Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08COLOMBO34
2008-01-08 12:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
SRI LANKA: TIGER ATTACK KILLS MINISTER OUTSIDE
how-toVZCZCXRO6824 OO RUEHBI DE RUEHLM #0034 0081200 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 081200Z JAN 08 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7460 INFO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0624 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 7612 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 5792 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 4211 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1700 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 4217 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3313 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 8213 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 5782 RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 0503 RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2529 RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000034
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, DS/IP/SCA, AND DS/ITA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS ASEC CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: TIGER ATTACK KILLS MINISTER OUTSIDE
COLOMBO
REF: A. COLOMBO 0007
B. COLOMBO 0015
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000034
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, DS/IP/SCA, AND DS/ITA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS ASEC CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: TIGER ATTACK KILLS MINISTER OUTSIDE
COLOMBO
REF: A. COLOMBO 0007
B. COLOMBO 0015
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (C) Summary. On January 8, non-cabinet Minister of
Nation Building D.M. Dassanayake was killed in a roadside
bomb attack just outside of Colombo. Initial indications are
that Dassanayake was likely a target of opportunity for the
LTTE. This incident is the first successful assassination of
a senior GSL official since May 2006, and represents the type
of activity we anticipate following the abrogation of the
CFA. End Summary.
2. (U) On January 8, non-cabinet Minister of Nation
Building D.M. Dassanayake was killed in a roadside bomb
attack just outside of Colombo. (Note: A non-cabinet
minister is similar to a deputy minister, but with full
ministerial privileges.) A claymore mine was detonated
around 10:30 am as the Minister's convoy passed through the
town of Ja-Ela, on the primary route between Colombo and
Bandaranaike International Airport. The Minister suffered
severe head injuries and died during surgery, according to
Lalini Gurusinghe, deputy director of the Ragama government
teaching hospital. Ten others were wounded in the attack.
3. (C) Indian Deputy High Commissioner A. Manickam told DCM
today that Dassanayake was likely a target of opportunity.
Based on intercepts of LTTE communications this morning, he
said, the LTTE did not know whose motorcade it was attacking,
just that it was a government motorcade. He characterized
the Minister as a "known thug."
4. (C) Dassanayake, a Sri Lanka Freedom Party Member of
Parliament from Puttalam, entered Parliament in 1994. He was
heavily involved in the coconut industry in and around
Puttalam and was generally considered corrupt. Allegations
against him include human smuggling and trafficking in
persons. He was charged with the murder of his primary
opponent in Puttalam during the 2004 general elections.
There were also allegations that he assaulted a large number
of his opponent's supporters. He faced similar assault
charges during an earlier North West Province provincial
council election. Dassanayake was not convicted on any of
these charges.
5. (C) COMMENT: This is the first successful assassination
of a senior GSL official since the June 2006 killing of Major
General Parami Kulatunga, the military's third highest
ranking officer. The Minister's assassination is the type of
activity that is anticipated following the abrogation of the
CFA. Similar incidents over the coming weeks and months are
likely. We also expect that the Minister's assassination--or
the next similar attack--may be used by the GSL as grounds
for banning the LTTE, a move the JVP has been advocating and
one that will make it even more difficult to resume peace
negotiations.
BLAKE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, DS/IP/SCA, AND DS/ITA
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS ASEC CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: TIGER ATTACK KILLS MINISTER OUTSIDE
COLOMBO
REF: A. COLOMBO 0007
B. COLOMBO 0015
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (C) Summary. On January 8, non-cabinet Minister of
Nation Building D.M. Dassanayake was killed in a roadside
bomb attack just outside of Colombo. Initial indications are
that Dassanayake was likely a target of opportunity for the
LTTE. This incident is the first successful assassination of
a senior GSL official since May 2006, and represents the type
of activity we anticipate following the abrogation of the
CFA. End Summary.
2. (U) On January 8, non-cabinet Minister of Nation
Building D.M. Dassanayake was killed in a roadside bomb
attack just outside of Colombo. (Note: A non-cabinet
minister is similar to a deputy minister, but with full
ministerial privileges.) A claymore mine was detonated
around 10:30 am as the Minister's convoy passed through the
town of Ja-Ela, on the primary route between Colombo and
Bandaranaike International Airport. The Minister suffered
severe head injuries and died during surgery, according to
Lalini Gurusinghe, deputy director of the Ragama government
teaching hospital. Ten others were wounded in the attack.
3. (C) Indian Deputy High Commissioner A. Manickam told DCM
today that Dassanayake was likely a target of opportunity.
Based on intercepts of LTTE communications this morning, he
said, the LTTE did not know whose motorcade it was attacking,
just that it was a government motorcade. He characterized
the Minister as a "known thug."
4. (C) Dassanayake, a Sri Lanka Freedom Party Member of
Parliament from Puttalam, entered Parliament in 1994. He was
heavily involved in the coconut industry in and around
Puttalam and was generally considered corrupt. Allegations
against him include human smuggling and trafficking in
persons. He was charged with the murder of his primary
opponent in Puttalam during the 2004 general elections.
There were also allegations that he assaulted a large number
of his opponent's supporters. He faced similar assault
charges during an earlier North West Province provincial
council election. Dassanayake was not convicted on any of
these charges.
5. (C) COMMENT: This is the first successful assassination
of a senior GSL official since the June 2006 killing of Major
General Parami Kulatunga, the military's third highest
ranking officer. The Minister's assassination is the type of
activity that is anticipated following the abrogation of the
CFA. Similar incidents over the coming weeks and months are
likely. We also expect that the Minister's assassination--or
the next similar attack--may be used by the GSL as grounds
for banning the LTTE, a move the JVP has been advocating and
one that will make it even more difficult to resume peace
negotiations.
BLAKE