SRI LANKA: AIR STRIKES CONTINUE ON LTTE MILITARY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001022 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2016 TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM PGOV CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: AIR STRIKES CONTINUE ON LTTE MILITARY TARGETS REF: COLOMBO 1018 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead. 1.4(b,d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Following a devastating presumed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) claymore mine attack on a civilian bus on June 15 and limited Sri Lanka military retaliation on Tiger sea and air targets the same day, air raids continued the morning of June 16. Monitors and authorities fear civilian unrest near the sites of the June 15 bus bombing and subsequent military actions. Foreign Secretary Palihakkara and Peace Secretariat chief Palitha Kohona assured Ambassador the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) will continue to pursue a negotiated settlement to the conflict. Secretary of Defense Gothabaya Rajapaksa (brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksa) told Ambassador on June 16 that military action would continue until the Sea Tiger base at Chelai, on the northeastern coast near Mullaitivu, and a Tiger air strip at Iranamudu near LTTE headquarters in Kilinocchi are "neutralized." The Ambassador informed Rajapaksa that he hopes continued military action in response to the Tigers' heinous civilian bombing would not mark an end to the fragile Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) signed between the two parties in February ¶2002. End summary. -------------- Air Force to "Finish" Tiger Air Strip -------------- ¶2. (C) Deputy Defense Secretary Admiral Sandigiri confirmed to Chiefs of Missions on the afternoon of June 15 that the military had launched "limited" strikes on Sea Tiger targets in Sampoor, along the eastern coast of Trincomalee district, and Chelai, on the northeastern coast of Mullaitivu (Reftel). United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) representative in Batticaloa Christina de Buin, however, confirmed to poloff on June 16 a pro-LTTE Tamilnet report that Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) bombers had also targeted deep jungle areas south of Batticaloa between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. on June 15. She added there have been no reports of casualties. An SLMM representative in Trincomalee told poloff that so far limited civilian-on-civilian violence of June 15 had not continued on June 16. Pro-LTTE Tamilnet reported that four Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have been killed (presumably by the Tigers) in separate fire and grenade attacks since June 15. ¶3. (C) In a June 16 phone conversation, Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa told Ambassador the military would concentrate on known military operations sites - the Sea Tigers base at Chelai, on the northeastern coast near Mullaitivu, and the LTTE airstrip at Iranamudu, outside of Kilinocchi - as it resumed aerial attacks on June 16 at dawn. Rajapaksa said strikes would continue until the air strip was "finished," adding, "we have to see definite results." Rajapaksa reported that SLAF pilots had seen two LTTE planes in the air on June 15 despite the attack on the airfield, suggesting the Tigers have an additional airstrip or launched their single-engine planes from the A9 highway. The SLAF also saw a large oil tank on fire near the Iranamudu airstrip, indicating the Tigers have supplies hidden under the camouflage of the jungle. Ambassador told Rajapaksa he hoped these military actions would not forebode the end of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA). Gothabaya said that was not the intention. ¶4. (C) The Defense Secretary further expressed concern about violence in response to the bombing. When President Rajapaksa arrived at the scene of the bus massacre on the afternoon of June 15, civilians shouted at him and blamed him for not doing enough to stop Tiger attacks. According to Rajapaksa, the President was surprised and troubled by the civilian dismay. "We have to control these villages," Gothabaya remarked to the Ambassador. Presidential COLOMBO 00001022 002 OF 003 Secretary Lalith Wiretunge, who accompanied the President, SIPDIS described the bomb attack site to the DCM as "the worst thing I've ever seen." -------------- -------------- Foreign Secretary and Peace Head Unaware of Scope of Military Action -------------- -------------- ¶5. (C) Foreign Secretary Palihakkara told Ambassador on the morning of June 16 that the military gave him the impression on June 15 that there would be "one or two more operations." When Ambassador replied that the Defense Ministry told him operations would continue until the targets were neutralized, Palihakkara replied that he had not heard anything to that