US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO438

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000438 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
PLEASE PASS TOPEC 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, PGOV, CE, NO, LTTE - Peace Process, Tsunami 
SUBJECT: NORWEGIANS SEE HOPE FOR LTTE-GSO AGREEMENT ON 
RECONSTRUCTION MECHANISM 
 
REF: (A) COLOMBO 404 (B) COLOMBO 373 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JEFFREY J. LUNSTEAD FOR REASON 1.4 (B AND D). 
 
 1.  (C) SUMMARY:  Both sides have been flexible 
on negotiations for a "mechanism" for 
distributing reconstruction assistance to the 
North and East, and the Norwegians believe an 
agreement is possible in the next few days. 
Such an agreement would not only assist in the 
reconstruction effort, but would have great 
political significance.  GSL and LTTE stressed 
to Solheim their commitment to the Cease Fire 
Agreement.  Solheim toured other parts of the 
country, seeking to build support for peace and 
the Norwegian role. Solheim does not think the 
Tigers will retaliate for the Kausalyan killing. 
(We are not as sanguine.)  If an agreement on a 
mechanism is reached, the USG should praise it 
publicly.  Suggested text para 10.  END SUMMARY. 
 
"Mechanism" Deal Near? 
---------------------- 
 
2.  (C) Norwegian Special Envoy Eric Solheim 
briefed major donors Feb 28 on his week-long 
visit to Sri Lanka and Norwegian Ambassador Hans 
Brattskar also briefed on status of negotiations 
between the LTTE and the GSL on a "mechanism" to 
deal with reconstruction assistance in the North 
and East.  Brattskar, who has been brokering 
this negotiation for the past two months, said 
that a week earlier he had not been hopeful. 
Now he was much more optimistic.  He had 
facilitated extensive talks on Friday and 
Saturday and the two sides were now looking at a 
common piece of paper.  "If they both want it," 
Brattskar said, and no new issues come up to 
disturb the process--like the killing of LTTE 
leader Kausalyan--"it is quite possible they 
will have an agreement in a few days." 
 
3.  (C) Brattskar noted that this progress was 
the result of the hard work of the two parties. 
While an agreement on a mechanism would be 
necessary for fair and equitable distribution of 
assistance in the North and East, it would also 
have political aspects.  It would be the first 
time the LTTE and the GSL would cooperate on the 
national level, and it would strengthen ongoing 
cooperation at the regional and district level. 
Brattskar said that if the mechanism is agreed 
upon, donors will need to re-think some of their 
reconstruction plans. 
 
Political Significance of Mechanism 
----------------------------------- 
 
4.  (C) Both Solheim and Brattskar stressed 
again the political significance of a possible 
agreement.  Such an agreement would be limited 
to tsunami assistance, and only in the affected 
coastal belt.  Solheim said that the progress 
made was in part because the Norwegians forced 
both sides to avoid issues which belonged in the 
peace process itself.  The formal participation 
of the Muslims in the mechanism would also mark 
a first in the peace process.  Of course there 
could still be problems even if an agreement is 
reached, Solheim said, and any mechanism would 
have to work on a consensus basis if it were to 
be successful. 
 
Building Support for Peace 
-------------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) Solheim spent part of his week-long 
visit touring areas of Sri Lanka and meeting Sri 
Lankans whom the Norwegians have not concerned 
themselves with previously.  He went to both the 
South and East (Galle, Matara and Ampara) and to 
Kandy, where he met the monks who head two of 
the most important monastic institutions in Sri 
Lanka.  The monks were supportive of the peace 
process and the Norwegian role.  "We should have 
done this sooner," Solheim said, and also said 
that they would do it again. 
 
Support for Cease Fire 
---------------------- 
 
6. (C) Both government and LTTE officials 
stressed to Solheim their commitment to the 
Cease Fire Agreement.  The LTTE was disturbed by 
the Kausalyan killing, and believed it was not 
done by the Karuna faction, but by others 
working in collusion with the Sri Lankan 
military.  Solheim opined that one reason the 
Tigers had not retaliated for Kausalyan's 
killing was because of the statement protesting 
the killing made by UN Secretary General Annan. 
The Tigers have two assets, Solheim said: 
military strength and international recognition. 
Since they received recognition from the 
statement, they did not need to use their 
military strength.  Would there be retaliation 
in the future?  "A good chance not" Solheim 
said.  Reverting to an earlier theme, Solheim 
said that if there were no agreement on a 
mechanism, the Cease Fire Agreement would come 
under stress. 
 
LTTE Visit to Europe 
-------------------- 
 
7.  (C) Solheim said that an 8-10m member LTTE 
delegation was to visit several European 
countries in March.  Solheim told them that they 
should not come until they had agreement on the 
mechanism.  Solheim also warned them that they 
would face increased questioning about child 
recruitment following the recent report 
delivered to the Security Council (more on this 
report septel). 
 
8. (C) COMMENT:  The normally restrained 
Norwegians were almost jumping up and down with 
excitement (Norwegian style excitement, anyway) 
because of the prospect of agreement on a 
mechanism.  They cautioned that the two sides 
had "come 990 meters, but they still had the 
last ten meters to go."  Both sides are showing 
unusual flexibility, however, and this might 
actually happen.  If so, we believe the 
Department should issue a statement praising the 
agreement.  Suggested text below. 
 
9.  (C) COMMENT CONTINUED: We are not as 
sanguine as Solheim, however, that the Tigers 
have foresworn vengeance for Kausalyan's killing 
because of Annan's statement.  The Tigers have 
shown time and again that they will wait for the 
time they think is right to take revenge.  It is 
much more likely that the prospect of the 
mechanism is restraining them than some abstract 
satisfaction at a UN statement.  They know that 
a killing now would make it much more difficult 
to agree on a mechanism. 
 
NOMINAL TEXT OF STATEMENT 
------------------------- 
 
10.  (C) Since we have not yet seen the text of 
the agreement, it is difficult to give a 
specific response.  Pending further information, 
we think a statement should be along the lines 
of: 
The United States is very pleased that the 
Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation 
Tigers of Tamil Eelam have reached agreement on 
a mechanism to coordinate reconstruction 
assistance in the North and East of Sri Lanka. 
We commend the flexibility shown by both sides 
in the discussions leading to this agreement. 
If implemented properly, this mechanism will 
ensure that tsunami victims receive the 
assistance they deserve on a fair and equitable 
basis, without regard to ethnic or political 
factors.  We hope that successful functioning of 
the mechanism will build confidence and trust on 
both sides and stimulate progress towards a 
political settlement. 
LUNSTEAD