OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 030 (02/25/04)

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000311 SIPDIS OFFICIAL INFORMAL FOR SA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/25/14 TAGS: AMGT CE MV SUBJECT: OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 030 (02/25/04) Classified by DCM James F. Entwistle for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). CONTENTS: SRI LANKAN NUCLEAR MIDDLEMAN TAHIR TIGERS WARN RE FREE MOVEMENT OF VOTERS ELECTION ASSISTANCE MALDIVES SCHLOSSER VISIT SRI LANKAN NUCLEAR MIDDLEMAN TAHIR -------------- ¶1. (S) We have been following press reports and Embassy Kuala Lumpur cables regarding the Pakistan-related nuclear proliferation activities in Malaysia of Sri Lankan citizen B.S.A. Tahir. We've uncovered no information here to date. Today, however, a Sri Lankan businessman came in to discuss his knowledge of Tahir with POL. POL's writeup follows. It strikes us as pretty thin gruel but you may want to bounce it off EAP and the proliferation folks to see what they think. We can get back in touch with the businessman if need be. BEGIN TEXT Participants: Mr. P. Sunderlingam, poloff Tomaszewicz Location: US Embassy Lobby Date: February 25, 2004 Mr. Sunderlingam stated he had read the Sri Lankan newspaper SUNDAY TIMES on Sunday, February 22, 2004 regarding a story about a Sri Lankan national, B.S.A. Tahir, and his alleged involvement with the selling of Pakistani nuclear secrets. The news article stated that another Sri Lankan, Harry Jayawardene, who had reportedly blackmailed Tahir, could not be positively identified or located. Mr. Sunderlingam stated that Harry Jayawardene was indeed a real person, whom Sunderlingam had met on at least one occasion in the past. Sunderlingam explained that, as a businessman in the garment industry, around 1994-1995 he had met Tahir's father, who was the owner of a garment factory at that time. During his association with Tahir's father, he was introduced to Harry Jayawardene. Sunderlingam described Jayawardene, at that time, as a Sri Lankan Security Council Advisor and businessman. He further added that Jayawardene was a close friend of the late Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who is the mother of current President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga. Sunderlingam said he had seen several photos of Jayawardene and the late Bandaranaike in Tahir's father's house in Singapore. Sunderlingam also said that he had met Tahir, whom he thought was involved in computers, in Dubai at some point. Sunderlingam said his motivation in coming forward with this unsolicited information was that he felt, given his personal knowledge, the Sri Lankan Government must be hiding something if they denied the existence of this Harry Jayawardene. END TEXT (POL/DCM) TIGERS WARN RE FREE MOVEMENT OF VOTERS -------------- ¶2. (U) FYI. On February 25, in a report carried on the pro- Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) website "TamilNet", Tiger political chief S.P. Thamilchelvam stated "The consequences will be serious if the rights and wishes of our people are denied," reportedly responding to reports that the Sri Lanka Army will not allow free movement of voters from LTTE-held areas in the upcoming April 2 parliamentary election. We have not heard reports that the Army is planning to curtail voter movement. In the 2001 parliamentary elections, however, the army did stop Tamil voters from crossing army checkpoints, but the Supreme Court later ruled that this violated the voters' fundamental rights and fined GSL officials involved with the matter. (POL) ELECTION ASSISTANCE -------------- 3.(SBU) See our classified e-mail reply re our views on appropriate USG electoral assistance. (DCM) MALDIVES -------------- 4.(C) The Ambassador's trip to Maldives appears to be going well. He was scheduled to call on President Gayoom and a raft of other GoRM officials today. Atolls tour and reception tomorrow. DATT is carrying over a few copies of Maldives HRR for the Ambassador to hand out as he sees fit. By chance, a representative of the fledgling opposition Maldivian Democratic Party came in to see POL and DCM yesterday. We had a good chat and he left some interesting documents (and a copy of their party newsletter). We'll fold all this into our reporting on the Ambassador's trip. (DCM) SCHLOSSER VISIT -------------- ¶5. (U) John should be touching down as we type. Andrea T has put together a very good program and we'll show him a good time. (DCM) LUNSTEAD