Sri Lanka: Information on the situation in Colombo since the 31 January 1996 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) bombing of the Central Bank in Colombo

On 31 January 1996, a terrorist bombing attack on Colombo's Central Bank headquarters left over 80 people dead and 1400 wounded (AFP 3 Apr. 1996a; Tamil Information Jan.-Feb. 1996b, 5; Tamil Times 15 Feb. 1996a, 3). Immediately suspected, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) did not claim responsibility for the attack (ibid.; IPS 1 Feb. 1996; Reuters 31 Jan. 1996; Tamil Information Jan.-Feb. 1996b, 5), although Wasantaraja, "the media spy who has surfaced as a spokesman for the LTTE," openly admitted the LTTE's responsibility (Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation International Service 10 Feb. 1996). Two Tamil suspects were arrested almost immediately (Reuters 31 Jan. 1996; Sri Lanka Information Monitor Feb. 1996a, 7) and admitted to being LTTE Tigers (Tamil Times 15 Feb. 1996a, 4; Reuters 2 Feb. 1996). Police later called for public cooperation and issued "identikit" photographs of 11 or 12 Tigers believed to have infiltrated Colombo (Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation International Service 6 Mar. 1996; AFP 3 Apr. 1996a). Colombo's 1.5 kilometre-long sea front was declared a prohibited zone, and all domestic flights were banned for fear of hijacking attempts (ibid.). Furthermore, troops were deployed to Colombo to assist the police with security in the capital (Daily News 15 Feb. 1996; Sunday Observer 11 Feb. 1996). The government also decided to close all the schools on the island until further notice (Daily News 15 Feb. 1996) due to fears of LTTE retribution against students (Tamil Times 15 Feb. 1996d, 7; AFP 15 Feb. 1996).

Following the January 1996 bombing, Tamils were rounded up en masse in Colombo; according to Tamil MPs, over 2,000 Tamils were "arbitrarily arrested" after the bombing, and approximately 400 "are still held in appalling conditions at Welikada and Mahara prisons" (Tamil Information Jan.-Feb. 1996d, 1). Specific dates of the arrests were not provided by the source. On 2 February 1996, over 500 Tamils, including young women, from Wellawatte, Bambalapitiya, Kollupitya, Kirillepone, Narahenpita, Borella and Cinnamon Gardens in Colombo were arrested by police (ibid. Jan.-Feb. 1996c, 11). On 7 February 1996, approximately 400 people, including 100 women, were arrested during "mass cordon and search operations" carried out by the police and army in Colombo and its suburbs (Sri Lanka Information Monitor Feb. 1996a, 7). Human rights workers in the south reported that another 500 Tamils were arrested by Colombo's security forces during the last three days of February 1996 (Tamil Information Jan.-Feb. 1996d, 13). Although the Sri Lanka Information Monitor attachment states that "being unable to establish identity or place of residence in Colombo is a common cause for arrest and detention" (Feb. 1996a, 7), according to Tamil Information, even those able to produce identification cards and police registration certificates were taken to police stations (Jan.-Feb. 1996d, 13). The Sri Lanka Information Monitor article entitled "Situation of Tamils in the South" and the Tamil Information article called "Sri Lankan Army Massacres Tamil Civilians" report on some of the problems faced by Tamils in Colombo as a result of the heightening of security procedures. These two articles detail instances of arrest and rearrest, repeated search operations of Tamil lodges, numerous complaints of harassment and problems relating to identity documents.

According to three sources, on 19 February 1996 a number of Tamil prisoners at the Colombo Mahasin (or Magazine) prison in Borrella were physically attacked by prison guards (Tamil Eelam News WWW 20 Feb. 1996; Tamil Information Jan.-Feb. 1996a, 1; Sri Lanka Information Monitor Feb. 1996b, 8).

Since February 1996, Colombo's security forces have uncovered caches of weapons (Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation International Service 8 Mar. 1996) and bombs (ibid. 5 Mar. 1996; Daily News 10 Apr. 1996; ibid. 23 Mar. 1996; AFP 3 Apr. 1996b). Three hundred identity documents, 8 passports, and 200 "official seals of several police officers in charge of city police stations" were also found at the site of one of the weapons caches (Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation International Service 8 Mar. 1996; Reuters 8 Mar. 1996). Police feared this discovery could be a "forgery operation to help rebel infiltrators" (ibid.; Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation International Service 8 Mar. 1996). Weapons (Reuters 19 Feb. 1996; Tamil Times 15 Feb. 1996c, 6) and bombs were also discovered on the premises of Buddhist temples in Colombo (ibid. Feb. 1996b, 6; Sri Lanka Information Monitor Feb. 1996a, 7), resulting in a number of Buddhist monks being taken in for questioning (Reuters 19 Feb. 1996; Tamil Times 15 Feb. 1996c, 6).

