US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO651

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000651 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA AND H 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, OREP, CE, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT: REPORTED TRAVEL TO LTTE-CONTROLLED TERRITORY BY 
U.S. CONGRESSMAN 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JEFFREY J. LUNSTEAD FOR REASON 1.4 (D). 
 
 1.  (C) Several Colombo Sunday (April 3) newspapers ran 
brief articles reporting that U.S. Congressman Danny K. 
Davis (7th District - Illinois) had visited Kilinocchi and 
Mullaitivu in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)- 
controlled "Wanni" region of northern Sri Lanka the day 
before.  According to the articles, the group was received 
by LTTE police chief Nadesan.  As of Monday, there has been 
no detailed reporting or editorial comment in the Colombo 
media although the visit was covered in some pro-LTTE Tamil 
newspapers.  The pro-LTTE website Tamilnet is running a 21- 
picture "photo gallery" of the visit, including shots of 
the Congressman and his party visiting the LTTE "Heroes" 
cemetery.  According to Tamilnet, Tamil National Alliance 
(TNA) Member of Parliament Joseph Pararajasingham 
accompanied Davis's party. 
 
2.  (C) The Embassy first learned of Congressman Davis's 
private travel to Sri Lanka late last week via an e-mail 
sent to the Embassy consular e-mail address by one of the 
Congressman's staffers.  The DCM sent back an e-mail to the 
staffer advising that the Embassy would be pleased to see 
Congressman Davis and asking for details of his travel.  We 
never received a reply to that e-mail. 
 
3.  (C) Congressman Davis's party called the Embassy midday 
Friday, April 1, to advise that they had arrived in Colombo 
and asking to see the Ambassador.  An hour later, the 
Ambassador, DCM and consular chief met with Congressman 
Davis, Mr. F. Daniel Cantrell (the Congressman's district 
director) and with Dr. Somasundaram "Sam" Ilanogvan, an 
Amcit gastroenterologist from Davis's district who said he 
had emigrated from Madras to Chicago in the early 1970s. 
Ilangovan said he had been in contact with the Tamil 
Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) about the post-tsunami 
situation. 
 
4.  (C) At the Congressman's request, the Ambassador 
briefed Congressman Davis and his party on the tsunami 
recovery process and on the "Tamil situation."  On the 
latter topic, we reviewed with the Congressman the nature 
of the LTTE, its status as a U.S.-designated foreign 
terrorist organization and the murky relationship between 
the LTTE and the TRO.   Congressman Davis made no mention 
of travel to LTTE-controlled territory (which, of course, 
we would have strongly discouraged).  He did say he and his 
party were planning to travel to the Batticaloa area in the 
east and that the trip had been arranged by "several 
members of Parliament." 
 
5.  (U) The Embassy will draw from the following "if asked" 
press guidance if we are asked about the Congressman's 
travel to LTTE-controlled territory. 
 
Q.  Can you comment on the travel to LTTE-controlled 
territory by U.S. Congressman Danny K. Davis (Seventh 
District - Illinois)? 
 
A.  Congressman Davis was on a private, unofficial 
visit to Sri Lanka. 
 
-     Thus, his visit was not arranged by the U.S. 
Embassy in Colombo. 
 
-     Therefore, we cannot confirm the details of his 
"outstation" travel in Sri Lanka. 
 
-     You may wish to contact his office for those 
details. 
 
-     U.S. policy regarding the LTTE is unchanged:  we 
consider them a terrorist organization and have 
no substantive contact with them. 
 
6.  (C)  Ambassador discussed the visit with Foreign 
Secretary Palihakkara April 4.  Ambassador emphasized this 
 
SIPDIS 
was a personal visit and did not indicate any change in 
U.S. policy.  Palihakkara said he understood, that the 
visit was "unfortunate," but did not seem overly exercised. 
 
7.  (C) Comment. Needless to say, this is extremely 
unhelpful, especially since an Embassy political officer 
was in Jaffna last week among other things underlining our 
policy of non-contact with the LTTE.  It is difficult to 
predict how stories such as this will play out in Sri 
Lanka.  Somewhat to our surprise, this story seems to be 
dying out. End Comment. 
LUNSTEAD