US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO2011

UNCLAS COLOMBO 002011 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR S/CT AND TTIC 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, ASEC, CE 
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA:  2004 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF: STATE 245841 
 
1.  Updated information for the Department's 2004 annual 
terrorism report follows below. 
 
2.  Begin text of submission: 
 
The Sri Lankan government supports the Global War on Terror 
and continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to combating 
terrorism--a commitment stressed by President Chandrika 
Kumaratunga in her September 21 address before the UN General 
Assembly.  Sri Lanka has acceded to 10 of the 12 
international conventions that deal with combating terrorism 
and took steps to implement UNSCRs 1333 and 1373.  The Sri 
Lankan government has cooperated with U.S. efforts to track 
terrorist financing, although no assets have been identified 
in Sri Lanka to date.  The U.S. has worked with the 
Government of Sri Lanka to develop anti-money laundering 
legislation, develop financial intelligence units and provide 
training for relevant government agencies and the banking 
sector.  Sri Lankan police provided both investigative and 
protective assistance in response to Embassy requests.  There 
have been no cases of international terrorism in Sri Lanka 
during the year, and no U.S. citizens have been killed or 
injured in acts of terrorism in Sri Lanka during the 
reporting period.  A ceasefire agreed to in February 2002 
between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers 
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a Foreign Terrorist Organization, 
continued to hold despite the lack of progress to resume 
negotiations, which were broken off by the LTTE in April 
2003.  The Sri Lankan Army remains deployed across the 
country for counter insurgency purposes.  The paramilitary 
Special Task Force police (STF) is deployed in the east. 
 
Numerous violations of the ceasefire agreement were 
reportedly committed, primarily by the LTTE, during the year. 
 Fighting broke out between a dissident LTTE faction, led by 
Eastern military commander Karuna, and the mainstream LTTE in 
March, leading initially to the deaths of at least 120 LTTE 
cadres and civilians in the east.  Following the split, the 
LTTE began a campaign of targeted assassinations against 
political opponents, members of the Karuna faction, and 
suspected Sri Lankan Army informants, killing at least 
another 80 individuals during the year.  In addition, at 
least 26 members of the mainstream LTTE were killed by 
suspected Karuna sympathizers, while 6 members of the Sri 
Lankan security forces were killed in isolated incidents by 
suspected LTTE militants.  On July 7 a suspected LTTE suicide 
bomber detonated explosives attached to her while being 
questioned inside a Colombo police station, killing herself 
and four policemen.  Her intended target was believed to be 
the Minister of Hindu Affairs, a Tamil politician opposed to 
the LTTE. 
 
The Sri Lankan government did not extradite nor request the 
extradition of suspected terrorists during the year.  The 
police and the Directorate of Internal Intelligence have the 
authority to investigate terrorism, and the Attorney General 
has authority to prosecute terrorism cases.  There were no 
convictions and one new case filed against suspected 
terrorists during the year, although more than 50 cases filed 
during previous years remained pending at year's end. 
Suspected terrorists can be held 24 hours without being 
charged.  Provisions permitting longer periods of detention 
(up to 18 months) under special anti-terrorist legislation 
have not been invoked since the signing of the ceasefire 
agreement. 
 
Sri Lanka has designated as terrorist organizations those 
groups listed under UN Security Council Resolutions 1267 and 
1333 and has prohibited transactions with them.  In her 
address before the UN General Assembly on September 21, 
President Chandrika Kumaratunga urged greater progress on the 
draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and 
the draft Convention on Nuclear Terrorism. 
LUNSTEAD