‘LTTE suicide cadre sought asylum in US’

The US Embassy in Colombo had informed Washington in 2005 that they handed over an individual claiming to be an LTTE suicide bomber who came to the Embassy in Colombo and requested asylum, a WikiLeaks cable stated.

In a cable on November 5, 2005, the then US Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead stated that “On November 7, 2005 an individual claiming to be an LTTE suicide bomber came to the Embassy in Colombo and requested asylum. After an interview to determine that there was no threat or information involving U.S. facilities or personnel he was handed over to police custody. The embassy has concluded that no change to the Embassy security posture was necessary.”

The cable also stated that “RSO conducted the interview through an Embassy employee fluent in Tamil. The Subject identified himself as Jeevaratnam; DOB: August 25th 1983 Kattankuddy, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka; National Identity Card Number: 832383171V. Subject stated that he wanted to leave the LTTE and requested assistance going to the United States. Subject was accompanied by H.H.R. Chandana, National Identity Card No. 673500927 who is employed by the Sun Asian Travel Company.”

“The subject advised that he was an LTTE suicide cadre who been assigned to kill either Karuna Amman (breakaway LTTE Eastern Commander) or Douglas Devananda (leader of anti-LTTE Eelam People’s Democratic Party, EPDP). He advised that he had voluntarily joined the LTTE when he was fifteen after hearing recruitment speeches in his school in the Batticaloa district of Sri Lanka.

He stated that in 2003 he was accepted into the Black Tigers as a suicide cadre. After his acceptance he underwent training in the northern part of Sri Lanka. The training included a course which he identified as ‘brainwashing’ which took the form of a two hour class once a week over a six month period.”

“The subject reiterated several times that he was unaware of any threat to the U.S. Government or facilities. At the conclusion of this interview, the subject and companion were released into the custody of the Sri Lankan Police.”

“Shortly after subject was taken into custody an LTTE suicide vest was found in vicinity of the Prime Minister’s residence which is 100 meters from the Embassy. Multiple security force contacts have told us that the recovered LTTE suicide vest does not appear to be related to the Embassy walk-in although they continue to investigate. Security forces also noted that their initial questions indicates that he is a LTTE Black Tiger.”

“There has been brief mention of the walk-in in the local press. In response to press inquiries, we have limited our comments to confirmation that a walk-in was handed over to the police,” it added