According to the attached Daily News report of 23 March 1996, 15 LTTE suspects were detained in Colombo following a three-day combined cordon and search operation by police and security forces. Of the 50 people originally detained, most were released following questioning and 15 were "detained pending further investigations" (ibid.).

On 8 April 1996, parliament was informed that President Chandrika Kumaratunga had extended emergency rule throughout the country; it had previously been restricted to the north-eastern regions (AFP 8 Apr. 1996; Libération 9 Apr. 1996, 9). With a majority vote of 116 MPs to 80, parliament passed the motion to extend emergency rule (Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation International Service 10 Apr. 1996). The state of emergency gives "sweeping authority to police and the military to arrest and detain anti-government activists for prolonged periods without trial" (AFP 8 Apr. 1996; Libération 9 Apr. 1996, 9).

The attached situation reports sent from Colombo to International Alert (IA) in London, United Kingdom provide information on the situation of Tamils in general, and also in Colombo. For information on IA and its work in Sri Lanka, please consult Response to Information Request LKA23952.E of 22 April 1996, which is available at Regional Documentation Centres.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP) [Hong Kong, in English]. 8 April 1996. "Sri Lanka: President Extends Emergency Rule Throughout Country." (FBIS-NES-96-068 8 Apr. 1996, p. 70)

_____. 3 April 1996a. "Sri Lanka: Information Sought on 12 LTTE Bombers; Alert Issued." (FBIS-NES-96-065 3 Apr. 1996 pp. 67-68)

_____. 3 April 1996b. "Sri Lanka: Troops Find More Bombs in Colombo." (FBIS-NES-96-065 3 Apr. 1996, p. 68)

_____. 15 February 1996. "Sri Lanka Schools Shut Amid Fears of Tiger Strikes." (NEXIS)

Daily News [Colombo, in English]. 10 April 1996. "Sri Lanka: Official–'No Intention' of Delaying Local Body Elections." (FBIS-NES-96-071 11 Apr. 1996, p. 76)

_____. 23 March 1996. "Sri Lanka: Rebel Suspects Arrested in Security Operation in Colombo." [Received via Internet] (FBIS-NES-96-058 25 Mar. 1996, pp. 105-6)

_____. 15 February 1996. "Sri Lanka: Colombo Security Increased; Schools Closed." [via Internet] (FBIS-NES-96-032 15 Feb. 1996, p. 60)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 1 February 1996. Rita Sebastian. "Sri Lanka: War to Escalate, Talks on Back Burner." (NEXIS)

Libération [Paris]. 9 April 1996. No. 4630. "Etat d'urgence au Sri Lanka."

Reuters. 8 March 1996. BC Cycle. "Sri Lankan Police Strike at Rebels in Capital." (NEXIS)

_____. 19 February 1996. BC Cycle. Mohan Samarasinghe. "Sri Lanka Police Deny Bias in Battling Terrorism." (NEXIS)

_____. 2 February 1996. BC Cycle. "Sri Lankan Army Causes Panic in Colombo." (NEXIS)

_____. 31 January 1996. BC Cycle. Mohan Samarasinghe. "Suicide Bombers Wreak Havoc in Heart of Colombo." (NEXIS)

Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation International Service [Colombo, in English]. 10 April 1996. "Sri Lanka: Parliament Passes Motion on State of Emergency." (FBIS-NES-96-071 11 Apr. 1996, p. 76)

_____. 8 March 1996. "Sri Lanka: 'Biggest Ever' Arms Haul Made in Colombo." (FBIS-NES-96-047 8 Mar. 1996, p. 85)

_____. 6 March 1996. "Sri Lanka: Police Search for 11 Tamil Suicide Bombers in Colombo." (FBIS-NES-96-045 6 Mar. 1996, p. 95)

_____. 5 March 1996. "Sri Lanka: Police Discover Explosives Cache in Colombo." (FBIS-NES-96-045 6 Mar. 1996, p. 94)

_____. 10 February 1996. "Sri Lanka: LTTE Spokesman–Group Responsible for Bombing." (FBIS-NES-96-029 12 Feb. 1996, p. 72)

Sri Lanka Information Monitor: Situation Report [Colombo]. February 1996a. "Situation of Tamils in the South."

