Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08COLOMBO1108
2008-12-04 13:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
SRI LANKA: VERBAL AGREEMENT REACHED ON TMVP
how-toVZCZCXRO8487 PP RUEHBI RUEHLMC DE RUEHLM #1108 3391340 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 041340Z DEC 08 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9026 INFO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1179 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 8177 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 6395 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4611 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2447 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4567 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3673 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 8825 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 6210 RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 0794 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3058 RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001108
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM MOPS EAID CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: VERBAL AGREEMENT REACHED ON TMVP
DISARMAMENT
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES JAMES R. MOORE FOR REAS
ONS: 1.4(b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001108
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM MOPS EAID CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: VERBAL AGREEMENT REACHED ON TMVP
DISARMAMENT
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES JAMES R. MOORE FOR REAS
ONS: 1.4(b,d)
1. (SBU) According to IOM Chief of Party Mohammed Abdiker,
on December 1 at a meeting convened by Secretary of Defense
Gothabaya Rajapaksa, TMVP Commander and Member of Parliament
Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan ("Karuna Amman") and Eastern
Provincial Council Chief Minister Sivanesathurai
Chadrakanthan ("Pillaiyan") echoed the Defense Secretary's
support for a reintegration program TMVP members that would
be run by IOM. The project aims to provide vocational
training for recipients. Some will also receive Korean
language training and be sent to South Korea through the
Bureau of Foreign Employment. Rajapaksa informed the
attendees, including Abdiker, that his Ministry would issue a
clearance certificate for each ex-combatant before they are
admitted to the reintegration project. Karuna asked that
3000 female ex-cadres be given priority to enter the program
while Pillaiyan had previously forwarded a list of 1300 male
ex-cadres who he asked to be prioritized. In an earlier
letter to Abdiker, Pillaiyan indicated that the total number
of ex-combatants he hoped could take advantage of the program
was between 5000 and 6000. On December 3, MFA Director of
Multilateral Affairs Prasad Kariyawasam told Charge that
there was concern within the Government that if the TMVP
fully disarmed, its members would be highly vulnerable to
targeted LTTE strikes, but added that such concern would not
deter the Government from moving forward with this program.
2. (C) Comment: Post welcomes this movement toward
demobilization of the TMVP. USAID is exploring opportunities
to support the IOM project, perhaps giving it the initial
funding it needs to process the first 1000 ex-combatants. We
hope that other donors will join, particularly because USAID
is unable to assist demobilization or disarmament activities
that might be necessary before ex-combatants take advantage
of the reintegration program. Until now, post has avoided
contact with Karuna, who has a violent past as an LTTE
commander and who recently spent six months in a British
prison for entering the country on a fraudulent passport. We
are, however, now prepared to engage the TMVP leader on the
issue of TMVP disarmament since it is a necessary
pre-condition for lasting stability in the East. End Comment
Moore
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM MOPS EAID CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: VERBAL AGREEMENT REACHED ON TMVP
DISARMAMENT
Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY CHARGE D' AFFAIRES JAMES R. MOORE FOR REAS
ONS: 1.4(b,d)
1. (SBU) According to IOM Chief of Party Mohammed Abdiker,
on December 1 at a meeting convened by Secretary of Defense
Gothabaya Rajapaksa, TMVP Commander and Member of Parliament
Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan ("Karuna Amman") and Eastern
Provincial Council Chief Minister Sivanesathurai
Chadrakanthan ("Pillaiyan") echoed the Defense Secretary's
support for a reintegration program TMVP members that would
be run by IOM. The project aims to provide vocational
training for recipients. Some will also receive Korean
language training and be sent to South Korea through the
Bureau of Foreign Employment. Rajapaksa informed the
attendees, including Abdiker, that his Ministry would issue a
clearance certificate for each ex-combatant before they are
admitted to the reintegration project. Karuna asked that
3000 female ex-cadres be given priority to enter the program
while Pillaiyan had previously forwarded a list of 1300 male
ex-cadres who he asked to be prioritized. In an earlier
letter to Abdiker, Pillaiyan indicated that the total number
of ex-combatants he hoped could take advantage of the program
was between 5000 and 6000. On December 3, MFA Director of
Multilateral Affairs Prasad Kariyawasam told Charge that
there was concern within the Government that if the TMVP
fully disarmed, its members would be highly vulnerable to
targeted LTTE strikes, but added that such concern would not
deter the Government from moving forward with this program.
2. (C) Comment: Post welcomes this movement toward
demobilization of the TMVP. USAID is exploring opportunities
to support the IOM project, perhaps giving it the initial
funding it needs to process the first 1000 ex-combatants. We
hope that other donors will join, particularly because USAID
is unable to assist demobilization or disarmament activities
that might be necessary before ex-combatants take advantage
of the reintegration program. Until now, post has avoided
contact with Karuna, who has a violent past as an LTTE
commander and who recently spent six months in a British
prison for entering the country on a fraudulent passport. We
are, however, now prepared to engage the TMVP leader on the
issue of TMVP disarmament since it is a necessary
pre-condition for lasting stability in the East. End Comment
Moore