US embassy cable - 99COLOMBO2324

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 002324 
 
LONDON FOR SUTPHIN 
CINCPAC FOR FPA AMB. TWINING 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/O2 
TAGS: PTER, PHUM, CE 
SUBJECT: LTTE MASSACRES 54 CIVILIANS IN EASTERN PROVINCE 
NEAR AMPARA 
 
REF: (A) COLOMBO 2306, (B) COLOMBO 2269 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY: THE LTTE ATTACKED SLEEPING VILLAGERS IN 
GONAGALA DURING EARLY MORNING HOURS OF SEPTEMBER 18, 
HACKING TO DEATH 54 CIVILIANS INCLUDING WOMEN AND 
CHILDREN.  LOCALS HAVE ASSAILED THE GOVERNMENT FOR 
FAILING TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SECURITY.  ON THE OTHER 
HAND, TAMILS HAVE CRITICIZED THE GOVERNMENT FOR ITS 
ENERGETIC RESPONSE TO THE LTTE ATTACK EVEN AS IT HAS 
REMAINED SILENT ABOUT THE AIR FORCE'S ACCIDENTAL BOMBING 
OF TAMIL CIVILIANS IN THE NORTH ON SEPTEMBER 15.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) LTTE CADRES ENTERED THE SINHALESE VILLAGE OF 
GONAGALA, APPROXIMATELY 13 KILOMETRES NORTH OF AMPARA 
(NEAR THE DISTRICT BORDER WITH BATTICALOA) IN EASTERN 
SRI LANKA, BETWEEN O13O AND O430 SATURDAY MORNING, 
SEPTEMBER 18.  REPORTEDLY DRAGGING SOME OF THEIR VICTIMS 
SLEEPING FROM THEIR BEDS, THE LTTE KILLED 54 CIVILIANS 
USING LONG KNIVES, SWORDS AND MACHETES.  THE VICTIMS 
INCLUDED 14 CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE, 17 WOMEN 
AND 23 MEN.  THIRTY-EIGHT OTHER PERSONS WERE ALSO 
INJURED.  DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTER RATWATTE VISITED THE 
VILLAGE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND WAS ACCOSTED BY ANGRY 
VILLAGERS ASKING, "IS THIS THE SECURITY YOU ARE 
PROVIDING US?"  HE PROMISED TO SEND MORE HOME GUARDS TO 
THE AREA. 
 
3. (C) SECURITY SOURCES TOLD EMBOFF THEY SUSPECTED THE 
ATTACK WAS THE WORK OF ABOUT 6O LOCAL LTTE CADRES. 
GIVEN THE LENGTH OF TIME OF THE ATTACK AND GONAGALA'S 
DISTANCE FROM KNOWN LTTE AREAS OF OPERATION, THEY THINK 
IT UNLIKELY A STRIKE FORCE CAME DOWN FROM THE UNCLEARED 
AREA ALONG THE COAST SOUTH OF BATTICALOA FOR THE ATTACK. 
THE SECURITY FORCES ARE CONTINUING THEIR SEARCH 
OPERATIONS. 
 
4. (U) THE ATTACK WAS WIDELY CONDEMNED.  PRESIDENT 
KUMARATUNGA OFFERED HER CONDOLENCES ("I WAS DEEPLY 
GRIEVED TO HEAR OF THE DEATHS"), SAYING "ALL CIVILIZED 
SOCIETIES WOULD, NO DOUBT, DEPLORE CRIMES OF THIS TYPE 
WITH UTTER CONTEMPT."  THE TAMIL UNITED LIBERATION FRONT 
(TULF) AND OTHER TAMIL COMMENTATORS, HOWEVER, CONTRASTED 
THE PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS OF 
GOVERNMENT CONCERN FOR THE VICTIMS (PROMISES OF 
ASSISTANCE TO THEIR FAMILIES) WITH THE OFFICIAL SILENCE 
AFTER THE SEPTEMBER 15 AIR FORCE BOMBING OF TAMIL 
CIVILIANS IN THE NORTH WHERE 22 CIVILIANS WERE KILLED 
(REF A). 
 
4. (C) COMMENT: MOST OBSERVERS, INCLUDING GOVERNMENT AND 
MILITARY SOURCES, VIEW THIS LATEST LTTE OUTRAGE AS 
DIRECT RETALIATION FOR THE SEPTEMBER 15 BOMBING.  WHILE 
THAT MAY BE TRUE, THE LTTE ACTION DEMONSTRATES ONCE 
AGAIN ITS ABILITY TO STRIKE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.  BY 
REVISITING GONAGALA  (A SMALL VILLAGE SURROUNDED BY 
TAMIL ONES IN THE JUNGLE WHERE THE LTTE PASSED THROUGH A 
YEAR AGO) FAR AWAY FROM THE FRONT LINES, THE LTTE ALSO 
SPOTLIGHTED SHORTCOMINGS IN THE GOVERNMENT'S SECURITY 
BLANKET IN THE EAST.  THIS WILL LIKELY INCREASE PRESSURE 
ON THE GOVERNMENT TO MOVE MORE TROOPS FROM THE NORTH AND 
PERHAPS FROM THE OFFENSIVE LINES TO INCREASE LOCAL 
SECURITY IN THE EAST (REF B).  THE WEEKEND PRESS CARRIED 
MANY CRITICAL STORIES OF THE SHORT-LIVED (24 HOURS) 
RECENT OFFENSIVE ("RANA GOSHA V") SUGGESTING IT HAD 
FALLEN SHORT OF ITS OBJECTIVE AND TROOPS HAD RETREATED. 
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS MASSACRE COULD WELL PROVE TO BE THE 
LTTE'S MOST EFFECTIVE WEAPON IN PREVENTING ADDITIONAL 
SUCH OFFENSIVES FROM OCCURRING BEFORE THIS YEAR'S 
MONSOON.  END COMMENT. 
 
DONNELLY