US embassy cable - 88COLOMBO8559

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 08559 
 
LIMITED OFFICIAL USE 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR S/CT-WHARTON 
 
E.O. 12356: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, CE, MV 
SUBJECT:  LEGISLATIVELY MANDATED TERRORISM REPORTS: 
          SRI LANKA AND MALDIVES 
 
REF: STATE 357278 
 
1.  DECONTROL UPON RECEIPT. 
 
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2.  SRI LANKA 
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A.  RESULTS OF ANY 1988 COURT PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND SIGNIFICANT ACTS OF 
DOMESTIC TERRORISM:  EMBASSY KNOWS OF NO/NO 1988 COURT 
PROSECUTIONS IN SRI LANKA WHICH INVOLVED INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM.  SEVERAL CASES WHICH WERE IN PROCESS DURING 
1988, HOWEVER, INVOLVED INCIDENTS OF DOMESTIC 
TERRORISM ARISING OUT OF THE TWO SEPARATE INSURGENCIES 
WHICH SRI LANKA FACES:  IN THE NORTH THAT OF SOME 
MILITANT TAMIL GROUPS--PARTICULARLY OF THE LIBERATION 
TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE) WHICH CONTINUES TO OPPOSE 
THE INDO-SRI LANKA PEACE ACCORD SIGNED JULY 31, 
1987--AND IN THE SOUTH THAT OF THE RADICAL 
REVOLUTIONARY, INTENSELY NATIONALISTIC SINHALESE 
GROUP, THE JANATHA VIMUKTHI PERAMUNA (JVP). 
 
AMONG THEM: 
 
--IN THE CASE OF THE TERRORIST GRENADE ATTACK AT 
PARLIAMENT ON AUGUST 18, 1987, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 
TELLS US THAT CHARGES ARE TO BE FILED "SHORTLY," 
PROBABLY IN DECEMBER, AGAINST FOUR MEN.  THEY ARE 
ACCUSED OF KILLING A DISTRICT MINISTER AND A 
PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL AND OF TRYING TO KILL THE 
PRESIDENT AND THE MINISTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY.  THE 
GRENADE ATTACK ON A MEETING OF SOME 140 MEMBERS OF THE 
RULING UNITED NATIONAL PARTY CAME AS PART OF PROTESTS 
AGAINST THE SIGNING OF THE INDO-SRI LANKA PEACE ACCORD. 
 
--THE CASE HAS COME TO COURT AGAINST THREE TAMILS 
ACCUSED IN THE MAY 1986 BOMBING OF AN AIR LANKA 
TRI-STAP WHICH KILLED 28 PEOPLE.  ON DECEMBER 5 THE 
THREE PLEADED NOT GUILTY.  THE CASE CONTINUES. 
 
--BEGINNING IN AUGUST 1987 FOLLOWING THE SIGNING OF 
THE INDO-SRI LANKA ACCORD, AND CONTINUING THROUGHOUT 
1988, SOME 4000 TAMILS SUSPECTFD MILITANTS, BEING HELD 
UNDER THE PREVENTION OF TERRORISM ACT AND EMERGENCY 
REGULATIONS, HAVE BEEN UNCONDITIONALLY RELEASED FROM 
DETENTION. 
 
B.  HAS STATUS OF PLO CHANGED SINCE 1987:  THE PLO HAS 
LONG BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE GSL AND CONTINUES TO 
MAINTAIN AN EMBASSY IN COLOMBO.  IT IS HEADED BY THE 
EQUIVALENT OF A CHARGE D'AFFAIRES WHO IS CALLED "PLO 
REPRESENTATIVE AND HEAD OF THE MISSION" ON THE 
DIPLOMATIC LIST; THERE IS ONLY ONE OTHER MAN, WITH 
COUNSELOR RANK, ON THE DIP LIST.  SRI LANKA HAS 
RECOGNIZED THE STATE OF PALESTINE WHICH WAS PROCLAIMED 
AT THE PLO CONFERENCE IN ALGIERS IN MID-NOVEMBER. 
 
C.  HAS SRI LANKA MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN 
SUPPORT OF A TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRY ON A 
TERRORISM ISSUE?  NO. 
 
