US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO747

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000747 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
PLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC 
 
E.O. 12958:     DECL: 05-10-14 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, PINS, MOPS, CE, NO, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  Peace Process update:  Norwegian FM in high- 
profile visit; Tensions in east between LTTE and army 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo 737, and previous 
-      (B) Oslo 756 
 
(U) Classified by James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) This update on Sri Lanka's peace process reviews 
the following recent developments: 
 
-- Norwegian Foreign Minister visits Sri Lanka for 
meetings with GSL and LTTE leaders. 
 
-- LTTE London-based spokesman Anton Balasingham visits 
Sri Lanka after a year's hiatus. 
 
-- Tensions between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan military 
increase in the east. 
 
-- Controversy over decision by GSL not to allow a 
separate Muslim delegation in any future peace talks. 
 
==================== 
Norwegian FM's visit 
==================== 
 
2.  (SBU) Following recent public statements from the 
Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil 
Eelam (LTTE) expressing their desire to resume peace 
talks (see Reftels), the Norwegian government's peace 
facilitation effort is kicking into high gear. 
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen arrived in 
Colombo on May 10 for a two-day visit and he is 
scheduled to meet key GSL and LTTE leaders.  According 
to a Norwegian Embassy press release, FM Petersen, 
accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen, 
is scheduled to meet with President Kumaratunga and LTTE 
leader V. Prabhakaran, among other top local leaders. 
The meeting with Prabhakaran is slated to take place at 
LTTE headquarters in the LTTE-controlled Vanni region in 
northern Sri Lanka.  Petersen's visit follows up an 
early May visit to Sri Lanka by DFM Helgesen and Special 
Envoy Erik Solheim (see Reftels).  Petersen, himself, 
last visited Sri Lanka in May 2003.  In other news re 
high-level visits to Sri Lanka focused on the peace 
process, the Japanese Embassy has confirmed that Special 
Envoy Yasushi Akashi will visit Sri Lanka from 
May 15-19. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT:  Petersen's visit is an important one. 
In his meetings with Kumaratunga and Prabhakaran, he 
will be able to judge how much preparatory work will be 
needed before talks can resume.  (In a discussion with 
the Ambassador on May 3, Special Envoy Solheim said he 
thought that much work would be needed and said he 
doubted that talks would resume right away.)  Petersen's 
meeting with Prabhakaran is particularly noteworthy, as 
he is one of the highest-level Western government 
officials to ever meet the reclusive leader.  Moreover, 
the Norwegians have not met with Prabhakaran for some 
months now and tell us that they are eager to hear what 
he thinks first hand.  END COMMENT. 
 
======================== 
Balasingham in Sri Lanka 
======================== 
 
4.  (SBU) LTTE chief spokesman Anton Balasingham has 
returned to Sri Lanka, following a hiatus of nearly one 
year.  (Balasingham is based in London.)  Norwegian 
Ambassador Hans Brattskar met Balasingham and his wife 
Adele upon their arrival at Colombo's international 
airport on May 7.  Later that day, Balasingham traveled 
by Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter to Kilinochchi, where 
he met with Prabhakaran and LTTE political chief S.P. 
Thamilchelvam, among other senior Tiger officials. 
Subsequent reports on the pro-Tiger website "TamilNet" 
have stated that Balasingham will be mapping out the 
LTTE's strategy in possible future peace negotiations 
with the Sri Lankan government. 
5.  (C) COMMENT:  Balasingham's return to Sri Lanka is a 
hopeful sign regarding a possible resumption of talks 
between the GSL and the LTTE.  Balasingham -- who led 
the LTTE side at the six round of talks held from 2002- 
2003 -- is widely regarded as the Tigers' most 
experienced hand at negotiations and his visit appears 
to be a sign that the Tigers are making preparations to 
return to the negotiating track.  Prabhakaran probably 
also wanted Balasingham to be with him for the meeting 
with FM Petersen.  The fact that Balasingham is making 
the trip at all is noteworthy in and of itself.  Last 
year, it was thought that his health had deteriorated to 
such an extent that he might have to give up his LTTE 
duties.  That apparently is not the case and he seems 
back in the middle of events.  END COMMENT. 
 
