SRI LANKA: EASTERN TOWN SEES CONTINUED CLASHES,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001274 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/03/2016 TAGS: PGOV PTER PREF PHUM CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: EASTERN TOWN SEES CONTINUED CLASHES, CIVILIAN CASUALTIES REF: A. COLOMBO 1235 ¶B. COLOMBO 1246 ¶C. COLOMBO 1262 ¶D. COLOMBO 1266 Classified By: CDA JAMES R. MOORE FOR REASONS 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Fighting between Sri Lankan Army security forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) that began as a battle over an irrigation canal (reftels) has spread to other parts of the east, with Muttur town in Trincomalee District seeing several clashes and 15 civilian deaths August 3. The government's claims that it retains full control of Muttur town conflicted with reports from contacts in the field who described a strong LTTE presence. Government officials emphasized that the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) action is strictly humanitarian, conducted to free the irrigation canal from Tiger control in order to provide water to the civilian populace. The LTTE countered that its attacks on Sri Lankan security forces are a defensive posture designed to "choke" SLA capability at the canal. The government's defense spokesman publicly expressed willingness to discuss the irrigation issue with the Tigers, but the LTTE did not respond to the overture; in the meantime, violence continues and civilians in Muttur are cut off from supplies and aid. End summary. ¶2. (C) What began as a battle over an irrigation canal (reftels) has escalated in recent days, with August 3 seeing several clashes between government forces and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres in Muttur, in the eastern Trincomalee District. Pol FSN's contact, a nun in Muttur town, reported shelling throughout the night of August 2 and said the LTTE had surrounded army camps, preventing Sri Lankan Army (SLA) troops from leaving. In a briefing for the diplomatic community at 2:00pm local time August 3, Air Marshall Donald Perera said that despite skirmishes over the last day and a half, the security services had regained control of Muttur town. However, contacts in the area reported seeing LTTE flags at a jetty and a police station. A BBC journalist told poloff she had heard reports that neither the government nor the LTTE has firm control over the area. At COB local time on August 3, a local NGO contact posited that the LTTE held control of Muttur town. ¶3. (C) At the August 3 diplomatic briefing, Foreign Minister Samaraweera reiterated the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) position that the military action was not offensive, but rather, intended to restore the water supply to the civilian populace. He said the GSL has been generous with humanitarian issues and had guaranteed a water reservoir in LTTE-controlled territories adjacent to the irrigation canal. At a separate press conference, Defense Spokesman Rambukwella said the "window is open" if the LTTE wants to discuss the issue with the GSL. The Daily News newspaper, however, reported an LTTE spokesman saying the irrigation issue could have been resolved through negotiation earlier, but the GSL chose a military option. The LTTE representative was quoted saying LTTE actions in Muttur and surrounding areas in the east were designed to "choke" the SLA at the canal itself. ¶4. (C) The nun in Muttur town told pol FSN by phone that there is a food shortage and civilians are taking shelter in mosques and schools. The press also reported damage to a jetty, which, combined with skirmishes throughout the area, effectively stranded civilians in Muttur town. Early in the afternoon local time, artillery fire hit a Muslim college, killing 10 civilians. While several media reports said the fire came from the LTTE, a State Intelligence Service contact told RAO that it was government fire that hit the college. Shortly after that attack, a shell hit another school, killing 5 civilians and injuring 10. The National Security Media Center reported that LTTE obstructions kept the victims from reaching the local hospital. An NGO contact said tens COLOMBO 00001274 002 OF 002 of thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were attempting to flee Muttur and surrounding areas. ¶5. (C) Comment: As violence continues in Muttur for a third day, civilians are effectively cut off from supplies and aid. The number of IDPs will likely rise, especially in light of the civilian deaths. While GSL officials told the international community about the humanitarian motivation behind the initial attack on the irrigation canal, the LTTE, for its part, managed to provoke a military engagement and is now attempting to gain ground while still trying to project a veneer of legitimacy. Unfortunately as is the case all too often here, civilians have been caught in the cross-fire and remain endangered. MOORE