SRI LANKA: TAMIL PARLIAMENTARIANS FEAR "ETHNIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000153

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
MCC FOR S GROFF, D NASSIRY, E BURKE AND F REID

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/24/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: TAMIL PARLIAMENTARIANS FEAR "ETHNIC
CLEANSING" IN EAST

REF: A) COLOMBO 127 B) COLOMBO 140

Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador met with three Members of
Parliament from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA),a party
which shares the political goals of the LTTE, on January 24.
The Tamil representatives said they feared an "ongoing
campaign of ethnic cleansing" of Tamils from the east.
Ambassador explained that he has been working on issues
facing the Tamil community, specifically the need for the
government to address humanitarian issues, human rights
abuses, resettle displaced Tamils in their villages in the
East, and offer a credible devolution package to the Tamil
people. He asked the TNA to convey to the Tiger leadership
that their refusal to re-open the A-9 highway and
intransigence on supply of food and other humanitarian items
to Jaffna was blocking progress on negotiations and raised
questions about the sincerity of their concern for the Tamil
people. The TNA deputies agreed to carry the message to
their counterparts in the LTTE. End summary.

"Naked Ethnic Cleansing"
--------------


2. (C) Ambassador met Tamil National Alliance Members of
Parliament R. Sampanthan (Batticaloa District),Suresh
Premachandran (Jaffna District),and M. Sanathiraja (Jaffna
District) on January 24 at their request. These members of
the LTTE proxy-party expressed deep concern about an
impending "Sinhalization" of the eastern province following
government security forces' military victories in Vakarai
(ref A) and Sampur, and the Supreme Court's October 2006
ruling that the merger of the northern and eastern provinces
was unconstitutional.


3. (C) Sampanthan and his colleagues noted several points as
evidence of an "ethnic cleansing campaign" against the Tamils
in the east. They denounced a Government of Sri Lanka (GSL)
plan to resettle retired Sinhalese soldiers in the east near
High Security Zones (HSZ) in Trincomalee, but admitted they
had few details. They decried the pillaging of Tamil homes
and villages in the post-conflict zones, which leaves little
for the displaced to return home to. The GSL's crude
campaign to discredit non-governmental organizations and
international agencies that assist Tamil civilians was of
particular concern, they said, as "the Tamil people feel
abandoned by their government."


4. (C) The TNA MPs were especially alarmed by the
implications of the recently strengthened emergency
regulations modeled on the old Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Sampanthan claimed (and other interlocutors confirm) that
Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa has signed a large
number of blank arrest and detention order forms for
individual police constables to fill in. Through these
catch-all detention orders (as BBC reported on January 21)
over 400 Tamils have been detained at the Boosa interrogation
camp near Galle in the past two weeks.

U.S. Engagement
--------------


5. (C) The Ambassador explained that he has been working on
the issues facing the Tamil community, including the need for
the government to address humanitarian issues, human rights
abuses, and offer an acceptable devolution package to the
Tamil people. He said he had met with senior military
leaders earlier in the week (reftel B) to urge them to
resettle as quickly as possible all the Tamil and other
civilians displaced by the fighting in and around Vakarai,
and had received assurances the military intends to do so.

COLOMBO 00000153 002 OF 002


Sampanthan replied: "I'm aware that you have been frank and
that the GSL listens to you. We consider these meetings with
you valuable for producing results for our people."


6. (C) Ambassador Blake asked that the TNA, in turn, take a
message to the LTTE: that the Co-Chairs had negotiated with
the GSL for over a month to arrange the trial opening of the
A9 highway for a humanitarian convoy to Jaffna. We were all
disappointed when the LTTE refused to allow it, Ambassador
said. Other LTTE moves, such as the January 21 Sea Tiger
attack on a food supply ship in Jaffna and the LTTE's refusal
to allow private traders to operate in Jaffna raise serious
doubt as to whether the Tigers have the Tamil people's best
interest at heart. The Ambassador added, "Everything or
nothing is not the way negotiations work." The Tamil MPs
agreed to take the Ambassador's message to the LTTE political
leadership.

Bullies and Bloodshed
--------------


7. (C) Ambassador reiterated that there is no military
solution to the ethnic conflict. We had expressed our hope
to the GSL that the MoU between the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom
Party (SLFP) and main opposition United National Party (UNP)
would bear fruit in the form of a substantial devolution
proposal. Sampanthan agreed that the MoU had been "a promise
of fresh air" but said he was not surprised by the
arrangement's apparent failure. He contended that the
President "doesn't want to antagonize any of his allies in
the pursuit of his military objectives. So he gives the
security forces and paramilitaries a blank check to do what
they want to at the expense of the people." He added
morosely, "I don't know what the LTTE will do if this
situation of impunity continues. There will be bloodshed.
Even I will not be safe. What's happening?"


8. (C) COMMENT: If reports are accurate that the Defense
Secretary has signed reams of blank detention orders, the

SIPDIS
potential for unchecked abuse by local military and police
commanders is considerable. We have heard from several
civilian interlocutors the argument that the GSL plans to
purge or dilute the Tamil population in the east, replacing
it with a majority Sinhalese population. To them, this
"colonization" of the traditional Tamil homeland began
several decades ago, with large-scale irrigation schemes
linked to resettlement plans for land-poor Sinhalese farmers.
To Tamil political representatives today, the fear that this
"colonization" strategy will resume is all too tangible.
That is why the Ambassador and other Embassy officers are
pushing the military to resettle the Tamil and other
civilians displaced during the Vakarai conflict as quickly as
possible. We urge Washington interlocutors to do the same as
the opportunity arises.
BLAKE