IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author): “Information on bomb explosions at hotels in Colombo during April 1994, particularly on the number, location, dates, resultant damage and fatalities caused by the explosions, on whether any person or group has claimed responsibility for these bombings, on whether such events were reported in the newspaper Diwaina (Island), and on Janatha Vimukthi Paramuna (JVP) activities during this period [LKA17251.E]”, Document #1291552

Information on bomb explosions at hotels in Colombo during April 1994, particularly on the number, location, dates, resultant damage and fatalities caused by the explosions, on whether any person or group has claimed responsibility for these bombings, on whether such events were reported in the newspaper Diwaina (Island), and on Janatha Vimukthi Paramuna (JVP) activities during this period [LKA17251.E]

On 8 April 1994, four bombs exploded in separate parts of Colombo. The first explosion was at Mount Lavinia Beach, just outside Colombo at 8:30 p.m. (IPS 9 Apr. 1994). The bomb exploded prematurely on the beach outside the Mount Lavinia Hotel (ibid.; AFP 9 Apr. 1994). The other three explosions occurred simultaneously at three other hotels, the five-star Marriot, the Taj Samudra and the smaller Hotel Sapphire (AFP 11 Apr. 1994; IPS 9 Apr. 1994; Reuters 12 Apr. 1994). In these three hotels, the explosives were planted in the men's rooms (IPS 9 Apr. 1994). A fith bomb exploded the following day at the zoo at Dehiwela (Reuters 12 Apr. 1994; ibid. 10 Apr. 1994).

These bomb explosions killed a man, whom the police identified as a bomb carrier, injured several people and caused minor damage to the hotels, except for the Hotel Sapphire which reported extensive damage (AFP 11 Apr. 1994; AP 19 Apr. 1994; BBC 18 Apr. 1994; The Guardian 11 Apr. 1994). No foreigners were hurt in the blasts (AFP 9 Apr. 1994; Reuters 18 Apr. 1994).

The Ellalan Force, a Tamil group, claimed responsibility for these explosions (AP 19 Apr. 1994; BBC 18 Apr. 1994). Described as a separatist group, the Ellalan Force was unknown to police prior to these bombings (AP 19 Apr. 1994; Reuters 18 Apr. 1994). The group claims the explosions were aimed at driving out foreign investors and tourists from Sri Lanka and stated that it will attack foreigners again (AFP 9 Apr. 1994; AP 19 Apr. 1994; BBC 18 Apr. 1994; Reuters 18 Apr. 1994). The group accused foreign countries of supplying arms and money, in the form of investments in tourism, to Sri Lanka to crush the Tamil rebellion (BBC 18 Apr. 1994; Reuters 18 Apr. 1994). A source reports that the same Tamil group also claimed responsibility for a bomb blast in a passenger bus near Anuradhapura on 19 January 1994 (BBC 18 Apr. 1994).

However, the government suspected the attacks were carried out by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) (AFP 11 Apr. 1994; The Guardian 11 Apr. 1994; Reuters 18 Apr. 1994). According to the government, the LTTE used the alias "Ellalan Force" as a cover to avoid upsetting western countries where they have offices and raise funds (Reuters 18 Apr. 1994). A source reported that that Sri Lankan government was seeking assistance from Canadian authorities to get more information on the bomb carrier who was killed while transporting the device (Xinhua 23 Apr. 1994). The Sri Lanka government claimed that the bomb carrier had been an active member of the LTTE since 1989, and had arrived in Sri Lanka from Canada sometime prior to the bombings (ibid.). The LTTE has denied responsibility for the bombings (Reuters 18 Apr. 1994).

Following these explosions, the local press reports that Sri Lankan police arrested 200 to 500 Tamil men and women for questioning (AFP 11 Apr. 1994; Xinhua 11 Apr. 1994). About 25 people were detained in the suburb of Wellawatte, where one of the bombs damaged a hotel (Reuters 10 Apr. 1994). The others were rounded up elsewhere in the city (ibid.). According to official sources, those arrested had failed to give satisfactory reasons for their presence in the city, and would be released if found to be unconnected to the LTTE (Xinhua 11 Apr. 1994). Of those arrested, five are believed to be close associates of the bomb carrier who was killed on his way to the targeted hotel (ibid.).

Information on whether the explosions were reported by the newspaper Diwaina (Island) could not be found among the sources currently available to the DIRB in Ottawa.

For information on the activities of the Janatha Vimukthi Paramuna (JVP), please refer to the Xinhua report of 4 February 1994. Additional information could not be found by the DIRB in Ottawa.

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). 11 April 1994. "Police Round Up 350 Tamils After Colombo Blasts." (NEXIS)

. 9 April 1994. "Tamil Guerrillas Suspected of Hotel Bomb Attacks." (NEXIS)

The Associated Press (AP). 19 April 1994. "Western Embassies Advise Tourists of Terrorist Threat." (NEXIS)

BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 18 April 1994. "Tamil Group Claims Bombings, Warns Foreigners Are Future Targets." (NEXIS)

The Guardian [London]. 11 April 1994. Amal Jayasinghe. "Attacks on Tourist Trade Mark Change in Tamil Tiger Tactics." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 9 April 1994. "Sri Lanka: Security Tightened, Bombs Go Off in Colombo." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 18 April 1994. Rohan Gunasekera. "Sri Lankan Hotels Bosst Security After Attacks." (NEXIS)

. 12 April 1994. BC Cycle. Prithi Kodagoda. "Sri Lankan Blasts Little Affects Tourism Official." (NEXIS)

. 10 April 1994. BC Cycle. Rohan Gunasekera. "Tamils Detained After Bombs Rock Sri Lankan Capital." (NEXIS)

The Xinhua General Overseas News Service. 23 April 1994. "Sri Lanka to Seek Canadian Assistance in Probing Blasts." (NEXIS)

. 11 April 1994. "500 Tamils Rounded Up in Sri Lankan Capital." (NEXIS)

Attachments

Agence France Presse (AFP). 11 April 1994. "Police Round Up 350 Tamils After Colombo Blasts." (NEXIS)

. 9 April 1994. "Tamil Guerrillas Suspected of Hotel Bomb Attacks." (NEXIS)

The Associated Press (AP). 19 April 1994. "Western Embassies Advise Tourists of Terrorist Threat." (NEXIS)

. 11 April 1994. Dexter Cruez. "Unknown Group Claims Responsibility for Colombo Explosions." (NEXIS)