US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO1089

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001089 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, PHUM, KIRF, PREL, CE, LTTE - Peace Process, Political Parties 
SUBJECT: TRINCOMALEE STILL RESTIVE; BUDDHA STATUE STAYS FOR 
NOW 
 
REF: A. COLOMBO 1053 
     B. COLOMBO 0998 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.    (SBU) On June 17, the Court of Appeals suspended until 
June 30 the Trincomalee Magistrate's decision to remove all 
unauthorized religious statues, including a controversial 
Buddha statue erected by a pro-Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna 
(JVP) union, from Trincomalee town (REFTEL).  Despite the 
relative calm in Trincomalee town, tensions remain high in 
other parts of the district due to the June 17 killing of a 
police intelligence officer by suspected Liberation Tigers of 
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) elements in a predominantly-Sinhala area 
of Trincomalee.  Several incidents of violence against Tamils 
have been reported, and villagers angered by the policeman's 
killing, on June 18, attacked members of the Sri Lankan 
Monitoring Mission (SLMM), who were on their way to 
investigate. Meanwhile, questions over the proposed "Joint 
Mechanism" have spurred a three-day token fast in Trincomalee 
organized by the pro-LTTE Tamil Peoples Organization (TPO). 
END SUMMARY. 
 
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THREAT OF STRIKE 
POSTPONED AGAIN 
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2.    (SBU) On June 17, the Court of Appeals in Colombo 
suspended until June 30 the Trincomalee Magistrate's earlier 
decision to remove all unauthorized religious statues from 
Trincomalee town (Ref A).  Acting on a petition filed by the 
Trincomalee Three-wheelers Association, which originally 
erected the statue, the Court of Appeals' order prevents the 
police and the Trincomalee Urban Council from removing the 
controversial Buddha statue or any other unauthorized 
religious structure.  The TPO has threatened to begin a 
strike on July 10 unless the statue is removed.  (Comment: 
This is the third postponement of the strike date, and 
perhaps the last, as many Embassy sources have reported that 
any strike in Trincomalee would have to wait until the 
completion of the "A" level exams, which are scheduled to 
be completed by June 30.  End Comment.) 
 
3.    (SBU) The May 31 case filed by the Attorney General 
(AG) in the Trincomalee District Court (Ref A), which asks 
for a ruling that the construction of the Buddha statue on 
state land is unlawful, remains scheduled for August 3. 
 
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VIOLENCE OUTSIDE OF TRINCO: 
SLMM GETS CAUGHT IN THE 
LINE OF FIRE 
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4.    (SBU) Despite the relative calm in town, violence has 
erupted in other parts of the district following the killing 
of a police intelligence officer by suspected LTTE elements 
in the predominantly-Sinhala town of Serunuwara on June 17. 
The policeman's killing has led to several reports of 
increased violence against Tamils, including an attack 
against a truck belonging to the LTTE-linked Tamil 
Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) and its driver.  Also 
attacked were SLMM monitors who had gone to the area to 
investigate the attack against the Tamil driver and the 
policeman's killing.  SLMM spokesperson Helen Olafsdottir 
told poloff on June 20 that the SLMM vehicle drove into a 
demonstration of angry villagers who began throwing stones at 
the SLMM vehicle.  A large stone cracked the vehicle's 
windshield, forcing the monitors to abandon their car and 
take shelter in a house occupied by police, where they 
remained for three hours until the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) 
could rescue them.  Olafsdottir told poloff that the SLMM is 
now reevaluating its monitoring procedures in that area. 
 
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MORE SYMBOLIC FASTING 
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5.    (SBU) The TPO has organized a three day "token fast" in 
different towns in Trincomalee from June 20-June 22 to show 
its support for the "Joint Mechanism" and to urge the 
Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) to sign the agreement. The TPO 
has invited any member of the Tamil, Sinhalese, or Muslim 
community in support of the Joint Mechanism to join the fast. 
 
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MILITARY CHANGES 
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6.    (SBU) According to press reports, Trincomalee Naval 
Commander Rear Admiral Sarath Weerasekera was transferred 
from his post as Eastern Naval Area Commander effective June 
30.  Local press speculated that Weerasekera's removal was 
prompted by his alleged interference in the Buddha statue 
incident (septel). 
 
7.    (SBU) Sri Lankan military resumed transport of LTTE 
officials on June 15, a privilege that had been temporarily 
suspended following the killing of an army intelligence 
officer in Colombo on May 31 (Ref B).  Commander of LTTE 
forces in Trincomalee Col. Sornam reportedly arrived in 
Trincomalee aboard a Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter, 
facilitated by the SLMM, according to the local press. 
 
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COMMENT 
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8.    (SBU)  Although civil protests about the Buddha statue 
appear to have abated for now, the continued violence is 
keeping tensions in Trincomalee high.  The unprecedented 
attack on the SLMM vehicle offers just one indication of 
mounting popular frustration.  Our consular chief has just 
returned from a trip to Trincomalee to stay in touch with 
Americans there.  We continue to monitor the situation 
closely. 
LUNSTEAD