US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1798

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001798 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT, DRL; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC 
 
E.O. 12958:    DECL:  10-16-13 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, PINS, PHUM, CE, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  Tigers widely blamed in killings of six more 
Tamils 
 
Refs:  Colombo 1789, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of 
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  Six more Tamils have been killed in 
separate incidents in the past three weeks.  As with the 
roughly 40 similar incidents in past months, the Tigers 
have been widely blamed for the latest slew of killings, 
with some observers contending that the group is trying 
to wipe out perceived opponents in the north/east.  The 
continued killings have not raised too many hackles in 
the south, perhaps because the violence has been Tamil- 
on-Tamil.  END SUMMARY. 
 
----------------- 
Six More Killings 
----------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) Six more Tamils have been killed in separate 
incidents in the past three weeks.  All of the incidents 
took place in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province.  Details of 
the six killings follow: 
 
-- On October 8, Charles Edward, 30, who was reportedly 
a former member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 
(LTTE), was shot dead in Trincomalee District. 
 
-- On October 5, Subramaniam Kirubakaran, 36, who was 
reportedly a member of an anti-LTTE political party, was 
shot dead near Batticaloa town. 
 
-- On October 3, Eramba Moorthy Sabanyagam, an alleged 
military informant, was shot dead near Batticaloa town. 
 
-- On October 2, Vigneswaran (one name only), an alleged 
military informant, was shot dead near Trincomalee town. 
 
-- On September 28, the recently severed head of S. 
Sundararajah, 33, was found near Akkaraipattu town in 
Ampara District.  Sundararajah was reportedly a former 
member of the LTTE. 
 
-- On September 26, V. Yogendran, 39, who was reportedly 
a former member of an anti-LTTE party, was shot dead 
near Batticaloa town. 
 
----------------- 
Tigers are Blamed 
----------------- 
 
3.  (C) As with the roughly 40 similar incidents in past 
months (see Reftels), the Tigers have been widely blamed 
for the latest slew of killings.  In making this 
assessment, observers have noted that all of the victims 
had apparently run afoul of the LTTE in some way, e.g.: 
by once being members of the organization and then 
leaving (the LTTE does not allow this); by being 
associated with anti-LTTE parties; or by being an 
alleged military informant.  The killings also fit into 
the LTTE's long-time modus operandi for assassinations 
which involves "pistol gangs" shooting victims up close. 
As has been the case with the earlier killings, however, 
the LTTE has not taken responsibility for the incidents 
and no one has been arrested as of yet. 
 
4.  (C) When queried about the killings, Douglas 
Devananda, a MP and leader of the anti-LTTE Eelam 
People's Democratic Party (EPDP), told polchief on 
October 15 that there was no question in his mind that 
the Tigers were the responsible party.  As evidence, 
Devananda commented that members of his party have 
received threatening messages from the LTTE to cease- 
and-desist their activities.  When they have not, they 
have wound up dead.  Devananda noted that the LTTE has 
been careful to avoid any direct connection with the 
violence, but that there was no doubt in his mind that 
the group was culpable. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
An Orchestrated Campaign in the North/East? 
------------------------------------------- 
 
5.  (C) In analyzing the many killings, some observers 
contend that the LTTE is trying to wipe out its 
perceived opponents in the north/east.  Kethesh 
Loganathan, an analyst at the Center for Policy 
Alternatives, a local think-tank, told polchief on 
October 16 that he thought the LTTE was trying to rid 
the region of potential opponents ahead of a possible 
agreement with the GSL on an interim arrangement in the 
north/east.  With opponents in the Tamil community out 
of the way, the LTTE can more easily argue that it is 
the "sole representative of the Tamil people" and 
deserves to be in sole control of a north/east setup. 
Beyond this larger plan, Loganathan added that he 
thought there was also a fair amount of score settling 
going on, with LTTE elements killing Tamils who have 
refused to bend to the group's will in some way. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
6.  (C) The international community and human rights 
activists have recoiled at the killings, expressing deep 
concern that the Tigers are not changing their stripes 
despite the peace process.  Interestingly, however, the 
killings have not raised too many hackles in the south. 
This could be attributed to the fact that the violence 
that has taken place is almost overwhelmingly Tamil-on- 
Tamil and does not directly involve the Sinhalese 
majority.  Most of the violence is also taking place in 
the north and east, far away from southern population 
centers.  There would certainly be much more of an 
outcry if Sinhalese were routinely being gunned down in 
downtown Colombo.  END COMMENT. 
 
7.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
Lunstead