US embassy cable - 02COLOMBO2204

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 002204 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: N/A 
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, CE, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  Mission team journeys through LTTE controlled 
territory; Tamil Eelam still touted in the Vanni 
 
 
1. (U) This message is Sensitive But Unclassified, 
please handle accordingly. 
 
2. (U) SUMMARY:  Mission team successfully concluded its 
first journey through the Tiger controlled north since 
opening of the A-9 road in April 2002.  Although the 
trip was uneventful in terms of LTTE actions, travelling 
on the ill-kept A-9 was arduous.  The presence of LTTE 
cadre, predominantly women, was clearly visible along 
the entire route.  Villages in the Tiger controlled 
areas appeared lively and colorful.  Despite these 
observations, the majority of the trip was through vast 
tracks of unused land.  The A-9 is an example of the 
government and LTTE cooperating to make travelling as 
easy as possible.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3. (U) Mission team successfully traversed Liberation 
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled territory in 
northern Sri Lanka to reach the Jaffna Peninsula on 
November 25 and returned the next day in another 
uneventful journey.  This was the first time since the 
A-9 road reopened on April 8 that representatives from 
the U.S. Mission used the road.  The last time an 
American from the U.S. Mission used that portion of the 
road in the Vanni, the area of northern Sri Lanka 
controlled by the LTTE, was in 1987. 
 
4. (U) Although the Mission team was quickly cleared 
through all checkpoints and had no interaction with LTTE 
cadre, the trip itself was arduous due to the poor 
condition of the road.  The road varied in quality from 
short stretches that were smooth and wide enough for 
two-way traffic to areas that were washed out with the 
tarmac that was once in place barely recognizable.  One 
small section was flooded.  Despite all of the problems, 
the road was useable.  It took just over three hours to 
travel through approximately 94 kilometers (58 miles) 
controlled by the LTTE.  According to government 
estimates, there is an average of 3000 people travelling 
the same route each day.  Some low-tech and labor 
intensive repair work of the road is ongoing, but it is 
unclear if repairs can keep pace with the use. 
 
5. (U) Mission team noted the ubiquitousness of women 
LTTE cadre along the stretch of the A-9 in LTTE 
controlled areas.  The checkpoints into and out of the 
Vanni were controlled by LTTE police (men and women) and 
women LTTE cadre.  Except for certain women cadre (those 
in black or dark green uniforms), which had automatic 
weapons, the LTTE representatives tended not to be as 
heavily armed as the military at the government 
checkpoints. 
 
6. (SBU) One additional sign of the complete control, 
which the LTTE exercises in the Vanni is that they 
register and issue license plates for the vehicles 
operating in their area.  Some drivers change the 
appropriate license plates on their trucks or busses 
between the government and LTTE checkpoints.  The LTTE 
license plates all began with the Tamil letter "thaana," 
which is often seen as signifying "Tamil Eelam."  Signs 
alongside the road also referred to Tamil Eelam.  One 
map went so far as to indicate that Tamil Eelam 
stretched from south of Puttalam on the west coast 
around to Yala National Park on the southeast coast and 
significant portions inland.  This map showed "Tamil 
Eelam" covering at least two-thirds of the coast and in 
excess of a third of Sri Lanka in general.  The martyrs' 
day posters, the Tamil Eelam maps, and the recruitment 
posters all point to an attachment to the notion of 
"Tamil Eelam." 
 
7. (U) The villages along the A-9 were colorful and 
lively.  The stores appeared full and people seemed 
busy.  Just off the main road and outside the village 
centers, however, the destruction wrought by previous 
military campaigns was visible.  Driving into the LTTE 
controlled territory the roadside became noticeably 
cleaner than in government-controlled areas.  NGO 
representatives in Jaffna commented positively on the 
government's easing of restrictions on transport of 
goods into LTTE areas.  Their comments seemed to be 
verified by the amount of basic consumer goods available 
in roadside stores.  The work of international 
organizations is also clearly seen along the A-9. UNHCR 
material, UNICEF mine awareness signs, and ICRC stations 
were all prominent in the Vanni. 
 
8. (SBU) COMMENT:  The most striking aspect of the 
journey was the ease with which Mission personnel were 
able to conduct the trip.  The government and the LTTE 
have worked out the difficulties they had in April and 
May re access to the A-9.  Government officials, NGOs, 
INGOs, and IOs working in the area reportedly have IDs 
that permit them to travel without taxation or undue 
hassle at the LTTE or military checkpoints.  In 
addition, there are provisions for diplomats to travel 
through the region.  Mission still has some concerns 
with the safety of the road and how any vehicle 
difficulties would be dealt with, but for now the A-9 
appears to be a viable option in travelling to Jaffna. 
(Note:  The RSO intends to travel the A-9 in the near 
future to review in detail security issues.)  END 
COMMENT. 
 
WILLS