D.  A REVIEW OF MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS 
UNDERTAKEN IN CY-88, INCLUDING STEPS TAKEN IN 
INTERNATIONAL FORA:  ON DECEMBER 6, SRI LANKA ENACTED 
ENABLING LEGISLATION TO CONFORM WITH THE SAARC 
CONVENTION ON THE SUPPRESSION OF TERRORISM; IT THUS 
BECAME ONLY THE SECOND (AFTER NEPAL) OF THE SEVEN 
SAARC COUNTRIES TO BRING ITS OWN STATUTES INTO LINE 
WITH THE SAARC CONVENTION. 
 
E.  RESPONSE OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING 
EXTRADITION ACTIONS, ACTIONS ON TERRORISM AFFECTING 
AMERICAN CITIZENS AND FACILITIES, OR DEALINGS WITH 
OTHER SIGNIFICANT ACTS OF TERRORISM:  NOT APPLICABLE. 
HOWEVER, WE BELIEVE THAT GSL WOULD BE HELPFUL AND 
RESPONSIBLE TO USG CONCERNS IF TERRORISM ACTS HERE 
INVOLVED AMCITS/FACILITIES. 
 
F.  SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT, IF ANY, FOR INTERNATIONAL 
TERRORISM:  NOT APPLICABLE. 
 
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3.  MALDIVES 
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A.  RESULTS OF ANY 1988 COURT PROSECUTIONS INVOLVING 
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM AND SIGNIFICANT ACTS OF 
DOMESTIC TERRORISM:  EARLY ON THE MORNING OF NOVEMBER 
3, A GROUP OF SOME 150 ARMED TAMIL-SPEAKING MEN (LATER 
DETERMINED TO BE SRI LANKAN TAMILS, MERCENARIES WHO 
WERE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE PEOPLE'S LIBERATION 
ORGANIZATION OF TAMIL EELAM, OR PLOTE), INVADED MALE, 
THE CAPITAL ISLAND CITY OF THE MALDIVES.  TAKING THE 
MALDIVIANS COMPLETELY BY SURPRISE, THEY QUICKLY GAINED 
THE UPPER HAND IN MOST OF THE TINY ISLAND BUT WERE 
UNABLE TO CAPTURE THE HEADQUARTERS BUILDING OF THE 
NATIONAL SECURITY SERVICE, THE NATION'S COMBINED (AND 
SOLE) SECURITY FORCE.  PRESIDENT GAYOOM ASKED SEVERAL 
NATIONS FOR HELP IN QUELLING THE INVASION; SHORTLY 
BEFORE MIDNIGHT INDIAN TROOPS ARRIVED AND WERE ABLE TO 
RELIEVE THEIR BELEAGERED MALDIVIAN NSS BREATHERN. 
SOME OF THE INVADERS ESCAPED BY BOAT BUT WERE LATER 
CAPTURED BY INDIAN NAVY AND RETURNED TO MALE.  AT THE 
END OF 1988, THE GOVERNMENT OF MALDIVES IS HOLDING 
ABOUT 70 OF THESE SRI LANKAN TAMIL INVADERS, AND 
INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE.  THEY ALSO HOLD 2 MALDIVIAN 
CITIZENS, INCLUDING THE MEN ACCUSED OF MASTERMINDING 
THE PLOT, WHO WERE CAPTURED WITH THE FLEEING TAMILS. 
A FURTHER TWO MALDIVIANS HAVE BEEN DETAINED FOR 
QUESTIONING.  SO FAR NO TRIAL DATES HAVE BEEN SET. 
 
B.  HAS STATUS OF PLO CHANGED SINCE 1987:  THE PLO HAS 
MAINTAINED A ONE-MAN EMBASSY IN THE MALDIVIAN CAPITAL 
SINCE THE EARLY 1980'S.  THE CURRENT PLO REPRESENTA- 
TIVE, WHO HOLDS THE RANK OF AMBASSADOR, APPARENTLY IS 
ONLY OCCASIONALLY IN COUNTRY.  MALDIVES HAS RECOGNIZED 
THE STATE OF PALESTINE WHICH WAS PROCLAIMED IN 
MID-NOVEMBER AT THE PLO'S ALGIERS CONFERENCE. 
 
C.  HAS MALDIVES MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT 
OF A TERRORIST SUPPORTING COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM 
ISSUE:  NO. 
 
 
MARKS