US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1891

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001891 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR D, INR/MR, PA 
SA/INS (CAMP, DEAN) SA/PD (SCENSNY, ROGERS, STRYKER); SSA/PAS 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, PHUM, PTER, EAID, OIIP, PREL, CE, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  Media Reaction:  Deputy Secretary Armitage's conversation 
with Sri Lankan leaders 
 
1. (U) SUMMARY:  Deputy Secretary Armitage's November 19 telephone 
conversations with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Opposition 
Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, as well as the Department's subsequent 
press statement, received broad, prominent coverage in the Sri Lankan 
media and served to reinforce the message that the LTTE must renounce 
terrorism in word and deed and return to the negotiating table.  Loca 
media have also speculated on whether Armitage's impending departure 
will mean a decrease in high-level American attention to Sri Lanka. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (U) Deputy Secretary Armitage's November 19 conversations with 
President Kumaratunga and Opposition Leader Wickremesinghe received 
widespread coverage in electronic media on November 20.  Several radi 
stations led with the story, as did the independent television statio 
MTV on its evening news broadcasts in all three local languages. 
 
3.  (U) The Deputy Secretary's message was also featured prominently 
in both English and vernacular print outlets.  Independent English 
Sunday Island bannered (11/21):  "Armitage phones CBK, Ranil, condemn 
LTTE." Government-owned English Sunday Observer carried news of the 
statement in a front-page headline (11/21): "Return to peace table, 
U.S. tells LTTE."  Government-owned Sunday Times (11/21) carried news 
of the telephone conversation with President Kumaratunga in an op-ed 
titled "Doctoring constitution through doctrine of necessity." 
Vernacular papers widely covered the statement, with three Tamil and 
one Sinhala papers carrying factual, positive front-page articles 
reporting the Deputy Secretary's message. 
 
4. (U) COMMENT:  Coming at a time of political instability and severa 
killings by the LTTE, the Deputy Secretary's message served to 
underscore U.S. commitment to the peace process in Sri Lanka, and to 
send the oft-iterated message to the Tigers that the group must 
renounce its violent ways and resume negotiations without further 
delay.  The message and ensuing coverage also served to remind the Sr 
Lankan public that the U.S. stands firmly behind Norwegian 
facilitation efforts.  END COMMENT 
 
Lunstead