effect. ¶6. (C) Palihakkara contended there had been no Sinhalese backlash against Tamils since the June 15 civilian bus attack. He said political leaders would "be busy calming people down." Palihakkara added he hoped the situation would calm down, and that Foreign Minister Samaraweera would discuss with the Norwegians the next step of the dialog process. Defense Spokesman Rambukwella's reported comment that the GSL would reexamine the CFA (front page news this morning) was "not a considered GSL position," Palihakkara said, and there had been no policy change on the part of the GSL. Presidential Secretary Wiretunge told DCM the same thing regarding the CFA: "We will still go by it." Foreign Secretary called Ambassador back at 12:30 to tell him that he had been assured by President's Secretary that airstrikes would end today. ¶7. (C) Ambassador spoke twice to Peace Secretariat Head Palitha Kohona June 16. In an early morning conversation, Kohona said that he had little information about the military operations, but believed they would terminate soon. He also affirmed there was no policy decision to modify or abrogate the CFA. In a noon-time conversation, Kohona said that the aerial strikes "may have ended" and that there was "no intention of formally terminating the CFA." Kohona said he had just spoken to Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer, who was in touch with the lTTE in Kilinocchi. Hanssen-Bauer told the LTTE that if they did not respond to the air attacks, it would send a message to Colombo that the Tigers did not want the situation to slide back into war. ¶8. (C) Ambassador said that we had heard from the Defense side that the strikes would continue until the targets were neutralized. We were concerned because that seemed to mean that the duration of the strikes was being decided solely on military concerns, not factoring in political issues. Kohona said that he hoped to see the President that afternoon and would discuss the issue with him. ¶9. (C) Ambassador spoke noontime with Jon Hanssen-Bauer, who said he had been on the phone to the two parties. He had passed to the LTTE a message from Palitha Kohona that the action would end soon, and that if the Tigers showed restraint, the message would be read in Colombo. However, Hanssen-Bauer said, if the attacks continued for an extended time, there were hawks in the LTTE command who wanted to use the occasion to teach Colombo a lesson. Ambassador repeated to Hanssen-Bauer the gist of his different conversations. ¶10. (C) MFA Protocol Chief called Ambassador to ask if he wanted to attend the funeral of the bus victims that afternoon. Ambassador declined. We understand other foreign missions are also being asked. -------------- -------------- Civilians Engage in Largely Peaceful Protests, Daily Life Continues COLOMBO 00001022 003 OF 003 -------------- -------------- ¶11. (C) Conoff currently in central Anuradhapura, 60 km from the June 15 bus bombing site, reported police reinforcements arrived in Anuradhapura from Kurunegala and Kandy on June 16, although civilians seem calm. ¶12. (C) According to USAID representative in eastern Sri Lanka, Trincomalee residents are moving about town, transport is running, and government offices remain open. Most INGOs, including UN staff, have reported to work but will not be traveling outside of Trincomalee town following SLAF and sea shelling of LTTE targets in Sampoor throughout the day and evening of June 15. Military presence is higher than usual for the past several months. USAID had no details on movements of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) or casualties. Similarly, there are no reports of unrest in Batticaloa, south of Trincomalee. ¶13. (C) In the coastal area of Ampara farther south, however, Buddhist monks have facilitated a largely peaceful protest in the town, according to our USAID rep. Since 7:30 a.m., several tires were set afire along the Kalmunai-Ampara road junction. International agencies are open for staff, but closed for visitors. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶14. (C) Comment. While so far the military response to the bus atrocity seems to us measured and appropriate, the Defense Ministry rather than the Foreign Ministry appears to be running this latest phase of CFA "negotiations," keeping the civilian side in some cases poorly informed. The "limited" but "definitive" military strikes of June 15-16, which Defense Secretary Rajapaksa concedes may continue for another day or two, represent a considerable escalation of engagement and a true threat to the fragile 2002 ceasefire. Moreover, the GSL may be taking the LTTE's bait of making it appear the GSL is terminating the CFA. "If someone can make Prabhakaran talk," Rajapaksa added ominously to the Ambassador, the CFA might yet stand. If GSL military operations go beyond the limits described on June 15-16, however, both parties may have pushed the envelope too far. End comment. LUNSTEAD