US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO722

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000722 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
PLEASE PASS TOPEC 
 
E.O. 12958:    DECL:  05-05-14 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, CE, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  Norwegian envoy cautiously optimistic that 
GSL-LTTE peace talks on track to resume 
 
Refs:  Colombo 714, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead. 
Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  The Norwegian delegation found both 
the Government and the Tigers ready to resume peace 
negotiations.  Much preparatory work is needed before 
negotiations start, and the Norwegians will be heavily 
engaged in this process.  The President says she knows 
how to handle the JVP.  She wants North and East 
reconstruction to speed up.  The Norwegians are taking a 
practical, step-by-step approach.  The June 1 Co-Chairs 
meeting can reinforce these positive trends as can A/S 
Rocca's visit here next week and the Secretary's may 12 
meeting with FM Kadirgamar.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) Norwegian Special Envoy Eric Solheim briefed 
major donor Chiefs of Mission May 4 on the results of 
consultations the Norwegians were holding in Sri Lanka 
from May 1-4.  Solheim and Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar 
Helgesen met with President Kumaratunga on May 1. 
Helgesen departed Sri Lanka that evening, and on May 2 
Solheim traveled to Kilinochchi to meet with the 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE's) political 
leader S.P. Thamilchelvam.  Solheim had also met with 
Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka Muslim 
Congress leader Rauf Hakeem, Indian High Commissioner 
Nirupam Sen, and before departing would meet with Tamil 
National Alliance parliamentarians and with Opposition 
Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. 
 
Ready to Re-engage 
------------------ 
 
3.  (C) Solheim said that overall they had positive 
results.  Both the Tigers and the Government appeared 
ready to re-engage in the peace negotiations on a 
constructive basis.  The four-hour meeting with 
Kumaratunga had been "very constructive."  She was 
focused and interested in finding ways to accommodate 
the LTTE so that talks could resume.  The LTTE, Solheim 
said, was "broadly receptive to the message from the 
President," and was "eager to resume talks."  The Tigers 
stressed they would continue the talks in the same 
spirit in which they had been conducted with the 
previous government, and based on what had been already 
achieved.  Both sides said they would respect the Cease- 
Fire Agreement (CFA). 
 
4.  (C) Solheim said that it was Norway's view that it 
was important to keep expectations down.  "The parties 
are on the way back to the table, but not immediately." 
More preparatory work is needed, and there would be more 
visits from Norway.  Many issues needed to be clarified: 
venue, composition of teams, how to handle the press, 
etc.  Solheim was emphatic that the talks could not 
resume in May.  He also noted that before talks resumed 
the LTTE intended to call back for further consultations 
the expatriate experts who had helped the Tigers devise 
their Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) plan.  The 
interim authority issue would be the main subject for 
talks, and there was no easy solution for this.  In 
addition, the two sides would have to take some time to 
build personal confidence with each other. 
 
5.  (C) When asked how the President could conduct 
negotiations when she headed a minority government 
itself severely divided on the issue, Solheim said both 
Kumaratunga and Kadirgamar said they knew how to handle 
the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).  The President will 
take absolute charge and call all the shots.  According 
to the Japanese Ambassador, Kumaratunga had talked of 
forming a National Peace Council and inviting Opposition 
Leader Wickremesinghe to participate, but doubted he 
would do so.  Solheim clarified that the President 
wanted wider consultations on peace, but intended for 
the negotiating team to be a government delegation only. 
Regarding the JVP, Solheim said that he thought the JVP 
would not challenge Kumaratunga immediately on this 
issue, but that the crunch would come when it was time 
for a major decision, for instance, on accepting an 
interim administration plan. 
 
6.  (C) Solheim said that the President was eager to get 
reconstruction in the North and East started, and 
understood the need for a partnership with the LTTE for 
this to happen.  This underlined the need for an 
"interim interim" structure which could get assistance 
moving.  India is ready to help with reconstruction 
financing, Solheim said, but contrary to statements by 
Kadirgamar and others about an enhanced Indian role in 
the negotiations, the Indians have given no signal that 
they have any desire to take a front seat. 
 
More Visitors 
------------- 
 
7.  (C) Solheim said it was not yet confirmed, but it 
was likely that the Norwegian Foreign Minister would 
visit Sri Lanka on May 10-11, meeting the President the 
first day and Prabhakaran the next.  (The press 
announced this visit May 5.)  The Japanese Ambassador 
said Special Envoy Akashi would visit May 15-19. 
Ambassador noted that South Asia Assistant Secretary 
Rocca would be in Sri Lanka May 13-16.  Solheim said 
that he expected to be back in Sri Lanka around May 24 
for another round of shuttle diplomacy. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
8.  (C) The Norwegians appear to be taking a pragmatic 
approach, trying to take a series of small steps to 
build confidence and set the ground for progress before 
beginning the actual negotiating process.  So far the 
President and Kadirgamar are saying the right things. 
In this regard, the outcome of the June 1 Co-Chairs 
meeting in Brussels can play an important and positive 
role.  The Secretary's meeting with FM Kadirgamar on May 
12 and A/S Rocca's visit here next week are useful 
opportunities to encourage progress.  END COMMENT. 
 
9.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
LUNSTEAD