US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO26

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000026 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT 
DEPARTMENT PLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC 
NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  01-07-14 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, MOPS, CE, Political Parties, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  PM suggests need to amend ceasefire with 
Tigers given President's control of Defense portfolio 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo 12, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead. 
Reasons 1.5 (b, d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  During a January 7 United National 
Party (UNP) meeting in Panduwasnuwara, roughly 70 miles 
north of Colombo, the Prime Minister gave a speech 
suggesting the need to amend the government's ceasefire 
agreement with the LTTE based on the President's control 
of the Defense Ministry.  Rumors in the local press 
earlier on January 7 exaggerated the intent of the PM's 
speech, suggesting the government would walk away from 
the ceasefire.  Several of the contacts that we spoke 
with on January 7 agreed that concerns over a GSL 
walkout of the ceasefire were based on misconstrued 
press reports.  The PM's comments on amending the 
ceasefire, a variant of his earlier theme of "let her 
take over the negotiations" are a clear sign of 
frustration.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) PM SUGGESTS AMENDING CEASEFIRE WITH TIGERS: 
During a January 7 UNP meeting in Panduwasnuwara, 
roughly 70 miles north of Colombo, Prime Minister 
Wickremesinghe gave a speech suggesting the need to 
amend the government's ceasefire agreement with the 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) based on 
President Kumaratunga's control of the Defense Ministry. 
(Note:  The defense portfolio has been under the 
President since she took control of the defense, 
interior, and mass communications ministries on November 
4.)  According to accounts of the speech, the Prime 
Minister claimed that the government's agreement with 
the LTTE was based on both sides being in control of its 
respective forces.  Without control of the Defense 
Ministry, the government could no longer take 
responsibility for the ceasefire or resume peace 
negotiations with the Tigers.  The PM stressed, however, 
that it was imperative for the government to remain 
committed to upholding the ceasefire agreement.  He 
reportedly called on the President to take 
responsibility for the ceasefire and the peace 
negotiations with the Tigers, if she intended to remain 
in control of the three ministries she took over. 
 
3.  (C) PRESS SPREADS RUMORS:  Rumors in the local press 
on January 7 exaggerated the intent of the Prime 
Minister's speech, planned for later in the day.  Local 
headlines suggested that the PM would announce the 
government's withdrawal from the ceasefire agreement 
with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).  It 
would appear that the PM's prepared speech was leaked to 
the press, with his planned remarks taken out of 
context.  Further media reports that the government had 
already informed the four co-chairs (Norway, Japan, US, 
and EU) of its intent to abrogate the ceasefire were 
also inaccurate:  Mission has had no such communication 
from the GSL.  (Note:  As for the Tigers, a late January 
7 report on the pro-LTTE website, "TamilNet" carried 
excerpts of the PM's speech, stating that "there was no 
immediate reaction from the Tigers.") 
 
4.  (C) CEASEFIRE CONCERNS OVERSTATED:  Several of the 
contacts that we spoke with on January 7 agreed that the 
concerns over a GSL walkout of the ceasefire were based 
largely on misconstrued press reports.  The Ambassador 
spoke to Minister Milinda Moragoda (just back from 
Washington, Oslo, and Brussels), a key GSL figure in the 
peace process, who stated unequivocally that there were 
no plans for the GSL to withdraw from the ceasefire 
accord and that the PM's comments on the matter had been 
blown wildly out of proportion in the press.  Tomas 
Stangeland, poloff at the Norwegian Embassy, told us 
that the GSL had not approached Norway, in its role as 
peace process facilitator, regarding any changes with 
the ceasefire agreement.  Stangeland said that the 
Norwegians had spoken with Minister G.L. Peiris, another 
key GSL peace process figure, who also confirmed that 
the government was not preparing to withdraw from the 
agreement with the Tigers.  Separately, contacts within 
the Sri Lankan military told us that there had been not 
operational change with respect to maintaining the 
ceasefire. 
 
5.  (C) COMMENT:  Shortly after the President took 
control of the three ministeries on November 4, the PM 
stated that if the President kept the ministries, she 
should take over the peace negotiations.  Today's 
statement is a variant on that theme.  Whatever effect 
it may have, it seems a clear indication that the PM is 
growing increasingly impatient with the current 
situation.  END COMMENT. 
 
6.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
LUNSTEAD