_____. February 1996b. "Prisons Clash."

Sunday Observer [Colombo, in English]. 11 February 1996. S. Selvakumar and Ramani Kangara Arachchi. "Sri Lanka: Army to Assume Responsibility for Colombo Security." (FBIS-NES-96-029 12 Feb. 1996, p. 72)

Tamil Eelam News WWW [in Tamil]. 20 February 1996. "Sri Lanka: LTTE Report Details Military Atrocities." [via Internet] (FBIS-NES-96-040 28 Feb. 1996, pp. 55-56)

Tamil Information [London]. January-February 1996a. Nos. 54-55. "Sri Lankan Army Massacres Tamil Civilians: UNHCR Says Human Rights Situation Has Improved."

_____. January-February 1996b. Nos. 54-55. "January 31: Security Breach."

_____. January-February 1996c. Nos. 54-55. "February 2: Arrests in the Night."

_____. January-February 1996d. Nos. 54-55. "February 29: Arbitrary Arrests."

Tamil Times [London]. 15 February 1996a. Vol. 15, No. 2. "The Bomb that Rocked Colombo."

_____. 15 February 1996b. Vol. 15, No. 2. "Truck Bomb Found."

_____. 15 February 1996c. Vol. 15, No. 2. "Weapons Find in Temple."

_____. 15 February 1996d. Vol. 15, No. 2. "Schools Closed."

Attachments

Agence France Presse (AFP) [Hong Kong, in English]. 3 April 1996. "Sri Lanka: Information Sought on 12 LTTE Bombers; Alert Issued." (FBIS-NES-96-065 3 Apr. 1996 pp. 67-68)

_____. 3 April 1996. "Sri Lanka: Troops Find More Bombs in Colombo." (FBIS-NES-96-065 3 Apr. 1996, p. 68)

Daily News [Colombo, in English]. 23 March 1996. "Sri Lanka: Rebel Suspects Arrested in Security Operation in Colombo." [Received via Internet] (FBIS-NES-96-058 25 Mar. 1996, pp. 105-6)

International Alert (IA), London, United Kingdom. 12 April 1996. Articles sent to the DIRB describing the situation of Tamils in Sri Lanka in general, and also in Colombo, pp. 1-16.

Reuters. 8 March 1996. BC Cycle. "Sri Lankan Police Strike at Rebels in Capital." (NEXIS)

_____. 19 February 1996. BC Cycle. Mohan Samarasinghe. "Sri Lanka Police Deny Bias in Battling Terrorism." (NEXIS)

Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation International Service [Colombo, in English]. 8 March 1996. "Sri Lanka: 'Biggest Ever' Arms Haul Made in Colombo." (FBIS-NES-96-047 8 Mar. 1996, p. 85)

Sri Lanka Information Monitor: Situation Report [Colombo]. February 1996. "Situation of Tamils in the South," pp. 7-8.

_____. February 1996. "Prisons Clash," p. 8.

Tamil Eelam News WWW [in Tamil]. 20 February 1996. "Sri Lanka: LTTE Report Details Military Atrocities." [via Internet] (FBIS-NES-96-040 28 Feb. 1996, pp. 55-56)

Tamil Information [London]. January-February 1996. Nos. 54-55. "Sri Lankan Army Massacres Tamil Civilians: UNHCR Says Human Rights Situation Has Improved," pp. 1-3.

_____. January-February 1996. Nos. 54-55. "February 2: Arrests in the Night," p. 12.

_____. January-February 1996. "February 29: Arbitrary Arrests," p. 13.

Tamil Times [London]. 15 February 1996. Vol. 15, No. 2. "The Bomb that Rocked Colombo," pp. 3-5

_____. 15 February 1996. Vol. 15, No. 2. "Truck Bomb Found," p. 6.

_____. 15 February 1996. Vol. 15, No. 2. "Weapons Find in Temple," p. 6.

_____. 15 February 1996. Vol. 15, No. 2. "Schools Closed," p. 7.