US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO401

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000401 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, DRL; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  03-10-13 
TAGS: PGOV, PINS, PHUM, ASEC, CE, NO, JA, LTTE - Peace Process, Political Parties 
SUBJECT:  Opposition demonstration stirs concerns about 
possible communal attacks on Tamils 
 
Refs:  Colombo 387, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b, d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  There are concerns that Tamils may be 
subject to communal attacks on the margins of a 
demonstration by Opposition elements in Colombo today 
(March 10).  A letter from the president to the PM 
helped spark these concerns.  Mission has spoken to 
contacts and urged that Tamils be given full protection, 
and -- as of late afternoon March 10 -- we have not 
heard of any incidents.  A renewal of inter-ethnic 
violence would seriously undermine the peace process. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
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Opposition Demonstration 
------------------------ 
 
2.  (U) Key elements of the Opposition are holding a 
large demonstration in Colombo today (March 10).  The 
demonstration is being sponsored by the Sri Lanka 
Freedom Party (SLFP), the largest constituent element 
within the president's People's Alliance (PA) party, and 
the radical Janantha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party.  The 
small Sinhalese extremist Sihala Urumaya (SU) party is 
also participating in the rally. 
 
3.  (U) The demonstration has been called by the SLFP 
and the JVP to protest against cost of living increases 
and the GSL's peace initiative.  The SLFP and the JVP 
have made a comprehensive effort to turn out a large 
crowd, but it is not yet clear how many people plan to 
participate.  The number should be in the thousands 
based on the turnout of previous Opposition rallies held 
earlier this year.  Police are worried enough by the 
potential size of the crowd and the potential for 
trouble that some roads are being closed.  Parents are 
also bringing their children home from school early. 
 
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Concern about Possible Communal Attacks 
--------------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) There are concerns that Tamils may be subject to 
communal attacks on the margins of the demonstration. 
These concerns were largely sparked by a letter that 
President Kumaratunga sent to Prime Minister 
Wickremesinghe late March 7.  The letter related that 
the president had heard that pro-GSL elements were 
planning attacks on Tamils, and that there was a plan 
afoot to blame any such incidents on the demonstrators 
(and thus the Opposition).  The letter went on to urge 
that the PM look into the reports and put a stop to the 
alleged plans.  (Note:  The letter has not been 
released, but the press has reported on its contents and 
contacts have told us about it.) 
 
5.  (C) Although the president's letter asserts that 
GSL supporters would be the source of any problems, word 
on the street is that it is the demonstrators themselves 
that may try to attack Tamils.  It is not clear what the 
source of this "street" information is, but the 
president's letter seems to be the main source, along 
with other (unidentified) reports.  In any case, Tamils 
have told us they are very worried about the situation, 
especially in light of the past history of communal 
violence in Colombo.  (Note:  Colombo has a large Tamil 
minority, which has been the victim of communal attacks 
many times before.  Most notorious was the July 1983 
riot in which hundreds of Tamils were killed by 
rampaging Sinhalese mobs.  The intensification of the 
country's ethnic problems into large-scale armed 
conflict dates from this riot.) 
 
6.  (C) Commenting on the situation, Desmond Fernando, a 
well-known, well-connected human rights lawyer, told us 
that all the concern was merited.  The president's 
letter, he felt, seemed to insert a discordant communal 
note into the peace process debate.  He thought it was 
possible that members of her party might be planning to 
cause communal problems at the March 10 demonstration or 
later.  He said he had spoken with the PM, who had 
assured him that the government was taking all steps 
necessary to protect Tamils and their property. 
 
7.  (SBU) (((Note:  As of late afternoon March 10, 
Mission has heard no reports of anti-Tamil incidents. 
The demonstration seems to be large, but orderly, thus 
far.))) 
 
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Mission Presses Contacts 
------------------------ 
 
8.  (C) In response to the concerns, Mission has 
approached contacts in the government and the 
Opposition.  The Ambassador spoke with Milinda Moragoda, 
the Minister of Economic Reforms and a key adviser to 
the PM, and urged that the GSL take all steps necessary 
to protect Tamils and their property.  Moragoda replied 
that the GSL was doing this.  He noted that he did not 
believe that Tamils were in danger and was not worried 
about the situation.  Polchief also spoke to Harim 
Peiris, an assistant to President Kumaratunga.  Peiris 
said demonstrators had no plans to attack Tamils.  That 
said, he remarked that it was vital for the government 
to ensure that the demonstration was not interfered 
with.  If it was, there could be some problems between 
police and demonstrators.  Poloff also spoke to 
Norwegian Embassy contact Tomas Stangeland, who 
expressed concern about the reports, but said he had no 
further information. 
 
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COMMENT 
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9.  (C) Since the advent of the government's peace 
initiative in December 2001, we have not heard any 
serious rumblings of an anti-Tamil communal nature, 
which is why the latest reports are so striking.  Thus 
far, opponents of the GSL's peace initiative in the 
south have been very careful not to make their cause an 
anti-Tamil one.  That said, the rhetoric of those who 
are against the peace initiative is steadily 
intensifying.  Anura Bandaranaike, a senior PA MP and 
the president's brother, for example, was cited last 
week as stating that if the Opposition came to power it 
would seek an immediate "end" to the peace process. 
Certainly, a renewal of inter-ethnic violence would 
seriously undermine the peace process.  Whether there 
are some who want to play such a dangerous game for 
political gain is not yet clear, but needs continued 
monitoring -- especially given the latest reports and 
Sri Lanka's past record of communal violence.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
10.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
WILLS