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