OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 004 (01/12/04)

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000050

SIPDIS

OFFICIAL INFORMAL

FOR SA/INS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/14
TAGS: AMGT CE MV LTTE
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 004 (01/12/04)

CLASSIFIED BY DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION JAMES F. ENTWISTLE
FOR REASONS 1.5 B AND D.

CONTENTS: REPORTS THAT PRESIDENT WILL RESWEAR IN MINISTERS
- TIGERS STRESS TRUCE SUPPORT, BUT BEHAVING BADLY


REPORTS THAT PRESIDENT WILL RESWEAR IN MINISTERS
-------------- ---


1. (C) FYI. Further to the January 8 email concerning
Ambassador Subasinghe's comments to the desk regarding the
possible re-swearing in of Ministers Amaratunga and Barkeer
Markar to their old Interior and Mass Communications
portfolios, respectively, we just want to flag to you that
these ministers have not yet been sworn back into their old
jobs. There's been some speculation regarding this matter
in the papers here, and UNP contacts have told us the
President has indeed made the offer, but it seems that the
PM and his advisors are reluctant to give their green light
just yet. In the meantime, as you'll see in our readout of
the Ambassador's Jan. 10 meeting with the PM, there doesn't
seem to have been any sort of breakthrough in the
cohabitation impasse. (POL)

TIGERS STRESS TRUCE SUPPORT, BUT BEHAVING BADLY
-------------- --


2. (C) FYI. In an interview printed in the local press on
January 11, Tiger spokesman Daya Master reiterated the
group's stand that under "no circumstances would it
violate" the ceasefire agreement. He added that the Tigers
were "closely reviewing" the political situation in the
south, however. Daya Master's seemingly positive comments
come in the wake of the PM's disturbing remarks calling on
the President to take over responsibility for the ceasefire
accord on January 7 (see Colombo 32, and previous).


3. (C) In the meantime, here's some examples of how the
Tigers have been misbehaving lately:

-- On January 6, the Tigers detained two monitors from the
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) for approximately four
hours at gunpoint near the eastern port city of
Trincomalee. Poloff spoke with SLMM spokeswoman Agnes
Bragadottir, who said that the SLMM had written to the
Tigers demanding an explanation of the incident, but as of
January 12, had had no response. Bragadottir noted that
the SLMM was considering the incident to be a violation of
the ceasefire accord but had not yet formally ruled on the
matter.

-- According to Bragadottir, the SLMM was also looking into
allegations that the Tigers had made threats to the newly-
installed commander of the GSL forces in Jaffna which, if
proven, would also be a violation of the truce agreement.

-- On January 5, the Sri Lanka Army lodged a formal
complaint against the Tigers for reportedly erecting a
monument to fallen Tiger cadres within a government-
controlled area in the Jaffna Peninsula. The SLMM has not
yet ruled on this matter.

We are also looking into some potentially disturbing
messages being sent out by pro-Tiger elements re the
situation in the south. We'll get back to you with more on
that. (POL)

LUNSTEAD