US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1062

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001062 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR D, SA, SA/INS; NSC FOR E.MILLARD 
PLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, CE, NO, External Relations, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT: NORWEGIAN PEREGRINATIONS FOR PEACE 
 
REF: COLOMBO 1013 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead.  Reason 1.5 (b,d). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1.  (C) Norwegian visit to Delhi was largely a briefing for 
the Indians, who expressed support for Norway and its role in 
the peace process.  Both GSL and LTTE have asked Norway to 
continue to try to find a formula to allow them to resume 
talks.  Norwegians may wait until after July 10 Provincial 
elections before making a new proposal, but Solheim will 
visit Sri Lanka next week for discussions.  LTTE continues to 
be upset about alleged GSL support for breakaway leader 
Karuna.  The GSL is taking some steps which "test the limits" 
of the Cease Fire Agreement.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) Ambassador met with Norwegian Ambassador Hans 
Brattskar June 22 to discuss recent Norwegian activities in 
support of Sri Lankan Peace Process.  These included meetings 
last week between Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Helgesen 
and Sri Lankan President Kumaratunga in London, between 
Norwegian Special Envoy Solheim and Liberation Tigers of 
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) adviser Balasingham also in London, and 
Helgesen,s visit to New Delhi.  Solheim will return to Sri 
Lanka next week. 
 
BRIEFING THE INDIANS IN NEW DELHI 
--------------------------------- 
 
3.  (C) Brattskar traveled to New Delhi for Helgesen,s 
meetings with the new Indian government June 19.  Helgesen 
met with Foreign Minister Singh, National Security Adviser 
Dixit, and the Foreign Secretary.  Brattskar described the 
meetings as basically a briefing by Norway on the peace 
process, with very little input by the Indians.  The Indian 
officials, he said, were supportive of Norway and its role, 
and asked many questions.  They said that India would play a 
positive role, and that there would be "no surprises." 
Brattskar did note that Dixit said that his own views on Sri 
Lanka were naturally colored by his experiences there as High 
Commissioner from 1985-87. 
 
CBK AND BALASINGHAM IN LONDON 
----------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) Brattskar said that Helgesen had a two hour 
one-on-one meeting with President Kumaratunga in London last 
week.  (Kumaratunga was in London to attend her daughter's 
graduation from medical school.)  They had a "good exchange." 
 Helgesen clarified for her that it is not Norway which is 
insisting that the two sides agree on a statement before they 
can meet again.  Kumaratunga had suggested that the two sides 
could proceed on the basis of an "understanding" if they 
could not reach agreement on a statement.  But, said 
Brattskar, LTTE distrust is so deep that they will not move 
forward without "something solid." 
 
5.  (C) The good news is that both sides have asked the 
Norwegians to continue to work the issue.  For the LTTE, this 
was confirmed by both Balasingham in London and by 
Thamilchelvam in his meeting with Brattskar on June 16 
(Reftel).  Brattskar noted that the two sides had been "very 
very close" to an agreement several weeks ago, but that the 
government had kept putting new things in.  Norway would now 
try to come up with a new, and simpler, text to which both 
sides could agree.  (Brattskar confirmed that the statement 
would be one by Norway, not by the two sides.)  The 
Norwegians were considering what such a statement might look 
like, and also what might be the right time to try to move 
ahead.  One school of thought is that the Government will not 
be able to agree to anything until after the Provincial 
Council Elections on July 10, so Norway might delay until 
that point.  Brattskar did say, however, that Special Envoy 
Eric Solheim would return to Sri Lanka next week for talks 
with both sides. 
 
6.  (C) Brattskar agreed with Ambassador that President 
Kumaratunga had so far been much more flexible than the LTTE. 
 Her last offer -- to conclude negotiations on an interim 
administration and then to begin negotiations on final issues 
while the interim administration was being set up -- was 
quite forward-leaning.  The LTTE was so suspicious, however, 
that they had not moved at all, said Brattskar.  He noted 
that Government actions tended to reinforce LTTE suspicions. 
The LTTE was especially worked up about the situation in the 
East and alleged Government support to Karuna.  (See Septel 
for more details.)  Balasingham and Thamilchelvam had both 
stressed the need to maintain the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA). 
 Unfortunately, Brattskar said, the Government was taking 
some steps which were not good at this time.  For instance, 
the Sri Lankan Navy and the LTTE were now embroiled in a 
dispute over movement of LTTE cadres by boat.  The Navy was 
attempting to unilaterally change the procedures which had 
been followed until now.  Brattskar described this as the 
Navy &testing the limits,8 which was not good at this 
sensitive time.  He also said that Sri Lanka Monitoring 
Mission head General Furhovde was quite unhappy about this. 
(Ambassador will see Furhovde, who is currently out of 
Colombo, early next week.) 
 
COMMENT 
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7.  (C) The current Norwegian tactic of stepping back for a 
minute and then trying to come up with a fresh formulation 
which could satisfy both sides seems a good one at the 
moment.  Ambassador will make points about all sides needing 
to compromise and necessity to support the Cease Fire when he 
holds an &on the record session8 with leading editors on 
June 24.  Importance of the cease fire and seeking 
clarification on recent changes in naval procedures with the 
LTTE would also be useful topics to raise during Deputy 
Secretary,s upcoming meeting with Sri Lankan Navy chief 
 
SIPDIS 
Admiral Sandagiri.  END COMMENT. 
LUNSTEAD