US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO890

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000890 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/16/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, EAID, PTER, KIRF, CE, LTTE - Peace Process, Political Parties, Religious Freedom 
SUBJECT: KUMARATUNGA GIVES STRONG INDICATION SHE WILL GO 
FORWARD WITH JOINT MECHANISM ON TSUNAMI RELIEF 
 
REF: COLOMBO 888 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead for reason 1.4 (d). 
 
 1.  (C)  Summary.  President Kumaratunga told the 
Ambassador May 13 that she is determined to go ahead with 
the joint mechanism despite opposition from coalition 
partner JVP although the process will take a few more 
weeks.  The Ambassador stated that the U.S. supported her 
efforts and that a signed mechanism would indicate to 
Washington and other interested capitals that there was 
still a viable peace process in Sri Lanka worth 
supporting.  The President reiterated her strong 
opposition to anti-conversion legislation and 
seemed to convey a more flexible position on the 
coastal exclusion zone in tsunami-affected areas. 
She will visit Atlanta in early June.  There is 
understandable concern in many quarters about the 
President's sincerity on the joint mechanism but her 
statement of intention to the Ambassador was quite clear. 
End Summary 
 
2.  (C) After several false starts during the week, the 
Ambassador and DCM (notetaker) called on Sri Lankan 
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga (CBK) the 
evening of May 13.   CBK was accompanied by Peace 
Secretariat chief Jayantha Dhanapala, Foreign Secretary 
 
SIPDIS 
Palihakarra and Presidential advisor Ram Manikalingam. 
 
Joint Mechanism at "Good Point;" GSL Determined to "Go 
Ahead" 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
3.  (C) CBK started by telling the Ambassador that she had 
been looking forward to briefing the U.S. on the progress 
of the joint mechanism for tsunami relief in the North and 
the East.  She characterized the situation as being at a 
"good point," with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 
(LTTE) having agreed to the mechanism and eight of her nine 
coalition partners also on board with it.  She described 
the mechanism to the Ambassador as a "simple administrative 
arrangement" in which three tiers of bodies would identify 
and recommend projects in the tsunami-affected areas of the 
North and East.  The projects then would be implemented 
through the "usual government structure" although the 
bodies created under the mechanism would also "monitor" 
implementation.  The mechanism would cover a two kilometer 
deep strip of coastline in six districts. 
 
4.  (C) CBK said the advantages of going forward with the 
mechanism were especially important regarding the LTTE. 
For the first time, the LTTE would agree to work "within 
the sovereignty of a unified Sri Lanka" although the word 
"sovereignty" would not appear in the text.  Moreover, by 
signing, the LTTE would "come into a process with the 
government" which could set a useful precedent for the 
larger peace process.  (CBK clarified that although the 
joint mechanism technically was not part of the peace 
process, its signing would obviously have tremendous 
implications for the peace process.)  Finally, CBK noted, 
by signing the joint mechanism, the LTTE would commit 
itself "for the first time" to working "on par" with Muslim 
communities in the North and East.  For all of these 
reasons, CBK stated, the government is "determined to go 
ahead." 
 
5.  (C) Turning to the one coalition partner opposing the 
joint mechanism, CBK said the JVP's behavior was to be 
expected.  (She noted that the LTTE had delayed agreement 
on the mechanism for  eight and a half weeks while they 
traveled abroad and that she had only begun to build 
support for it within her government coalition after 
Norwegian FM Peterson had told her on April 29 that the 
LTTE was on board.  "I couldn't discuss the specifics with 
my partners until I knew exactly what the LTTE had agreed 
to."  CBK claimed she had cleared her schedule after the 
May Day holiday so that she could devote her energies to 
the joint mechanism.)  She said she is still talking to the 
JVP.  Asked by the Ambassador if the JVP might come around, 
CBK said there was "some chance" but that there was "not 
too much hope."  CBK said that if the JVP continues to be 
an obstacle, the government has (unspecified) "options." 
6.  (C) Asked about Muslim reaction to the mechanism, CBK 
said they were "hung up on equal representation" at all 
levels but she had pointed out to them that Muslims would 
have a significant proportion of the seats at the district 
level.  She accused the opposition UNP of duplicity 
regarding the joint mechanism, claiming that opposition 
leader Ranil Wickremesinghe had supported the concept early 
on but that his "badly divided" party was now backing away 
and had refused to even come in for a briefing.  (CBK said 
she had just received a letter from Ranil which she planned 
to read over the weekend.)  CBK concluded her comments on 
the joint mechanism by declaring, "it will take a few weeks 
but I am determined to do it." 
 
