This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 002101 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
S/CT FOR RHONDA SHORE AND ED SALAZAR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER ASEC KCRM EFIN KHLS KPAO CE LTTE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: 2005 COUNTRY REPORT ON TERRORISM 
 
REF: STATE 193439 
 
GENERAL ASSESSMENT 
----------------- 
 
¶1. (U) The Sri Lankan government strongly supports the Global 
War on Terror and continues to demonstrate an unwavering 
commitment to combating terrorism.  Sri Lanka has acceded to 
all international conventions that deal with combating 
terrorism, with the exception of the 1980 Nuclear Materials 
Convention and the 1988 Convention on Safety of Off-Shore 
Platforms.  The Convention on the Suppression of Terrorist 
Financing, Act 25 of 2005 was passed by Parliament in August 
¶2005.  This law gives effect to the U.N. International 
Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. 
 Sri Lanka is a member of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for 
Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) 
working group on Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime 
formed in July 2004. In her address before the U.N. General 
Assembly on September 17, former President Chandrika 
Kumaratunga urged greater progress in addressing the 
socio-economic  and cultural roots of terrorism. The Sri 
Lankan government has cooperated with U.S. efforts to track 
terrorist financing, although no assets have been identified 
in Sri Lanka to date.  The U.S. has worked with the 
government of Sri Lanka to provide training for relevant 
government agencies and the banking sector.  The Sri Lankan 
government did not extradite nor request the extradition of 
suspected terrorists during the year.  Sri Lankan police 
provided both investigative and protective assistance in 
response to Embassy requests.  There have been no cases of 
international terrorism in Sri Lanka during the year, and no 
U.S. citizens have been killed or injured in acts of 
terrorism in Sri Lanka during the reporting period.  A 
cease-fire agreed to in February 2002 between the Sri Lankan 
government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a 
Foreign Terrorist Organization, continued to hold despite 
numerous violations, including the August 12 assassination of 
Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar outside his Colombo 
residence by a suspected LTTE sniper team.  The Sri Lankan 
Army remains deployed across the country for counter 
insurgency purposes.  The paramilitary Special Task Force 
police (STF) are deployed in the east and at strategic 
locations in the west. 
 
¶2. (U) Numerous violations of the cease-fire agreement were 
committed, primarily by the LTTE, during the year. The LTTE 
conducted a campaign of targeted assassinations against 
political opponents, members of a dissident LTTE faction 
(known as the Karuna faction), and suspected Sri Lankan Army 
informants, killing at least 48 individuals during the year, 
as well as 49 members of the Sri Lankan security forces.  The 
dissident Karuna faction has conducted a campaign of targeted 
assassinations against the LTTE and pro-LTTE civilians in the 
east.  An estimated 27 LTTE members were killed during the 
year.  With civilian casualties, nearly 200 deaths attributed 
to cease-fire violations occurred during the year. 
 
SANCTUARY (SAFE HAVEN) ASSESSMENT 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) Sri Lanka has designated as terrorist organizations 
those groups listed under UN Security Council Resolutions 
1267 and 1333 and has prohibited transactions with them.  The 
government of Sri Lanka does not allow territory under its 
control to harbor international terrorists.  However, the 
LTTE controls approximately 20% of the island and may engage 
in such activities. 
 
¶4. (U) The police and the Directorate of Internal 
Intelligence have the authority to investigate terrorism, and 
the Attorney General has authority to prosecute terrorism 
cases.  There were no convictions and no new cases filed 
against suspected terrorists during the year, although 34 
cases filed during previous years remained pending at year's 
end.  The government enacted the Emergency Regulations 
following the August 12 murder of Sri Lankan Foreign Minister 
Kadirgamar. These regulations give the power of arrest to 
members of the Armed Forces who are required to turn suspects 
over to the police within 24 hours.  Individuals arrested 
under the Emergency Regulations may be detained for up to one 
year.  148 persons, most of whom have already been released, 
were detained under these regulations during the year. 
Provisions permitting longer periods of detention (up to 18 
months) under special anti-terrorist legislation have not 
been invoked since the signing of the cease-fire agreement. 
 
 
INFORMATION ON TERRORIST GROUPS 
------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) In 1983 the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) 
began an armed insurgency against the Government of Sri 
Lanka, combining guerrilla tactics, political assassinations, 
suicide bombings, child recruitment and conventional warfare. 
 An estimated 65,000 Sri Lankans have died in the insurgency 
since 1983.  In May 1991, former Indian premier Rajiv Gandhi 
was killed in India by an LTTE female suicide bomber.  In 
1997 the U.S. Government designated the LTTE a Foreign 
Terrorist Organization.  The LTTE signed a Cease-fire 
Agreement with the Government of Sri Lanka in February 2002. 
The cease-fire continues to hold, despite persistent 
violations. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Highly self-sufficient, the LTTE finances its 
struggle by (sometimes involuntary) contributions from the 
Tamil diaspora around the world, including North America, 
Europe and Australia, by imposing local "taxes" and operating 
businesses in the areas of Sri Lanka under its control. The 
local press has reported efforts in the UK and Australia to 
scrutinize fundraising by LTTE-affiliated groups.  Following 
the August 12 assassination of Foreign Minister Kadirgamar, 
the E.U. imposed a travel ban on the LTTE.  LTTE military 
training is self-taught, and weapons are either purchased on 
the international black market or captured from the Sri 
Lankan Army. There is no indication that the LTTE is trying 
to acquire WMDs.  Many LTTE innovations such as explosive 
belts, vests and bras, the use of female suicide bombers and 
waterborne suicide attacks against ships have been used by 
other terror groups.  The LTTE has not targeted U.S. citizens 
or assets, limiting attacks to Sri Lankan security forces, 
political figures, Sri Lankan civilians and Sri Lankan 
businesses.  However, in November 2005 suspected LTTE 
militants threw a grenade at a truck donated by the U.S. to a 
humanitarian demining program.  At the time, the truck was 
occupied by Sri Lankan soldiers, one of whom was killed in 
the attack. 
 
INFORMATION ON FOREIGN GOVERNMENT COOPERATION 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU)  The Sri Lankan government has cooperated with U.S. 
efforts to track terrorist financing.  The U.S. has worked 
with the government of Sri Lanka to provide training for 
relevant government agencies and the banking sector.  The Sri 
Lankan police provided both investigative and protective 
assistance in response to Embassy requests.  The Government 
of Sri Lanka is cooperating with the United States to 
implement both the Container Security Initiative and the 
Department of Energy's second line of defense "Megaports" 
programs at Colombo port.  These programs target containers 
bound for the United States to increase confidence in the 
safety of these containers and ensure that no illicit nuclear 
material is shipped via the port.  This cooperation would be 
strengthened by a serious U.S. government investigation of 
possible LTTE fundraising in the United States. 
 
POC 
--- 
¶8. (U) Evan Owen owene@state.gov  owenew@state.sgov.gov 
LUNSTEAD