LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED TERRORISM REPORTS:

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 08559 LIMITED OFFICIAL USE DEPARTMENT FOR S/CT-WHARTON E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PTER CE MV SUBJECT: LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED TERRORISM REPORTS: SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES REF: STATE 357278 ¶1. DECONTROL UPON RECEIPT. -------------- ¶2. SRI LANKA -------------- ¶A. RESULTS OF ANY 1988 COURT PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND SIGNIFICANT ACTS OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM: EMBASSY KNOWS OF NO/NO 1988 COURT PROSECUTIONS IN SRI LANKA WHICH INVOLVED INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. SEVERAL CASES WHICH WERE IN PROCESS DURING 1988, HOWEVER, INVOLVED INCIDENTS OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM ARISING OUT OF THE TWO SEPARATE INSURGENCIES WHICH SRI LANKA FACES: IN THE NORTH THAT OF SOME MILITANT TAMIL GROUPS--PARTICULARLY OF THE LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE) WHICH CONTINUES TO OPPOSE THE INDO-SRI LANKA PEACE ACCORD SIGNED JULY 31, 1987--AND IN THE SOUTH THAT OF THE RADICAL REVOLUTIONARY, INTENSELY NATIONALISTIC SINHALESE GROUP, THE JANATHA VIMUKTHI PERAMUNA (JVP). AMONG THEM: --IN THE CASE OF THE TERRORIST GRENADE ATTACK AT PARLIAMENT ON AUGUST 18, 1987, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TELLS US THAT CHARGES ARE TO BE FILED "SHORTLY," PROBABLY IN DECEMBER, AGAINST FOUR MEN. THEY ARE ACCUSED OF KILLING A DISTRICT MINISTER AND A PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL AND OF TRYING TO KILL THE PRESIDENT AND THE MINISTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY. THE GRENADE ATTACK ON A MEETING OF SOME 140 MEMBERS OF THE RULING UNITED NATIONAL PARTY CAME AS PART OF PROTESTS AGAINST THE SIGNING OF THE INDO-SRI LANKA PEACE ACCORD. --THE CASE HAS COME TO COURT AGAINST THREE TAMILS ACCUSED IN THE MAY 1986 BOMBING OF AN AIR LANKA TRI-STAP WHICH KILLED 28 PEOPLE. ON DECEMBER 5 THE THREE PLEADED NOT GUILTY. THE CASE CONTINUES. --BEGINNING IN AUGUST 1987 FOLLOWING THE SIGNING OF THE INDO-SRI LANKA ACCORD, AND CONTINUING THROUGHOUT 1988, SOME 4000 TAMILS SUSPECTFD MILITANTS, BEING HELD UNDER THE PREVENTION OF TERRORISM ACT AND EMERGENCY REGULATIONS, HAVE BEEN UNCONDITIONALLY RELEASED FROM DETENTION. ¶B. HAS STATUS OF PLO CHANGED SINCE 1987: THE PLO HAS LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE GSL AND CONTINUES TO MAINTAIN AN EMBASSY IN COLOMBO. IT IS HEADED BY THE EQUIVALENT OF A CHARGE D'AFFAIRES WHO IS CALLED "PLO REPRESENTATIVE AND HEAD OF THE MISSION" ON THE DIPLOMATIC LIST; THERE IS ONLY ONE OTHER MAN, WITH COUNSELOR RANK, ON THE DIP LIST. SRI LANKA HAS RECOGNIZED THE STATE OF PALESTINE WHICH WAS PROCLAIMED AT THE PLO CONFERENCE IN ALGIERS IN MID-NOVEMBER. ¶C. HAS SRI LANKA MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF A TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM ISSUE? NO. ¶D. A REVIEW OF MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN IN CY-88, INCLUDING STEPS TAKEN IN INTERNATIONAL FORA: ON DECEMBER 6, SRI LANKA ENACTED ENABLING LEGISLATION TO CONFORM WITH THE SAARC CONVENTION ON THE SUPPRESSION OF TERRORISM; IT THUS BECAME ONLY THE SECOND (AFTER NEPAL) OF THE SEVEN SAARC COUNTRIES TO BRING ITS OWN STATUTES INTO LINE WITH THE SAARC CONVENTION. ¶E. RESPONSE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING EXTRADITION ACTIONS, ACTIONS ON TERRORISM AFFECTING AMERICAN CITIZENS AND FACILITIES, OR DEALINGS WITH OTHER SIGNIFICANT ACTS OF TERRORISM: NOT APPLICABLE. HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE THAT GSL WOULD BE HELPFUL AND RESPONSIBLE TO USG CONCERNS IF TERRORISM ACTS HERE INVOLVED AMCITS/FACILITIES. ¶F. SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT, IF ANY, FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM: NOT APPLICABLE. -------------- ¶3. MALDIVES -------------- ¶A. RESULTS OF ANY 1988 COURT PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND SIGNIFICANT ACTS OF DOMESTIC TERRORISM: EARLY ON THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 3, A GROUP OF SOME 150 ARMED TAMIL-SPEAKING MEN (LATER DETERMINED TO BE SRI LANKAN TAMILS, MERCENARIES WHO WERE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION ORGANIZATION OF TAMIL EELAM, OR PLOTE),INVADED MALE, THE CAPITAL ISLAND CITY OF THE MALDIVES. TAKING THE MALDIVIANS COMPLETELY BY SURPRISE, THEY QUICKLY GAINED THE UPPER HAND IN MOST OF THE TINY ISLAND BUT WERE UNABLE TO CAPTURE THE HEADQUARTERS BUILDING OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE, THE NATION'S COMBINED (AND SOLE) SECURITY FORCE. PRESIDENT GAYOOM ASKED SEVERAL NATIONS FOR HELP IN QUELLING THE INVASION; SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT INDIAN TROOPS ARRIVED AND WERE ABLE TO RELIEVE THEIR BELEAGERED MALDIVIAN NSS BREATHERN. SOME OF THE INVADERS ESCAPED BY BOAT BUT WERE LATER CAPTURED BY INDIAN NAVY AND RETURNED TO MALE. AT THE END OF 1988, THE GOVERNMENT OF MALDIVES IS HOLDING ABOUT 70 OF THESE SRI LANKAN TAMIL INVADERS, AND INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE. THEY ALSO HOLD 2 MALDIVIAN CITIZENS, INCLUDING THE MEN ACCUSED OF MASTERMINDING THE PLOT, WHO WERE CAPTURED WITH THE FLEEING TAMILS. A FURTHER TWO MALDIVIANS HAVE BEEN DETAINED FOR QUESTIONING. SO FAR NO TRIAL DATES HAVE BEEN SET. ¶B. HAS STATUS OF PLO CHANGED SINCE 1987: THE PLO HAS MAINTAINED A ONE-MAN EMBASSY IN THE MALDIVIAN CAPITAL SINCE THE EARLY 1980'S. THE CURRENT PLO REPRESENTA- TIVE, WHO HOLDS THE RANK OF AMBASSADOR, APPARENTLY IS ONLY OCCASIONALLY IN COUNTRY. MALDIVES HAS RECOGNIZED THE STATE OF PALESTINE WHICH WAS PROCLAIMED IN MID-NOVEMBER AT THE PLO'S ALGIERS CONFERENCE. ¶C. HAS MALDIVES MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF A TERRORIST SUPPORTING COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM ISSUE: NO. MARKS