PLOTE AND THE LTTE

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 08227

E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PINS CE
SUBJECT: PLOTE AND THE LTTE

REF MADRAS 3214


1. CONFIDENTIAL--ENTIRE TEXT.
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2. ACCORDING TO TAMIL FSN WITH GOOD CONTACTS IN THE
NORTH, APPROXIMATELY 75 PLOTE MEMBERS TURNED OVER
THEIR ARMS TO THE LTTE IN JAFFNA OCTOBER 30. THE
FSN DESCRIBED THE PLOTE FIGHTERS INVOLVED AS MEMBERS
OF THE ANTI-UMA MAHESWARAN FACTION OF PLOTE WHICH
SPLINTERED FROM THE PARENT ORGANIZATION IN JULY 1986.
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3. A GSL MILITARY OFFICER TOLD EMBOFF THAT THE
SRI LANKAN PRESS HAD OVERPLAYED THE "PLOTE
SURRENDER TO THE LTTE," AS FEW MEMBERS OF PLOTE
HAD IN FACT HANDED THEIR WEAPONS TO THE TIGERS.
IT WAS THE OFFICER'S OPINION THAT THIS ACTION
WILL DO LITTLE TO CHANGE THE MILITARY BALANCE ON
THE JAFFNA PENINSULA, AS "PLOTE REALLY COULD NOT
GET MUCH MORE INACTIVE THAN THEY WERE BEFORE."
CITING REPORTS OF MINOR CLASHES BETWEEN THE LTTE
AND THE EPRLF OVER A FEW ABANDONED PLOTE
OBSERVATION POSTS IN JAFFNA, THE OFFICER SAID HE
BELIEVED A SHOWDOWN BETWEEN THE EPRLF AND THE
LTTE WAS IN THE OFFING.
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4. COMMENT: ALTHOUGH PLOTE IS THOUGHT TO BE THE
LARGEST OF THE TAMIL INSURGENT ORGANIZATIONS, IT
HAS SO FAR REFRAINED FROM WIDESCALE INVOLVEMENT IN
THE GUERRILLA WAR. PLOTE HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY DORMANT
IN THE JAFFNA PENINSULA, WHICH APPEARS TO BE LARGELY
UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE LTTE. HOWEVER, PLOTE HAS
BEEN ACTIVE IN THE NORTH-CENTRAL VAVUNIYA DISTRICT,
AND TO A LESSER DEGREE IN PARTS OF THE EAST. WE
HAVE SEEN NO REPORTS OF A PLOTE "STAND-DOWN"
TAKING EFFECT ANYWHERE OUTSIDE OF THE JAFFNA AREA. END
COMMENT.
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5. AS THIS WAS BEING TYPED AMBASSADOR AND POLOFF
SPOKE WITH PRINCIPAL OF JAFFNA COLLEGE, WHO APPEARED
TO AGREE WITH GSL MILITARY OFFICER'S ASSESSMENT
PARA 3. HE SAID PLOTE WAS OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE IN
JAFFNA, BUT THAT EPRLF WAS AND THAT SHOWDOWN BETWEEN
IT AND LTTE WAS POSSIBLE. THE PRINCIPAL, PASSING
THROUGH COLOMBO FROM JAFFNA ON HIS WAY TO THE UNITED
STATES, SAID THAT THE PERCEPTION IN THE JAFFNA AREA
WAS THAT LTTE WAS THE STRONGER AND MORE DISCIPLINED
OF THE TWO MILITANT GROUPS. HOWEVER, THE EPRLF
HAS CONSIDERABLE SUPPORT--BOTH MONETARY AND MORAL--
FROM TAMILS IN EUROPE, WHO BELIEVE EPRLF MORE
LIKELY TO TRANSCEND CASTE BARRIERS THAN THE LTTE
WHICH IS GAINING INCREASING SUPPORT FROM THE
JAFFNA TAMIL ELITES.


SPAIN