US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO1116

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001116 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/24/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, EAID, CE, LTTE - Peace Process, Political Parties 
SUBJECT: JOINT MECHANISM SIGNED BY GSL, PARLIAMENT 
ADJOURNED UNTIL JULY 5 
 
 
Classified By: DCM J. ENTWISTLE FOR REASONS 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) According to sources in the Presidential Secretariat, 
M.S. Jayasinghe, the Secretary of the Ministry of Relief, 
Rehabilitation, and Reconciliation (RRR), signed the 
Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS), also 
known as the Joint Mechanism (JM) for tsunami aid 
distribution, around 7:30am June 24.  Norwegian Ambassador 
Hans Brattskar is reportedly now en-route to Kilinochchi with 
the P-TOMS to obtain the signature of a representative of the 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). 
 
2. (C) Government Members of Parliament (MPs) tabled the 
agreement as an adjournment motion in Parliament June 24, but 
the session was suspended before debate could begin.  Press 
reports indicate that all of the MPs received copies of the 
Joint Mechanism in three languages the morning of June 24. 
(Note. The languages were English, Sinhala, and Tamil. End 
note.)  As Parliament convened, Opposition United National 
Party (UNP) MPs sat on the Government side to permit the 
Marxist Sinhalese nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peremuna 
(JVP), which left the government coalition over the P-TOMS, 
to sit on the Opposition's side in protest.  When Minister 
Maithirpala Sirisena, Leader of the House, began to read the 
text of the agreement to Parliament, JVP MPs disrupted the 
proceedings, preventing him from continuing. The JVP 
parliamentarians then walked out of the session, many of them 
waving black flags and shouting slogans against the Joint 
Mechanism.  Amidst the pandemonium, Speaker W.M.J. 
Lokkubandara adjourned Parliament until July 5.  (Note. 
Presidential Secretariat sources said that the President 
asked Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse to speak to Parliament 
in favor of the JM.  He refused, indicating a possible desire 
to keep all of his political options open.  End note.) 
 
3. (SBU) In the meantime, approximately 2000 people 
protesting the JM blocked the road to Parliament.  Police 
used teargas to disperse the crowd.  In press reports on June 
23, the JVP had declared June 24 a national day of protest 
agains the JM.  As of noon June 24, there were no protests 
within Colombo.  However, protesters did limit access along 
the sole road from the city to the Parliament building as 
well as along the road to the President's house.  A small 
number of JVP-affiliated trade union members hung black flags 
outside of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) office in 
solidarity, but CEB operations have not been affected as of 
mid-day June 24.  A source at Ceyolon Petroleum Corporation 
(CPC) also indicated that work was unaffected and no one 
planned to walk out in support of the JVP. 
 
4. (SBU) Comment. The President has now done what she has 
said she was going to do for weeks: moved ahead on the Joint 
Mechanism, consequences be damned.  It will be interesting to 
see how long the JVP (who never expected to be in this 
situation) can keep strikes and protests going.  We're 
following today's protest effort closely, but so far see 
nothing worrisome from a security standpoint. End comment. 
 
LUNSTEAD