US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO830

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000830 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, SA/CT 
 
NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  05/19/13 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, CE, TH, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  Sri Lankan government requests assistance re 
reported arrest of LTTE personnel in Thailand 
 
Refs:  (A) SA/INS-Colombo 05/17/03 unclass e-mail 
 
-      (B) FBIS Reston Va DTG 131145Z May 03 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador E. Ashley Wills.  Reasons 
1.5 (b, d). 
 
1.  (C) Over the May 17-18 weekend, key Sri Lankan 
minister Milinda Moragoda spoke with Ambassador Wills 
several times re the May 12 arrest of three suspected 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) members in 
Thailand on weapons charges (see Para two for more 
details).  Minister Morogoda expressed concern about the 
situation, commenting that LTTE personnel had been 
mysteriously released from custody in Thailand in 
previous such cases.  Morogoda attributed this to the 
LTTE's bribing of Thai officials.  Morogoda stressed 
that the GSL wanted the suspects to remain in custody 
while the case is investigated and prosecuted.  Morogoda 
requested that the U.S. press the Thai government on 
this matter, urging it to cooperate fully with the GSL. 
 
2.  (C) Based on what Mission has heard from news 
reports and from contacts, the three suspected Tiger 
personnel were arrested on May 12 in a hotel in the town 
of Ranong, some 570 kilometers south of Bangkok.  The 
men were reportedly in possession of 13 semi-automatic 
pistols and nearly 50,000 rounds of ammunition.  The 
three were identified as Asseervathan Sathyapavan (35), 
Thevarajah Sasiharan (29), and Gunapala Sugiv (27).  The 
men reportedly admitted obtaining the weapons for the 
LTTE.  According to reports, the men were charged by 
Thai authorities with illegal possession of firearms and 
the carrying of firearms in public.  (Note:  In his 
conversation with Ambassador Wills on May 16, Minister 
Morogoda told the Ambassador that the GSL had 
information that notorious Tiger supply head K. 
Pathmanathan, a.k.a., "KP," was en route to Thailand, 
apparently with the intention of securing the release of 
the LTTE personnel through fair means or foul.) 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT:  Given Morogoda's deep concern, we 
suggest that Embassy Bangkok urge the Thai government to 
cooperate fully with the GSL on this matter.  (Note:  We 
have heard unconfirmed press reports that Sri Lankan 
government officials are already en route to Bangkok to 
discuss the case with the Thai government.)  END 
COMMENT. 
 
4.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
WILLS