US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO165

S E C R E T COLOMBO 000165 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
 
OFFICIAL INFORMAL 
 
FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  01/28/14 
TAGS: AMGT, CE, MV, Human Rights, Religious Freedom 
SUBJECT:  OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 012 (01/28/04) 
 
 
Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead for reasons 1.5 
b and d. 
 
CONTENTS:    TIGERS OFF TO OSLO 
-            ANOTHER CHURCH ATTACK 
-            J.R.'s SON DISMISSED FROM DEFENSE JOB 
-            WHERE OH WHERE IS OUR G/TIP CABLE? 
-            STATUS OF MALDIVIAN REQUEST RE DETAINEE? 
 
TIGERS OFF TO OSLO 
------------------ 
 
1.  (SBU) FYI.  Per Colombo 150, a LTTE delegation has left 
Sri Lanka enroute to Oslo.  The delegation, led by Tiger 
political chief S.P. Thamilchelvam, intends to discuss the 
"urgent humanitarian needs" of the north/east region with 
officials in Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, 
and the Netherlands, according to the pro-LTTE website, 
"TamilNet."  The group's European trip is scheduled to last 
two weeks.  In the meantime, Norwegian Ambassador Brattskar 
met with LTTE Eastern chief Karuna in Batticaloa yesterday. 
(POL) 
 
ANOTHER CHURCH ATTACK 
--------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) FYI.  On January 26, a Catholic church located 
some 15 miles east of Colombo was damaged in a late-night 
arson attack.  This follows two church attacks a week 
earlier in the same area (Colombo o/i 8, 01-21-04).  As in 
the previous attacks, no one has been injured.  The local 
area police superintendent is quoted as saying he will 
arrest the alleged attackers within a day or two.  This 
attitude is a positive change inasmuch as local police in 
the past have appeared unwilling to vigorously track down 
the perpetrators of the attacks.  High-level police 
officials in Colombo were quoted in the press recently, 
however, as saying that a crackdown is planned.  (POL) 
 
J.R.'s SON DISMISSED FROM DEFENSE JOB 
------------------------------------- 
 
3.  (C) FYI.  Ravi Jayawardene, son of late President J.R. 
Jayawardene, was recently let go from his long-held position 
as Defense Ministry advisor.  In the early 1980s, 
Jayawardene was instrumental in training Sri Lankan special 
forces who helped quell the JVP's 1987-89 insurrection. 
While President Kumaratunga's office has denied any link, it 
is interesting to note that Jayawardene's dismissal follows 
shortly after the January 20 signing of the SLFP-JVP 
alliance.  Many wonder whether the JVP pressured the 
President to remove Jayawardene.  (POL) 
 
WHERE OH WHERE IS OUR G/TIP CABLE? 
---------------------------------- 
 
4.  (U) Mission knows that Sally Neumann, G/TIP officer for 
South Asia, is currently traveling in the region.  Before 
Ms. Neumann left for her trip, however, Mission cleared on 
wording to amend our LOA with the National Child Protection 
Agency for projects approved last August 2003.  We had hoped 
that the front-channel with the wording would have gone out 
already, but have not seen any sign of it.  Would the desk 
please check with someone in the G/TIP office on the status 
of the message?   These projects are important and we would 
like to get them moving; one of the projects is aimed at 
easing the distress of court testimony for juvenile victims 
of abuse, for example.  Thanks!  (POL) 
 
STATUS OF MALDIVIAN REQUEST RE DETAINEE? 
---------------------------------------- 
 
5. (S/NF) Back in November, Mission conveyed the Maldivian 
government's formal request for the release of the Maldivian 
national detained in Guantanamo Bay (see 03 Colombo 2009). 
According to our DAO, none of his contacts in DoD are aware 
of any request from State Department on this issue.  If the 
desk would share who the Department has contacted at DoD, 
DAO here would be happy to follow up.  The GoRM has not 
inquired about the status of their formal request as of yet, 
but we should get back with a placeholder response.  Thanks. 
(POL/DAO) 
 
LUNSTEAD