U.S. View 
--------- 
 
7.  (C) The Ambassador told CBK that the U.S. was impressed 
with her efforts on the joint mechanism and hoped she 
succeeded.  The U.S. had not made its support public for 
fear of encouraging the JVP public line that the joint 
mechanism is being foisted on Sri Lanka by foreigners (CBK 
nodded: "You were right in that.")  The Ambassador said the 
U.S. saw the joint mechanism as a tremendously significant 
confidence building measure with positive implications for 
the larger peace process.  He noted that he had been asked 
repeatedly about the joint mechanism during his recent trip 
to Washington, an indication of the tremendous interest 
there in concrete progress on the peace front.  The 
Ambassador told CBK it was necessary to maintain movement 
on the peace process, "to keep something happening to lead 
to progress."  Otherwise, the U.S. and other countries 
committed to a lasting peace in Sri Lanka could conclude 
that no progress was possible under the current political 
constellation.  Signing the joint mechanism would be a good 
indicator that all sides in Sri Lanka were willing to take 
"positive steps."  CBK said she was "fully aware" of this 
and agreed that the joint mechanism had tremendous 
implications for the peace process. 
 
8.  (C) The Ambassador told CBK that earlier in the day, 
during his press conference to announce the signing of the 
tsunami supplemental, he had been asked if the signing of 
 
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the joint mechanism was a "pre-condition" for the "release" 
of U.S. funds for tsunami reconstruction, a claim that had 
been bandied about in the press recently.  He had clarified 
that this was not the case, but that he had also stated 
clearly that the U.S. hoped the mechanism would go 
forward.  The Ambassador said he would also make 
that clear at the upcoming Development Forum in Kandy. 
 
CBK and CNN 
----------- 
 
9.  (C) Turning to other issues, CBK said she had just 
decided to accept an invitation to give a keynote address 
at the 25 year anniversary of CNN in Atlanta on June 1. 
The Ambassador commented that it would be a particularly 
valuable trip and a much more interesting speech if she had 
signed the joint mechanism before she went (CBK smiled). 
CBK said she planned to arrive in Atlanta on May 31, would 
stay 2-3 days and did not plan to go elsewhere in the U.S. 
CBK continued, however, that she would be pleased to stop 
in Washington to see President Bush but she assumed the 
timing was too short to get on his calendar.  The 
Ambassador said that was probably the case but he would 
relay her interest to Washington. 
 
Coastal Zones 
------------- 
 
10.  (C) The Ambassador told CBK that during A/S Rocca's 
recent visit, she had visited tsunami-ravaged Kalmunai in 
the East.  CBK interjected that she (CBK) had not realized 
the severity of the land shortage in Kalmunai ("a thin 
strip of land between the sea and the marshes") and said 
the GSL had come up with a plan to protect the shore there 
by "putting sand dunes in the sea" and then allowing 
construction of shelter between 100 and 200 meters inland, 
rather than insisting on the original 200 meter exclusion 
zone.  The Ambassador noted that Kalmunai was not the only 
tsunami area where greater flexibility on land usage was 
 
SIPDIS 
needed.  He briefed CBK on the upcoming Embassy-arranged 
DVC between U.S. and Sri Lankan coastal management 
experts.  CBK was enthusiastic and suggested some 
names for participation. 
 
Anti-Conversion Legislation: "Not During My Tenure" 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
11.  (C) The Ambassador advised CBK that during his trip to 
Washington the issue of pending anti-conversion legislation 
in Sri Lanka had come up repeatedly, an indication of how 
seriously the issue is viewed in the United States.  CBK 
described the JHU bill as "absolutely stupid" and said that 
her own government's bill had been passed by Cabinet while 
she was away.  She then stated:  "It will not happen 
during my tenure as President."  Palihakarra and 
Dhanapala commented that the recently-concluded visit 
of UN Special Rapporteur Asma Jahangir had been extremely 
timely and her public criticism of anti-conversion 
legislation very helpful.  CBK concluded that even 
if anti-conversion legislation passed Parliament, 
she would use the "powers of the President" to 
prevent it from becoming law. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
12.  (C) Obviously fatigued, CBK clearly has been putting 
significant effort into building support for the joint 
mechanism.  As noted in reftel, there is understandable 
pessimism in many circles that she will either abandon the 
effort after the Kandy development forum or sign it for the 
political boost but then let implementation lag.  Until 
proven wrong, however, we need to take her at her word, 
clearly stated to the Ambassador, that she is planning to 
go forward on the joint mechanism.  The next few weeks 
clearly will be fascinating for all "Chandrika watchers." 
On other issues, it was very interesting that she beat us 
to the punch on the shortage of available land for tsunami 
resettlement in Kalmunai (she gave the impression that she 
had never been there until after the tsunami) and did not 
disagree with our broader point on the need for greater 
flexibility on the coastal exclusion zone in all tsunami- 
affected areas.  Finally, her personal opposition and 
commitment to stopping anti-conversion legislation could 
not have been more clearly stated.  End Comment. 
LUNSTEAD