US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1565

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001565 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR D, SA, SA/INS, S/CT, EAP/J, EUR/NB 
NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  09-09-13 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, EAID, CE, JA, NO, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  Latest plans for Tokyo conference follow-up 
meeting on September 12 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo 1546, and previous 
 
-      (B) Colombo-SA/INS 09/03/03 fax 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead. 
Reasons 1.5 (b, d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  Ambassador Lunstead recently 
participated in planning sessions for the Tokyo follow- 
up meeting to be held in Colombo on September 12.  The 
format and agenda of the upcoming meeting were 
discussed, as were the modalities and the substance of 
"press guidelines" that would be used by Special Envoy 
Akashi pending Tokyo's agreement.  Meeting plans now 
seem concentrated on avoiding any controversial or new 
issues.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Planning for September 12 Meeting 
--------------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) The Ambassador recently participated in two 
planning sessions for the follow-up meeting to the June 
Tokyo conference to be held in Colombo on September 12. 
The first session, which involved representatives of 
donor countries, was held on September 5.  The second 
session, which involved representatives of the four co- 
chairs (the U.S. Japan, Norway, and the EU), was held on 
September 7.  Japanese Ambassador Seiichiro Otsuka 
hosted both of the meetings.  The following review is a 
composite sketch of where planning for the meeting now 
stands. 
 
---------------------------- 
Format/Agenda of the Meeting 
---------------------------- 
 
3.  (C) Otsuka shared Tokyo's suggestions for the 
September 12 meeting, under which visiting Japanese 
Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi would kick off the meeting 
by making opening remarks.  Donors and others 
participating in the meeting would then make comments 
per the following three agenda items: 
 
- i) Progress of the peace process since the Tokyo 
conference.  Featured speakers for this item would be 
the Norwegian facilitators and Sri Lankan government 
representatives.  (Note:  The Liberation Tigers of Tamil 
Eelam, "LTTE," had been invited to attend the 
September 12 meeting, but Otsuka confirmed that the 
group has turned down the invitation.) 
 
- ii) Review of implementation of assistance by the 
donor community, as well as inter-linkage between the 
peace process and assistance by the donor community. 
 
- iii) Follow-up mechanisms for the Tokyo conference. 
 
These agenda items basically contain the same points, in 
slightly different form, to those drafted by the GoJ and 
sent to SA/INS in Ref B. 
 
----------------------------- 
Elements of a Press Statement 
----------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) At the second planning session on September 7, 
the co-chairs turned to the issue of the modalities and 
substance of "press guidelines" announcing the results 
of the September 12 meeting.  Ambassador Otsuka noted 
that he had checked and Tokyo had confirmed that it was 
fine for Special Envoy Akashi to speak to the press 
immediately after the September 12 meeting.  (Note:  Per 
Ref A, the GoJ had originally wanted Akashi to discuss 
the outcome of the September 12 meeting only when he had 
held his press conference on September 14 after meeting 
with Tiger officials.  We and the other donors, however, 
felt that the press event should come right after the 
September 12 event.  FYI:  Otsuka noted that the Tigers 
have not yet confirmed they will in fact meet with 
Akashi.)  It was agreed that Akashi would not field any 
questions from the press after announcing the 
guidelines.  Per the advice of the other co-chairs, 
Otsuka also agreed to ask Tokyo whether the press 
guidelines could be issued in written form. 
 
5.  (C) In terms of the substance of the press 
guidelines, Otsuka agreed to discuss possible elements 
with the co-chairs, although Tokyo had wanted Akashi to 
announce the guidelines on his own (i.e., substance not 
agreed to in advance by the co-chairs or other donors). 
After some review, the co-chairs came up with the 
following four elements, which Otsuka said he would 
review with Tokyo: 
 
- i) The statement would reaffirm the Tokyo Declaration 
and urge resumption of the peace talks. 
 
- ii) It would also reaffirm Para 18 of the Tokyo 
Declaration regarding the linkage of assistance and the 
status of the peace process. 
 
- iii) It would mention that meeting participants had 
reviewed the status of the peace process since the June 
Tokyo conference, and would urge the parties to respect 
the terms of the February 2002 ceasefire accord, 
including by accepting Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission 
(SLMM) rulings. 
 
- iv) It would also note that participants had agreed to 
the following "follow-up mechanisms":  a Consultative 
Group (CG) meeting would take place "around" June 2004 
in Colombo coupled with a "monitoring and review" 
meeting, and a possible mid-term review meeting would 
take place in the January/February 2004 timeframe. 
 
--------------------------- 
Mission Remarks re Elements 
--------------------------- 
 
6.  (C) The Ambassador met with members of the Country 
Team to review the proposed elements on September 8. 
When examining the elements, some in the Country Team 
were worried that the fourth element, as now drafted, 
might give dates that were too definite for the CG and 
the other meetings, especially if the peace process 
continued to face problems.  After some discussion, 
Mission came to the conclusion that it might be better 
to talk of a CG meeting "not earlier than June 2004." 
Holding a CG meeting presumes that there is significant 
assistance underway which in turn presumes that there is 
progress on the peace front.  By phrasing it as "no 
earlier than," donors would have the option of holding 
it later if progress is slow.  The Ambassador also spoke 
to British High Commissioner Stephen Evans on 
September 8, who was basically fine with the four 
elements, save to make the point that the fourth element 
could usefully state that "meetings will also be held at 
different times and at different levels." 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
7.  (C) Otsuka told the Ambassador that the press 
guidelines (and by implication, the meeting) needed to 
be substantive but innocuous enough not to elicit a 
strongly negative reaction before Akashi's planned visit 
on Sunday to the Vanni.  So far it is shaping up that 
way, as the proposed guidelines are basically a re- 
affirmation of Tokyo (and Oslo).  At any rate, there's 
no possibility that the twenty-plus participants could 
settle in a three-hour meeting any of the outstanding 
controversial issues, such as what the close linkage 
between assistance and the peace process (para 18 of the 
Tokyo Declaration) really means.  Otsuka also noted to 
us that Special Envoy Akashi plans to call Norwegian 
Deputy Foreign Minister Helgesen on September 9.  We 
think this is a positive gesture, indicating that the 
GoJ wants to clear the air with the Norwegians about any 
entangling of roles before Helgesen starts his visit to 
Sri Lanka early next week.  END COMMENT. 
 
8.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
LUNSTEAD