US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO1523

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001523 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR SA/INS (BRENNIG, SIM) SA/PD (SCENSNY, ROGERS); 
SSA/PAS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, PTER, PHUM, EAID, OIIP, PREL, CE, LTTE - Peace Process, Human Rights, Political Parties 
SUBJECT: Grenade attack on pro-LTTE newspaper office shakes 
independent media 
 
REFTELS: A) Colombo 812; B) Colombo 832 C) Colombo 1451 
 
 
1. (U) Summary:  Two men threw two grenades into the 
premises of the Sudar Oli newspaper office in Colombo August 
29, killing one and injuring three.  Sudar Oli, an 
unapologetically pro-LTTE paper, was the object of an 
unsuccessful grenade attack on one of its Colombo branch 
offices on August 20, as well as the alleged assault of one 
of its photographers at an anti-LTTE demonstration organized 
by a Sinhala nationalist party on August 23. Some local 
English and Tamil media have already pointed a finger at the 
Sinhalese nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) for 
the incidents, while others speculate the attacks may 
involve infighting between rival Tamil parties. Police have 
not yet arrested any suspects in the incident.  End Summary. 
 
2.  (U) In the early evening of August 29, two men riding a 
motorcycle threw two grenades into the pro-LTTE Sudar Oli 
main office in Colombo.  One grenade exploded, killing one 
Tamil security guard, injuring three office workers, and 
causing extensive damage.  This attack came just ten days 
after another Sudar Oli office in Colombo was attacked with 
a grenade which did not explode.  Two days after the first 
incident, a junior Sudar Oli photographer was assaulted by a 
mob at an anti-LTTE rally organized by the Sinhala 
nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party. 
According to a Sudar Oli press statement, a JVP mob, 
allegedly suspecting the photographer of being an LTTE spy, 
beat him, and snatched his digital camera, wallet, mobile 
phone, and press card before turning him over to police who 
held him for less than a day.  Other English and Sinhala 
news organizations alleged he was videotaping the protest, 
raising suspicion he might be photographing the crowd for an 
LTTE hit list. 
 
3.  (SBU) Following the incident with the Sudar Oli 
photographer, Sudar Oli released a press statement assigning 
blame to the JVP for the first grenade attack.  A leading 
Tamil attorney for several Tamil political organizations 
told Information Officer the Sudar Oli owner and Managing 
Editor/Director, E. Saravanapavan, felt under threat from 
JVP officials after the first bombing attempt. Saravanapavan 
told us that early August 30, around 1 AM, two or three men 
parked in a van outside his gate tried to lure him out by 
claiming they had information about the office bombing. 
 
4.  (SBU) Sudar Oli is an independent paper published by 
Mass Media Syndicate, owned by  Saravanapavan, a Jaffna-born 
Tamil.  It has been published in Colombo for ten years, and 
its sister paper, Uthayan, has been published in Jaffna 
since 1985.  Both papers regularly defend the LTTE. 
Saravanapavan stated, "We are both part of the Tamil 
movement.  One section carries a gun, one section carries a 
pen." 
 
5. (U) Suspicion abounds that the JVP was behind the bombing 
of the Sudar Oli office. Independent MTV implied the JVP was 
responsible when the network aired several speeches by JVP 
Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa strongly criticizing 
the newspaper.  MTV also rebroadcast interviews with 
Lasantha Wickrematunge, Editor of the Sunday Leader, and 
Sunanda Deshapriya, Convener of the Free Media Movement, who 
alleged the JVP is trying to stifle the media through 
intimidation.  On the other hand, Free Media Movement 
Convener Sunanda Deshapriya commented yesterday that though 
the JVP has criticized Sudar Oli, the bombing of the 
newspaper office was more likely the work of a rival Tamil 
group. 
 
6.  (SBU) Comment: This attack is the latest in a series of 
attacks on Tamil journalists, ranging from the trashing of a 
Shakti (MTV) television office in Jaffna last year to the 
murder of prominent Tamil commentator D. Sivaram in April 
(reftel A) to the murder three weeks ago of a state TV 
journalist and her husband in broad daylight (reftel C). 
While no conclusive evidence has emerged to identify the 
culprits of these incidents, suspects include the JVP, as 
well as rival Tamil factions, such as the EPDP (Eelam 
People's Democratic Party)and PLOTE (People's Liberation 
Organization of Tamil Eelam) both of which oppose the LTTE. 
No matter who is responsible, these incidents have instilled 
even greater fear among Tamil journalists who write about 
political issues. We will continue to urge respect for the 
media and to condemn attacks on journalists in our 
discussions with all relevant parties. End Comment. 
 
Entwistle