AND DS/IP/SA
NSC FOR DORMANDY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2014
TAGS: PREL PTER PINS CE LTTE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: VIOLENCE IN TRINCOMALEE ESCALATES

REF: A. COLOMBO 1920

B. COLOMBO 1913

C. COLOMBO 1897

Classified By: James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of Mission. 1.4 (b,d)


1. (C) Summary. In the wake of the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE)'s November 26-27 "Heroes' Day"
celebrations, violence is escalating in Trincomalee.
Tensions there are running high after two Sinhalese men were
killed in a November 29 LTTE-called hartal (general
shutdown),and numerous attacks on Sinhalese and Tamils.
Security forces called a curfew November 29 and are expected
to call another curfew November 30. President Kumaratunga
ordered defense chiefs to meet in Trincomalee to discuss the
situation and contain its escalation. Angered by the LTTE's
Heroes' Day commemorations, many Sinhalese, fueled by the
Marxist (and Sinhala Buddhist) Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna
(JVP),are protesting the LTTE-- and the Sri Lanka Monitoring
Mission (SLMM) ceasefire monitors, whom the JVP believe favor
the Tigers. The police and armed forces have done a great
deal to contain the situation, but with two Sinhalese
dead--and no Tamils--the upcoming funerals may well unleash
continued unrest. At issue is whether or not the security
forces can contain the violence in an already polarized
setting. The AID/OTI office in Trincomalee is closed;
personnel are safe and accounted for. End summary.

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Heroes' Day Celebrations Anger Sinhalese
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2. (U) While much of the violence in the week-long run-up
to the LTTE Heroes' Day celebrations (see Reftels) was
between the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE),the unrest in equally-populated Tamil,
Muslim and Sinhalese Trincomalee was initially between the
SLA and Sinhalese protesters angry about LTTE cease-fire
agreement (CFA) violations. From November 24-30, the unrest
escalated and is now primarily between Sinhalese and Tamil
civilians, while the police and armed forces are attempting
to maintain control over the violent situation by dispersing
protesters, implementing curfews and increasing patrols in
Trincomalee District.


3. (C) The tension began to increase on November 24, when
the Tamil Secretary to the North and East Governor was
reportedly "detained" by the LTTE, and another Tamil member
of the Governor's staff voluntarily turned himself over to
the LTTE November 25. Earlier in November, the LTTE had
approached these two staff members to request the
cancellation of a November 26-27 Governor's conference in
Trincomalee, but the Governor refused. After the staff
members were "detained" in LTTE-controlled Sampur, across the
harbor from Trincomalee town, the Governor canceled the
conference. The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission SLMM) has not
been able to visit the staff members, who are still being
"held" by the LTTE, but on November 30 SLMM spokesman Oskar
Solnes told poloff that they had been able to speak with
their families.


4. (C) On November 26, according to press reports and
sources in Trincomalee, Sinhalese protesters, backed by the
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP),demonstrated outside of the
SLMM office in Trincomalee. Later that day, protesters
raised the Sri Lankan flag to protest LTTE flag raisings
(violations of the nearly three-year old CFA) and to honor a
Sinhalese anti-colonial "hero." On November 26 and again on
November 27, according to the SLMM's Solnes and other
sources, police and SLA personnel reportedly used tear gas
and fired guns into the air to disperse the crowd.

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LTTE Call a Hartal
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5. (C) On November 29, the LTTE called a hartal, or general
shutdown, in Trincomalee to protest a reported attack on
pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP R. Sampanthan's
son; however, some shops and public buses functioned
normally. SLA spokesman Brigadier General Daya Ratnayake
told poloff that Tamils attacked one such bus (carrying
Sinhalese passengers),with a grenade. One Sinhalese man was
killed and three other Sinhalese men were injured. The
police declared a curfew in Trincomalee District, during
which, Ratnayake reported, several other attacks occurred:
Tamils burned a van owned by a Sinhalese man; Sinhalese and
Muslims burned a private bus owned by a Tamil; and other
smaller skirmishes erupted between Sinhalese and Tamils in
the area. Local media also reported that two houses were
attacked by LTTE-backed groups. According to media reports
and sources in Trincomalee, about 100 families were displaced
from their homes because they did not feel safe. Sources in
Trincomalee told poloff that relatively few Muslims have been
involved in the unrest.


6. (C) On the morning of November 30, police lifted the
curfew. SLA spokesman Ratnayake told poloff that the SLA was
sending additional troops into the area from nearby Minneriya
and noted that no security forces personnel had been injured
in the unrest. Other sources in Trincomalee told poloff that
the JVP was planning a retaliatory hartal, but called it
off--and that police dispersed renewed skirmishes in downtown
Trincomalee, reportedly beating both Sinhalese and Tamils.
The SLMM's Solnes and SLA's Ratnayake confirmed to poloff the
killing of a second Sinhalese man near Trincomalee on the
Colombo-Trincomalee Road.

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President Orders Defense Chiefs to Contain the Violence
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7. (C) Meanwhile, President Kumaratunga ordered Eastern
Security Forces Commander Nanda Mallawarachchi, Chief of
Defense Staff Daya Sandagiri, and Commander of the SLA Shanta
Kottegoda to meet in Trincomalee to discuss the situation
with local police and Trincomalee SLA Commander P. Kulatunga.
The SLA's Ratnayake told poloff that in the group's November
30 meeting, they discussed measures to prevent escalation of
the conflict, what to do if the unrest spills into other
areas, and how to control the situation should it worsen.
SLA and SLMM sources expect the security forces to call
another curfew November 30.

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Funerals Could Provoke Further Unrest
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8. (C) Angered by the LTTE's Heroes' Day commemorations,
many Sinhalese are protesting in Trincomalee. The SLMM's
Solnes noted that while it is impossible to know exactly who
the Sinhalese protesters are, followers of a local Buddhist
monk known for his strong Sinhala nationalist views (whom
Solnes described as "one of the SLMM's best customers in
Trinco") and members of the North East Sinhala Organization,
a JVP-backed group, are involved. Trincomalee JVP MP
Jayantha Wijesekara, in Colombo at Parliament, told political
FSN that the LTTE was responsible for the violence in
Trincomalee and that JVP protests were peaceful. SLMM's
Solnes speculated that there is a strong possibility of
continued violence in Trincomalee on December 1, the day of
the funeral of the Sinhalese man killed in the grenade attack
on a passenger bus November 29. He also noted that SLMM
Chief General Trond Furuhovde may travel to Trincomalee to
assess the situation.

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Comment
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9. (C) The unrest in Trincomalee is not surprising, given the
LTTE's intransigent insistence on marking its Heroes' Day in
grand style, and the JVP-fueled Sinhalese community's
opposition to LTTE celebrations. JVP MP Wijesekara's
disingenuous denials aside, much of the violence in
Trincomalee stems from JVP hostility to the LTTE and to the
SLMM, whom the JVP view as favoring the Tigers. The police
and armed forces have done a great deal to contain the
situation, but with two Sinhalese dead--and no Tamils--the
upcoming funerals may well unleash continued unrest. At
issue is whether or not the security forces can contain the
violence in an already polarized setting. The AID/OTI office
in Trincomalee is closed; personnel are safe and accounted
for.


LUNSTEAD