Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05COLOMBO651
2005-04-04 07:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

REPORTED TRAVEL TO LTTE-CONTROLLED TERRITORY BY

Tags:  PREL PTER OREP CE LTTE 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000651 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SA AND H

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER OREP CE LTTE
SUBJECT: REPORTED TRAVEL TO LTTE-CONTROLLED TERRITORY BY
U.S. CONGRESSMAN

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JEFFREY J. LUNSTEAD FOR REASON 1.4 (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000651

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SA AND H

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2015
TAGS: PREL PTER OREP CE LTTE
SUBJECT: REPORTED TRAVEL TO LTTE-CONTROLLED TERRITORY BY
U.S. CONGRESSMAN

Classified By: AMBASSADOR JEFFREY J. LUNSTEAD FOR REASON 1.4 (D).


1. (C) Several Colombo Sunday (April 3) newspapers ran
brief articles reporting that U.S. Congressman Danny K.
Davis (7th District - Illinois) had visited Kilinocchi and
Mullaitivu in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)-
controlled "Wanni" region of northern Sri Lanka the day
before. According to the articles, the group was received
by LTTE police chief Nadesan. As of Monday, there has been
no detailed reporting or editorial comment in the Colombo
media although the visit was covered in some pro-LTTE Tamil
newspapers. The pro-LTTE website Tamilnet is running a 21-
picture "photo gallery" of the visit, including shots of
the Congressman and his party visiting the LTTE "Heroes"
cemetery. According to Tamilnet, Tamil National Alliance
(TNA) Member of Parliament Joseph Pararajasingham
accompanied Davis's party.


2. (C) The Embassy first learned of Congressman Davis's
private travel to Sri Lanka late last week via an e-mail
sent to the Embassy consular e-mail address by one of the
Congressman's staffers. The DCM sent back an e-mail to the
staffer advising that the Embassy would be pleased to see
Congressman Davis and asking for details of his travel. We
never received a reply to that e-mail.


3. (C) Congressman Davis's party called the Embassy midday
Friday, April 1, to advise that they had arrived in Colombo
and asking to see the Ambassador. An hour later, the
Ambassador, DCM and consular chief met with Congressman
Davis, Mr. F. Daniel Cantrell (the Congressman's district
director) and with Dr. Somasundaram "Sam" Ilanogvan, an
Amcit gastroenterologist from Davis's district who said he
had emigrated from Madras to Chicago in the early 1970s.
Ilangovan said he had been in contact with the Tamil
Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) about the post-tsunami
situation.


4. (C) At the Congressman's request, the Ambassador
briefed Congressman Davis and his party on the tsunami
recovery process and on the "Tamil situation." On the
latter topic, we reviewed with the Congressman the nature
of the LTTE, its status as a U.S.-designated foreign
terrorist organization and the murky relationship between
the LTTE and the TRO. Congressman Davis made no mention
of travel to LTTE-controlled territory (which, of course,
we would have strongly discouraged). He did say he and his
party were planning to travel to the Batticaloa area in the
east and that the trip had been arranged by "several
members of Parliament."


5. (U) The Embassy will draw from the following "if asked"
press guidance if we are asked about the Congressman's
travel to LTTE-controlled territory.


Q. Can you comment on the travel to LTTE-controlled
territory by U.S. Congressman Danny K. Davis (Seventh
District - Illinois)?


A. Congressman Davis was on a private, unofficial
visit to Sri Lanka.

- Thus, his visit was not arranged by the U.S.
Embassy in Colombo.

- Therefore, we cannot confirm the details of his
"outstation" travel in Sri Lanka.

- You may wish to contact his office for those
details.

- U.S. policy regarding the LTTE is unchanged: we
consider them a terrorist organization and have
no substantive contact with them.


6. (C) Ambassador discussed the visit with Foreign
Secretary Palihakkara April 4. Ambassador emphasized this

SIPDIS
was a personal visit and did not indicate any change in
U.S. policy. Palihakkara said he understood, that the
visit was "unfortunate," but did not seem overly exercised.


7. (C) Comment. Needless to say, this is extremely
unhelpful, especially since an Embassy political officer
was in Jaffna last week among other things underlining our
policy of non-contact with the LTTE. It is difficult to
predict how stories such as this will play out in Sri
Lanka. Somewhat to our surprise, this story seems to be
dying out. End Comment.
LUNSTEAD