KARUNA RETURNS TO SRI LANKA

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000654 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/03/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE SUBJECT: KARUNA RETURNS TO SRI LANKA REF: 07 COLOMBO 1526 Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROBERT O. BLAKE, JR. REASONS: 1.4(b,d). ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Former TMVP head Karuna Amman was deported from the UK and returned to Sri Lanka on July 3rd after spending the last three months in a UK detention center after the Crown Prosecution Service announced it had insufficient evidence to charge him with gross human rights violations. Current TMVP leader and Eastern Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, alias Pillaiyan offered both positions to his predecessor but Karuna declined, instead saying he would run for a seat in Parliament during the next Parliamentary elections. The Tamil National Alliance has called for Karuna to be charged with human rights and war crimes, however Karuna claims he has been cleared by the UK's inability to bring charges against him. End Summary ¶2. (U) On July 3rd, Vinayakamurthi Muralitharan, alias Karuna Amman, the original leader of LTTE breakaway group TMVP, returned to Sri Lanka. Karuna had spent the last three months in a UK detention center after the Crown Prosecution Service announced it had insufficient evidence to charge him with gross human rights violations. Karuna was originally arrested in November 2007 for traveling on a forged visa and diplomatic passport (ref A). ¶3. (C) According to the Sri Lankan press, Karuna flew into Bandaranaike International Airport accompanied by four Scotland Yard detectives, on a passport that identified him as "Anthony." The Sri Lankan Commissioner for Immigration and Emigration has told the media that he was unaware Karuna had returned to Sri Lanka. According to a senior official speaking anonymously to one media source, "Technically Karuna who did not leave for the UK on a passport bearing his name could not have returned on one that bore his name." At the Embassy's July 4th reception British HC Political officer told POLOFF that the Sri Lankans had taken their time issuing Karuna travel documents and seemed in no particular rush to expedite his return to the country. ¶4. (U) Since his return Karuna has told the media that he plans to meet soon with President Rajapakse and wants to send TMVP members to the All-Party Representative Committee to demand full implementation of the 13th Amendment and "to find a political solution to the conflict." Karuna has stated his willingness to work together with the government to defeat the LTTE. He acknowledged the March appointment of Pillaiyan as Chief Minister of the Eastern Provincial Council, but declined Pillayan,s offer of the position, stating his intention to contest the next parliamentary elections. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Karuna's return is awkward for the GSL. Since he fingered Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa as being responsible for getting him a false passport, the Rajapaksas will not welcome him back with open arms. Despite Pillaiyan's public statements that he has always viewed Karuna as the leader of the TMVP and welcomes him back there has long been tension within the TMVP between Pillaiyan's base of support around Trincomalee and Karuna's in Batticaloa. Post had already heard multiple reports that the lack of progress on child soldiers has been in part due to certain TMVP sub-commanders continued loyalty to Karuna and willingness to ignore Pillaiyan's instructions on the issue. The Tamil National Alliance has called for Karuna to be prosecuted in Sri Lanka for human rights and war crimes. Karuna told the press here that since the UK found no basis to prosecute him on these charges, his name has been cleared. Post will continue to follow Karuna's return closely and see how it affects Pillaiyan's control of the TMVP. BLAKE