US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1831

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001831 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT, SA/PD; NSC FOR 
E. MILLARD 
 
PLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC 
 
E.O. 12958:   DECL: 10-22-13 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, PGOV, PINS, KPAO, CE, NO, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  Norwegian envoy briefs donors on status of the 
LTTE's counterproposals and possible resumption of talks 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo 1827, and previous 
-      (B) Oslo 2153 (Notal) 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead. 
Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  Ambassador Lunstead attended a meeting 
of major bilateral donors to Sri Lanka on October 21. 
Norwegian Ambassador Brattskar briefed the group on the 
status of the Tiger's counterproposals developed in 
response to the GSL's north/east interim setup proposal. 
Brattskar commented that Sri Lanka's political calendar 
in the south could make a near-term return to talks a 
bit problematic.  Brattskar's comments were generally 
positive in theme, indicating that the effort to 
reinvigorate the peace process was steadily moving 
ahead.  Para Seven contains the text of a proposed 
Mission statement to be made public once the Tigers 
announce their counterproposals.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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Norwegian Envoy Briefs Donors 
----------------------------- 
 
2.  (C) Ambassador Lunstead attended a meeting of major 
bilateral donors to Sri Lanka on October 21.  Briefing 
the group, Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar said he 
had met with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) 
political chief S.P. Thamilchelvam upon the latter's 
return to Sri Lanka from Europe earlier this week (see 
Reftels).  Based on understandings reached at this 
meeting, Brattskar said he would travel to the LTTE- 
controlled town of Kilinochchi in the north on 
October 31 to receive the LTTE's counterproposals 
developed in response to the GSL's north/east interim 
administration proposal made in July.  After receiving 
the LTTE document, Brattskar said he would return to 
Colombo and provide it to the Sri Lankan government. 
Interestingly, the Tigers had wanted to provide their 
response earlier, but Brattskar had to tell them that he 
understood that most key GSL officials would be out of 
Colombo at an event in the deep south early next week 
and would not be in position to receive it before 
October 31.  Brattskar confirmed reports that the LTTE 
planned to hold a press conference to describe its 
counterproposals in Kilinochchi on November 1.  The 
group also plans to post its response on the pro-LTTE 
website "TamilNet." 
 
3.  (C) Regarding the substance of the LTTE's 
counterproposals, Brattskar said the group seemed to 
expect a favorable reaction from the international 
community to its document.  The Ambassador asked whether 
the group understood that simply providing a nicely 
worded document was not enough, there had to be changes 
in its behavior, e.g., an end to the assassinations of 
Tamils, harassment of Muslims, etc.  Brattskar confided 
that he did not know if they understood that point, but 
the GoN consistently urged the group to change its 
behavior. 
 
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Problems in Scheduling Talks 
---------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) Turning to a possible resumption of GSL-LTTE 
talks, Brattskar said the Tigers had made clear to him 
that they were willing to return to the negotiations, 
which they pulled out of in April.  There were practical 
difficulties in scheduling a full round of talks, 
however.  With the annual budget debate in Parliament 
coming up and indications that the opposition planned to 
press the GSL at every opportunity in coming weeks, the 
government was going to have its hands full in November- 
December.  In light of that, it might be hard to 
schedule a full round of talks in that timeframe. 
Brattskar added that a shorter round of talks lasting 
perhaps 2-3 days and focusing more on procedural issues 
might be possible. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
5.  (C) Brattskar's comments largely tracked with those 
that Norwegian Special Envoy Erik Solheim made to 
Embassy Oslo in Ref B.  Like Solheim, Brattskar seemed 
generally positive about the current situation, 
indicating that the effort to reinvigorate the peace 
process was steadily moving ahead.  He seemed convinced 
that the Tigers were fully committed to returning to 
negotiations and, based on the group's recent public 
remarks, that does appear to be the case.  That said, 
the apparent difficulty in scheduling talks due to the 
presentation of the budget and the expected cohabitation 
jousting flowing from that event is potentially a new 
fly in the ointment.  While the situation in the south 
will be politically combative, however, we do not think 
it will so fully absorb the GSL's attention that 
substantive talks would have to be delayed for too long. 
END COMMENT. 
 
------------------------- 
Suggested Press Statement 
------------------------- 
 
6.  (SBU) During the meeting, Ambassador was told that 
the EU's local mission plans to issue a statement once 
the Tigers' counterproposals are made public.  The EU 
said its statement would be short and generic, and would 
not comment directly on the content of the 
counterproposals. 
 
7.  (SBU) We also think it would be appropriate for 
Mission to issue a short press statement after the 
LTTE's counterproposals are out.  As with the EU 
mission's statement, we do not propose commenting on the 
details of the LTTE's document.  Our statement would be 
along the following general lines: 
 
BEGIN TEXT: 
 
"The LTTE's delivery of counterproposals made in 
response to the Sri Lankan government's interim 
administration proposal for the North and East is a 
constructive step.  We urge that both parties build on 
this step by resuming negotiations in a timely manner. 
With a constructive approach and willingness to 
compromise, we continue to believe that a negotiated 
solution to the conflict is possible.  We salute the 
Norwegian government for its ongoing facilitation 
effort." 
 
END TEXT. 
 
8.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
LUNSTEAD