SRI LANKA: TIGERS RESUME ATTACKS IN COLOMBO

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001604 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2017 TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PHUM MOPS CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: TIGERS RESUME ATTACKS IN COLOMBO REF: COLOMBO 1601 Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES JAMES R. MOORE. Reasons: 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: A bomb exploded near a clothing store in a crowded shopping mall in Nugegoda, a southern suburb of Colombo, at 5:55 p.m. on November 28. The attack may have been a reprisal for an alleged attack on a bus transporting schoolchildren near the Tamil Tiger de facto capital of Kilinochchi. Earlier, at 8:25 am that morning, a female suicide bomber detonated a bomb in the Ministry of Social Affairs, just outside the office of Minister Douglas Devananda, leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP). In addition to the bomber, two other persons were killed and three were injured. The LTTE has been targeting Devananda, a bitter enemy, for many years. The most recent attack was the twelfth attempt on his life Devananda has survived. The timing of the attacks, less than a day after Prabhakaran's Heroes' Day Speech is probably not a coincidence. End summary. BOMB ATTACK ON SHOPPING MALL -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The LTTE were almost certainly the perpetrators in the bombing of the shopping mall "No Limit" in Nugegoda, a busy suburb of Colombo, during peak evening rush hour. Employees of the store discovered a suspicious package at a baggage check counter at the store at 5 p.m. and notified police. The police took nearly an hour to arrive, however. In the interim, a local traffic policeman and security guards tried to examine the parcel, which exploded, causing a fire and many casualties. So far, nineteen civilians have succumbed, while thirty-six are in hospitals undergoing treatment. Many others were treated for superficial wounds and released. ¶3. (C) The attack on a civilian target is the first in the Colombo area in the recent past. In January 2007, there were two bombings of intercity buses en route to Colombo. Those appeared to be in retribution for an Air Force bombing of a coastal village, which caused a number of civilian casualties. The Sri Lanka military insisted that it had targeted a "Sea Tiger" base. In this instance, it appears that the store bombing was likely a reprisal for a claymore mine attack on a van carrying schoolgirls to a cemetery for a "Heroes' Day" remembrance (reftel). The LTTE blamed Sri Lankan Army Special Forces Deep Penetration Units (DPUs). The Sri Lankan military spokesman vehemently denied that the DPUs attacked the van or were even present in the area. (Note: the army's long-range reconnaissance patrols do operate deep in Tiger territory and have made similar targeting mistakes before. In one example, on September 26 2007 such an attack killed Jesuit Relief Service Mannar district coordinator Reverend Nicholaspillai Packiyaranjit.) SUICIDE BOMBER ATTACK ON EPDP LEADER -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The LTTE made another attempt of the life of Minister of Social Services and Welfare and leader of the paramilitary group EPDP (Eelam People's Democratic Party), Douglas Devananda, at his office in southern Colombo. The bomber and Devananda's Coordinating Secretary Stephen Pieris died on the spot; Devananda's personal security officer Sridharan succumbed to his injuries on arrival at Colombo National Hospital. ¶5. (SBU) The suicide bomber, a Tamil woman aged about 24 years, was dressed in a saree. The bomb was reportedly concealed in her bra. The suicide bomber was inside the Ministry building and near the door to Devananda's private office when she blew herself up. Devananda was in his office at the time. According to Devananda's brother Dayananda, who is responsible for Douglas's security, body checks on COLOMBO 00001604 002 OF 002 visitors to the Ministry are conducted inside the Ministry building, not at the gate. ¶6. (SBU) This is the twelfth attempted murder attack on Devananda. A few of the other significant attacks on him were: - October 9, 1995: LTTE attacked Devananda's residence in southern Colombo. Four bodyguards died. - June 30, 1998: Devananda visited detainees who were on a hunger strike at Kalutara Prison, when detainees attacked him with iron rods. As a result, Devananda lost sight in one eye and has a slight facial disfiguration which he covers by wearing a beard. - July 7, 2004: A female suicide bomber attempted to murder Devananda at his former Ministry office in downtown Colombo. The police on duty arrested her on suspicion and took her to the local police station near the Embassy, where she blew herself up. EPDP AND LTTE: BITTER ENEMIES -------------- ¶7. (C) Devananda's EPDP party's stronghold is in the Northern Province, with the main party office in Jaffna. Devananda is the only Tamil representing the North in the Government. Devananda said on November 28, following the attack, "Prabhakaran cannot kill me until I solve the Tamil issue." Prabhakaran considers Devananda a prime enemy because of EPDP's anti-LTTE activities in the North. Devananda's paramilitary cadres, working in tandem with the military, carry out extortion and abduction operations and extrajudicial killings of those suspected of having LTTE connections. On the other hand, the LTTE have, over the years, killed many Tamil intellectuals active in politics. Many LTTE cadres, including Prabhakaran, are from lower castes. Devananda comes from an upper-caste background. ¶8. (C) COMMENT: The LTTE, with the November 28 attacks, appear to be sending a message to the Government that it will retaliate for civilian casualties caused by the military's actions in the North and East. Essentially, their message is that if the northern Tamils cannot live safely in the Vanni, the LTTE will make sure that the predominantly Sinhalese population of the South also suffers. In an ominous sign, a military contact told the political section that after the suicide bombing at Devananda's Ministry, the Air Force launched a further air raid on a residential area of Kilinochchi in another apparent attempt to carry out a decapitation strike against the LTTE. Since the two bus bombings in January, the LTTE has not generally targeted random civilians. However, there is now a heightened risk that a pattern of tit-for-tat reprisals may set in, leading the country into a self-perpetuating cycle of violence. The trend is deeply worrying. MOORE