SRI LANKA: 2004 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

UNCLAS COLOMBO 002011 SIPDIS STATE FOR S/CT AND TTIC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER ASEC CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: 2004 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT REF: STATE 245841 ¶1. Updated information for the Department's 2004 annual terrorism report follows below. ¶2. Begin text of submission: The Sri Lankan government supports the Global War on Terror and continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to combating terrorism--a commitment stressed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga in her September 21 address before the UN General Assembly. Sri Lanka has acceded to 10 of the 12 international conventions that deal with combating terrorism and took steps to implement UNSCRs 1333 and 1373. The Sri Lankan government has cooperated with U.S. efforts to track terrorist financing, although no assets have been identified in Sri Lanka to date. The U.S. has worked with the Government of Sri Lanka to develop anti-money laundering legislation, develop financial intelligence units and provide training for relevant government agencies and the banking sector. Sri Lankan police provided both investigative and protective assistance in response to Embassy requests. There have been no cases of international terrorism in Sri Lanka during the year, and no U.S. citizens have been killed or injured in acts of terrorism in Sri Lanka during the reporting period. A ceasefire agreed to in February 2002 between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE),a Foreign Terrorist Organization, continued to hold despite the lack of progress to resume negotiations, which were broken off by the LTTE in April ¶2003. The Sri Lankan Army remains deployed across the country for counter insurgency purposes. The paramilitary Special Task Force police (STF) is deployed in the east. Numerous violations of the ceasefire agreement were reportedly committed, primarily by the LTTE, during the year. Fighting broke out between a dissident LTTE faction, led by Eastern military commander Karuna, and the mainstream LTTE in March, leading initially to the deaths of at least 120 LTTE cadres and civilians in the east. Following the split, the LTTE began a campaign of targeted assassinations against political opponents, members of the Karuna faction, and suspected Sri Lankan Army informants, killing at least another 80 individuals during the year. In addition, at least 26 members of the mainstream LTTE were killed by suspected Karuna sympathizers, while 6 members of the Sri Lankan security forces were killed in isolated incidents by suspected LTTE militants. On July 7 a suspected LTTE suicide bomber detonated explosives attached to her while being questioned inside a Colombo police station, killing herself and four policemen. Her intended target was believed to be the Minister of Hindu Affairs, a Tamil politician opposed to the LTTE. The Sri Lankan government did not extradite nor request the extradition of suspected terrorists during the year. The police and the Directorate of Internal Intelligence have the authority to investigate terrorism, and the Attorney General has authority to prosecute terrorism cases. There were no convictions and one new case filed against suspected terrorists during the year, although more than 50 cases filed during previous years remained pending at year's end. Suspected terrorists can be held 24 hours without being charged. Provisions permitting longer periods of detention (up to 18 months) under special anti-terrorist legislation have not been invoked since the signing of the ceasefire agreement. Sri Lanka has designated as terrorist organizations those groups listed under UN Security Council Resolutions 1267 and 1333 and has prohibited transactions with them. In her address before the UN General Assembly on September 21, President Chandrika Kumaratunga urged greater progress on the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and the draft Convention on Nuclear Terrorism. LUNSTEAD