US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO311

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000311 
 
SIPDIS 
 
OFFICIAL INFORMAL 
 
FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  02/25/14 
TAGS: AMGT, CE, MV, Elections, External Relations 
SUBJECT:  OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 030 (02/25/04) 
 
Classified by DCM James F. Entwistle for reasons 1.5 (b) and 
(d). 
 
CONTENTS:  SRI LANKAN NUCLEAR MIDDLEMAN TAHIR 
           TIGERS WARN RE FREE MOVEMENT OF VOTERS 
           ELECTION ASSISTANCE 
           MALDIVES 
           SCHLOSSER VISIT 
 
SRI LANKAN NUCLEAR MIDDLEMAN TAHIR 
---------------------------------- 
 
1.  (S)  We have been following press reports and Embassy 
Kuala Lumpur cables regarding the Pakistan-related nuclear 
proliferation activities in Malaysia of Sri Lankan citizen 
B.S.A. Tahir.  We've uncovered no information here to date. 
Today, however, a Sri Lankan businessman came in to discuss 
his knowledge of Tahir with POL.  POL's writeup follows.  It 
strikes us as pretty thin gruel but you may want to bounce 
it off EAP and the proliferation folks to see what they 
think.  We can get back in touch with the businessman if 
need be. 
 
BEGIN TEXT 
 
Participants:  Mr. P. Sunderlingam, poloff Tomaszewicz 
Location:  US Embassy Lobby 
Date:  February 25, 2004 
 
Mr. Sunderlingam stated he had read the Sri Lankan newspaper 
SUNDAY TIMES on Sunday, February 22, 2004 regarding a story 
about a Sri Lankan national, B.S.A. Tahir, and his alleged 
involvement with the selling of Pakistani nuclear secrets. 
The news article stated that another Sri Lankan, Harry 
Jayawardene, who had reportedly blackmailed Tahir, could not 
be positively identified or located. 
 
Mr. Sunderlingam stated that Harry Jayawardene was indeed a 
real person, whom Sunderlingam had met on at least one 
occasion in the past.  Sunderlingam explained that, as a 
businessman in the garment industry, around 1994-1995 he had 
met Tahir's father, who was the owner of a garment factory 
at that time.  During his association with Tahir's father, 
he was introduced to Harry Jayawardene.  Sunderlingam 
described Jayawardene, at that time, as a Sri Lankan 
Security Council Advisor and businessman.  He further added 
that Jayawardene was a close friend of the late Sirimavo 
Bandaranaike, who is the mother of current President 
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.  Sunderlingam said he 
had seen several photos of Jayawardene and the late 
Bandaranaike in Tahir's father's house in Singapore. 
 
Sunderlingam also said that he had met Tahir, whom he 
thought was involved in computers, in Dubai at some point. 
 
Sunderlingam said his motivation in coming forward with this 
unsolicited information was that he felt, given his personal 
knowledge, the Sri Lankan Government must be hiding 
something if they denied the existence of this Harry 
Jayawardene. 
 
END TEXT  (POL/DCM) 
 
TIGERS WARN RE FREE MOVEMENT OF VOTERS 
--------------------------------------- 
 
2. (U) FYI.  On February 25, in a report carried on the pro- 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) website "TamilNet", 
Tiger political chief S.P. Thamilchelvam stated "The 
consequences will be serious if the rights and wishes of our 
people are denied," reportedly responding to reports that 
the Sri Lanka Army will not allow free movement of voters 
from LTTE-held areas in the upcoming April 2 parliamentary 
election.  We have not heard reports that the Army is 
planning to curtail voter movement.  In the 2001 
parliamentary elections, however, the army did stop Tamil 
voters from crossing army checkpoints, but the Supreme Court 
later ruled that this violated the voters' fundamental 
rights and fined GSL officials involved with the matter. 
(POL) 
 
ELECTION ASSISTANCE 
------------------- 
 
3.(SBU)  See our classified e-mail reply re our views on 
appropriate USG electoral assistance.  (DCM) 
 
MALDIVES 
-------- 
 
4.(C)  The Ambassador's trip to Maldives appears to be going 
well.  He was scheduled to call on President Gayoom and a 
raft of other GoRM officials today.  Atolls tour and 
reception tomorrow.  DATT is carrying over a few copies of 
Maldives HRR for the Ambassador to hand out as he sees fit. 
By chance, a representative of the fledgling opposition 
Maldivian Democratic Party came in to see POL and DCM 
yesterday.  We had a good chat and he left some interesting 
documents (and a copy of their party newsletter).  We'll 
fold all this into our reporting on the Ambassador's trip. 
(DCM) 
 
SCHLOSSER VISIT 
--------------- 
 
5.  (U)  John should be touching down as we type.  Andrea T 
has put together a very good program and we'll show him a 
good time.  (DCM) 
 
LUNSTEAD