US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1236

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001236 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
PLEASE PASS TOPEC 
 
E.O. 12958:    DECL:  07-26-14 
TAGS: PTER, PREL, CE, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  EIGHT POSSIBLE PRO-KARUNA FACTION MEMBERS 
KILLED IN LIKELY LTTE ATTACK 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo 1219 and previous 
 
(U) Classified by Dean Thompson, Acting Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY: LTTE attacks against breakaway Eastern 
LTTE leader Karuna's faction continued on July 25, this 
time close to Colombo.  Eight people, possibly including 
Karuna's deputy, were killed in a "safe house" in 
Kottawa, an outer suburb of Colombo.  While the 
identities of the killers are not known, media reports 
suggest they were LTTE (Wanni) cadres.  Pro-LTTE website 
TamilNet reported that the killers were actually 
dissidents within the group of pro-Karuna cadres.  The 
GSL released a statement on July 26 condemning the 
killings.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) attacks 
against breakaway Eastern LTTE leader Karuna's faction 
continued over the weekend - this time close to Colombo. 
Before dawn on July 25, eight people were killed in a 
"safe house" in Kottawa, an outer suburb of Colombo. 
Local media reported that several of Karuna's top aides 
(including his Deputy) and a (Sinhalese) Sri Lankan Army 
(SLA) informant were among the dead.  The dead pro- 
Karuna cadres may have been members of a group of Tamil 
youth arrested at a temple near Polonnaruwa in early 
July, and were released (allegedly) with the assistance 
of military intelligence.  The LTTE was very unhappy 
with this situation, and later bombed the temple.  The 
mystery Sinhalese man in the Colombo area safehouse may 
have been one of two Sinhalese men who police sources 
reported were at the temple with the pro-Karuna cadres. 
 
3.  (C)  While the identities of the killers are not 
known, media reports suggest they were LTTE (Wanni) 
cadres.  The media also reported that the Sri Lanka Army 
(SLA) intercepted a message between two LTTE (Wanni) 
cadres in Ampara, south of Batticaloa, in which the 
Wanni cadres stated that they had just returned from 
killing eight pro-Karuna cadres.  The SLA spokesman has 
denied this ?oth to the media and to poloff. 
 
4.   (U)  Meanwhile, Pro-LTTE website TamilNet reported 
that dissidents within the Karuna faction killed their 
own associates because of differences within the group. 
TamilNet reported that the site of the killings was 
actually a "military intelligence safe house," and that 
after the killings, the cadre escaped and surrendered to 
LTTE (Wanni) cadre in Ampara the same day. 
 
5.  (U)  The GSL released a strong statement on July 26 
condemning the killings, noting that "?t is clear that 
this resort to terrorist violence does not conform to 
the spirit and letter of the ceasefire agreement and 
does not augur well for the smooth commencement of 
direct negotiations between GOSL ?TTE.  The Government 
repeats its firm determination to maintain law and order 
and to take necessary action in accordance with 
international norms against the scourge of terrorism 
that continues to affect Sri Lanka and other countries." 
 
6.  (C) COMMENT: At this point, the details of what 
happened in Kottawa are murky.  Although the SLA denies 
that there was a military operative in the group, the 
presence of a Sinhala man with a group of high-level 
pro-Karuna cadre raises questions.  The police continue 
to investigate, but no arrests have been made.  As 
Karuna's cadre travel around the island, it seems that 
the internecine warfare in the east is following them. 
The July 25 attack was the latest in a string of similar 
violent incidents.  In the meantime, increased security 
in Colombo may emerge as the only tangible outcome of 
this case.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
LUNSTEAD 
 
CONFIDENTIAL 2 
 
SIPDIS 
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