LTTE: MADRAS VIEWS AND MISCELLANEY

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRAS 3111


E. O12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL PGOV IN CE
SUBJECT: LTTE: MADRAS VIEWS AND MISCELLANEY

REF: MADRAS 3108


1. (C) - ENTIRE TEXT


2. SUMMARY: CANADIANS FIND LTTE HAS LITTLE SYMPATHY HERE
AND IS NOT EXPECTED TO BECOME ACTIVE AGAIN IN TAMIL NADU.
POLICE COMMISSIONER BELIEVES THERE ARE STILL 3,000 LTTE
MEN IN TAMIL NADU, MOST WITH WEAPONS OF SOME KIND.
ACCORDING TO S. RAMACHANDRAN, CHIEF MINISTER MGR IS "OK"
AND RETURNING OCTOBER 31. END SUMMARY.



3. CANADIAN DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER GARY SMITH AND
IMMIGRATION COUNSELOR DEL MCKAY SHARED WITH US THE RESULTS
OF THEIR THREE-DAY VISIT TO MADRAS AND ENVIRONS. PAIR
SAID THEIR TALKS CONFIRMED "REAL MADRAS DISINTEREST" IN THE
LTTE, THOUGH NOTING (AS OTHER OBSERVERS HAVE) THAT FULL-
SCALE SLAUGHTER OF LTTE COULD INCREASE TENSION. POLICE
AND COMMISSIONER DEVARAM TOLD THEM THAT THE GOVERNMENT
(GOTN) ESTIMATES THERE ARE STILL 3,000 LTTE MEMBERS IN
TAMIL NADU AND THAT MOST OF THEM HAVE AT LEAST RETAINED
THEIR SIDEARMS, IF NOT OTHER WEAPONS. NEITHER POLICE
NOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS EXPECT LTTE TO BECOME ACTIVE
HERE AGAIN. SMITH ADDED THAT SEVERAL POLICE OFFICIALS
APPEARED EAGER TO CRACK DOWN ON THEM IF THEY DID (THIS
SQUARES WITH OUR READINGS, TOO).


4. HOME SECRETARY T. VENKATRAMAN SEEMED VERY RELAXED
OVER THE RECENT SPATE OF DMK, DK AND OTHER ARRESTS WHICH
HAVE NETED ABOUT 7,000 PEOPLE (SEE ALSO REFTEL). ABOUT
400 OF THE LEADERS HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO A PRISON
"OUTSIDE" MADRAS WHERE THE WILL BE HELD FOR A FEW DAYS
TO COOL OFF. SMITH ADDED THAT VENKATRAMAN CERTAINLY
WASN'T GOING TO STAY LATE AT THE OFFICE TO FOLLOW THE
MATTER AND CITED THIS AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE KIND OF
RELAXED VIEW HELD BY MOST GOTN OFFICIALS THEY SPOKE WITH.


5. CANADIANS SAW FOOD MINISTER S. RAMACHANDRAN (RAM)
EVENING OCTOBER 28. RAM CONFIRMED TODAY'S PRESS REPORTS
THAT MGR WILL RETURN TO MADRAS MID-MORNING OCTOBER 31
VIA BOMBAY. RAM SAID MGR WAS "OK, BUT PRESSED AS TO
WHETHER HE WAS "HEALTHY," SAID NO.


STEMPEL