==================== 
Tensions in the East 
==================== 
 
6.  (C) Tensions between the LTTE and the Sri Lanka Army 
(SLA) are increasing in the east.  The reason for the 
friction appears to revolve around the LTTE's apparent 
belief that the SLA is protecting remnants of rebel 
eastern commander Karuna's forces and allowing those 
forces to launch attacks on LTTE cadre.  (Karuna's 
military force was largely defeated by the LTTE in early 
April fighting -- see Ref A.  Karuna's whereabouts 
remain unknown.)  The Tigers, for example, have 
indirectly blamed the SLA for the May 6 killings of two 
LTTE cadre in Batticaloa District and the killing of 
seven other operatives on April 24 in the same district. 
In apparent retaliation for these killings, a Sri Lanka 
Army (SLA) intelligence operative was shot and killed on 
May 9 in a government-controlled area of Batticaloa. 
Military spokesman Col. Sumeda Perera told poloff on 
May 10 that Lance Corporal W. Colombage was traveling on 
a civilian bus in civilian clothes when he was slain by 
a fellow passenger, who then fled the scene.  Perera 
said the Army had complained about the incident to the 
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM).  He said the 
killing was "almost certainly the work of the LTTE."  In 
another incident on May 7, a member of Sri Lanka's 
paramilitary Special Task Force (STF) was injured when a 
hand grenade exploded in Batticaloa town. 
 
7.  (C) COMMENT:  If they are indeed responsible for the 
recent attacks, it is not clear how far the LTTE wants 
to press matters with the SLA,.  It is certainly rare 
for a SLA operative to be killed so openly and that 
seems ominous.  That said, as mentioned above, the group 
does appear interested in resuming peace talks soon, so 
one would think the Tigers will work to ensure that 
temperatures do not get too hot.  Nonetheless, the 
Tigers are clearly angry that some of their operatives 
in the east have been killed.  Most observers believe 
these killings probably have nothing to do with the SLA, 
but are being carried out by remnants of Karuna's men 
who are operating out of deep jungle hideouts.  In 
blaming the SLA, the Tigers clearly do not want to admit 
that they continue to face obstacles within their own 
Tamil community.  END COMMENT. 
 
============================================= == 
GSL says no separate Muslim delegation in talks 
============================================= == 
 
8.  (SBU) In other peace process developments, the GSL 
has stated that there will be no separate Muslim 
delegation in any future peace negotiations with the 
LTTE.  The statement, signed by United People's Freedom 
Alliance (UPFA) general secretary (and Power and Energy 
Minister) Susil Premajayantha, related that "taking into 
account political and ground realities concerning the 
conduct of the negotiations, it is clear that the two 
principal parties at the negotiation table can only be 
the government and the LTTE."  This statement has been 
controversial among Muslims, who say that the UPFA's 
political platform agreed to before the recent general 
election promised Muslims a special place at any talks. 
(In the January 2004 pact that formed the UPFA, the 
coalition parties stated that the "political equality 
and democratic rights of the Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim 
and other communities" would be safeguarded, and that 
the UPFA would "agree to enter into a process of 
political dialogue with the LTTE and all other relevant 
groups and communities.")  The UPFA statement follows 
comments made by Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar 
during a recent visit to India that when the GSL 
"resumes the negotiations, the two principal parties at 
the table will be the government and the LTTE." 
 
9.  (C) COMMENT:  Muslim leaders have publicly taken 
umbrage at what they perceive to be a turnabout by the 
UPFA, which they claim had assured them their own seat 
at the negotiating table.  Rauf Hakeem, leader of the 
Sri Lankan Muslim Congress (SLMC), stated on May 9 that 
"talks will not be a success if they go ahead without a 
separate Muslim delegation.  They will also not have the 
support of the SLMC."  The notion of a separate Muslim 
delegation to the talks had been repeatedly mooted under 
the previous government, but never finalized, although 
Hakeem regularly participated in the talks as a member 
of the GSL team.  Due to the negative reaction from the 
SLMC and from some Muslims in the UPFA coalition, the 
GSL has now backtracked a bit and indicated that it 
intends to involve Muslims and other communities in the 
talks to the extent possible.  This will be tough to do 
-- the LTTE has made clear that it only wants to 
negotiate with the GSL and not other groups.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
10. (U) Minimize considered. 
 
LUNSTEAD