From: <a href="http://www.aftenposten.no/spesial/wikileaksdokumenter/article3954342.ece">Aftenposten</a>

<pre>
6/16/2003
10:46
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001053
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT; NSC FOR E. MILLARD
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL E.O. 12958:
DECL: 06-16-13
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, MOPS, PHUM, CE, JA, NO, LTTE - Peace Process
SUBJECT: Tensions notch up over sinking of Tamil Tiger
ship and latest slaying of a Tiger opponent
Refs: (A) Colombo-SA/INS 06/14/03 telecon
- (B) Colombo 1034, and previous
(U) Classified by Ambassador E. Ashley Wills. Reasons: 1.5 (b,d).

1. (C)
SUMMARY: Two violent incidents on June 14 have sparked an
increase in tension between the Tigers and the GSL. In the
first, a Tiger ship exploded off the northeast coast after
being intercepted by the navy. It is unclear whether the crew
detonated the ship or whether it was destroyed by GSL
gunfire. In the other incident, a high-level opponent of the
Tigers was assassinated in Jaffna. The Tigers, in
semi-threatening tones, have complained about the sea incident
and denied involvement in the Jaffna slaying. The latest
incidents have placed added strain on the peace process. END
SUMMARY.

=====================
Sinking of Tiger Ship
=====================

2. (SBU)
Two violent incidents on Saturday, June 14, have sparked an
increase in tension between the Tigers and the Sri Lankan
government. In the first incident, according to the Sri Lanka
Navy (SLN), its vessels intercepted two ships belonging to the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) approximately 110
nautical miles off the northeast coast in the Bay of Bengal
early morning June 14. (Note: Some SLN sources have stated
that the incident took place closer to 175 miles off shore;
the LTTE has claimed it took place over 260 miles off shore --
see below.) Based on what the SLN has said, the two LTTE ships
refused to return to port under escort and began to fire at
the SLN ships. In response, the SLN, which had only fired some
warning shots, commenced firing at the ships, and, suddenly,
one of them exploded and subsequently sank. The other LTTE
ship escaped and has not been re-intercepted as of late June
16. (Note: There are unconfirmed reports in the Sri Lankan
press that the Indian military is providing the GSL
intelligence and other assistance in locating the ship that
escaped.) Judging by the secondary explosions on the boat that
sank, the SLN believes that the LTTE ship was an arms resupply
vessel. According to press reports, up to 12 cadre were on the
vessel that sank. They are all presumed dead (though the LTTE
has stated that the crew was abducted by the navy -- see
below).

3. (SBU)
There is some confusion over the SLNīs version of events,
primarily over how the LTTE ship was sunk.  The presidentīs
office, for example, announced that the LTTE ship sank due to
SLN firing, and had not self-detonated as the navy has been
claiming. The government has not yet worked out this
discrepancy. (Note: For its part, the LTTE has asserted that
the navy sank its ship -- see below. There have been previous
incidents when LTTE sea cadre self-detonated their vessels
after being intercepted by the SLN, killing themselves in the
process. In the most recent sea incident, which took place in
March, however, a LTTE vessel was sunk off the northeast coast
by SLN gunnery, with the loss of its 11-member LTTE crew. For
additional details on the June 14 sea incident, please see
DATT Septel.)

==========================
LTTE complains to Monitors
==========================

4. (SBU) 
The LTTE has bitterly complained to the monitors over the June
14 sea incident. In a somewhat confusing letter to the
Norwegian-run Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Tiger
political chief S.P.  Thamilchelvam asserted that the SLN had
destroyed the ship (which he said was an "oil tanker"),
although it was acting peaceably and following all the SLNīs
orders.  (Note: The letter was posted on "TamilNet," a
pro-LTTE website, on June 15.) Thamilchelvam also claimed that
the LTTEīs ship had been intercepted in "international waters"
over 260 nautical miles off the northeast coast (as opposed to
the 110 or 175 miles variously claimed by the SLN). Wrapping
up, Thamilchelvam asked for the SLMM to look into the matter,
stating (menacingly): "We hold the SLN fully responsible for
the unlawful destruction of our vessel and criminal abduction
of our cadre...We are afraid that the SLN is working hard on a
sabotage course of the entire peace process. We wish to advise
you that the SLN will have to bear responsibility for any dire
consequences that may arise as a result of their
action. Please favor us with an early report, taking into
consideration the seriousness of the incident and our concern
for the lives of our cadres."  (Note: The navy has denied the
accusation made above by Thamilchelvam that it has detained
the LTTE personnel on board the ship that sank.)

5. (C)
The SLMM has confirmed that it is looking into the
matter. Agnes Bragadottir, the SLMM spokeswoman, told us that
her organization was in touch with both the Tigers and the GSL
over the incident.  She allowed that rough seas off the
northeast coast were helping retard efforts by SLMM sea
monitors to investigate what transpired, but said the SLMM
would keep trying.  Bragadottir said it was not clear how many
LTTE crew members were on board the ship (she thought there
were about 12), but the SLMM was using its good offices to
account for them. (Note: Bragadottir confirmed that the SLMM
had also been in touch with the Tigers on Friday, June 13,
over the case of two police officers being held by the Tigers
in the east -- see Reftels.)

=======================
Assassination in Jaffna
=======================

6. (SBU)
In the other violent incident taking place on June 14, a
high-level Tamil opponent of the Tigers was assassinated in
Jaffna town. From what Mission understands, Kandiah Subathiran
(FYI: Confusingly, Subathiran went by several names with
various spellings), a high-ranking official in the anti-LTTE
Eelam Peopleīs Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), was
shot and killed while exercising on the roof of his
house/office early June 14. The sniper, who escaped, is
believed to have been some distance away, perhaps hiding in a
nearby school, when he fired the shots.  Subathiranīs killing
brings the number of anti-LTTE Tamils who have been killed in
the past several months to almost 30 (See Ref B). (Note:
Mission personnel had met Subathiran on several occasions, but
he was not a close contact. Subathiran was a former elected
official, serving on Jaffnaīs local council).

7. (C)
Via the generally pro-LTTE elements of the Tamil National
Alliance political grouping, the Tamil Tigers have denied any
involvement in the June 14 killing.  This fits into the
pattern of previous killings of anti- LTTE Tamil opponents,
all of which the Tigers have denied they were responsible for
(see Reftels).  (Note: In addition to the June 14 Jaffna
killing, another Tamil was gunned down on June 15, this time
in the Batticaloa area of the east. The victim is believed to
have defected from the LTTE several years ago.)

=======
COMMENT
=======

8. (C)
The peace track has already been under considerable strain due
to the Tigersī refusal to come back to the face-to-face talks
right away, as well as their failure to show up at the Tokyo
donors conference (see Ref B). These latest incidents have
only served to increase the strain in two major ways. First,
in regard to the latest sea incident (such confrontations have
been a recurring problem for the ceasefire), it is apparent
that the LTTE is very angry over what happened and it is
reacting in a semi-threatening manner.  Second, the
assassination in Jaffna -- which was almost certainly
perpetrated by the LTTE -- was brazen to say the least and
leads to more questions about the Tigersī intentions.  At this
time, the governmentīs reaction to this new load of problems
is unclear. Trying to point things back in the right direction
after the highly successful Tokyo conference is clearly
proving a challenge, however. (Note: In June 16 comments to
the press, G.L. Peiris, a key minister, said the government
was putting together new proposals for the LTTEīs review
regarding the formation of an interim structure to run the
north/east.) END COMMENT.

9. (U) Minimize considered.

WILLS 
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