US embassy cable - 02COLOMBO1599

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001599 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 8/29/12 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, PHUM, PINS, PREL, CE, LTTE - Peace Process, Political Parties 
SUBJECT: Leftist JVP:  Predicts failure of peace talks; 
supports globalization, kind of; US too influential 
 
 
(U) Classified by Lewis Amselem, DCM.  Reasons 1.5 
(b,d). 
 
1. (C) During a recent one hour meeting with poloff, JVP 
General Secretary Tilvin Silva outlined his party's 
position on a multitude of issues, including: 
 
-- predicting the peace process will fail; 
 
-- dissatisfaction with a proposed constitutional 
amendment limiting the Presidents powers; 
 
-- the USG may have too much influence in Sri Lanka; 
 
-- the ban against LTTE is being lifted too early; 
 
-- economic reform, including privatization and 
globalization; 
 
-- and cohabitation politics. 
 
Peace Process 
------------- 
 
2. (C) Tilvin Silva of the leftist Sinhala-chauvinist 
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) opened an hour meeting 
by "guaranteeing" that the current peace process would 
fail.  He insisted that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil 
Eelam (LTTE) are only using the current ceasefire to 
extend their reach.  Silva gave examples of the LTTE 
continuing recruitment, repositioning cadre, and having 
access to areas they previously did not.  In his 
opinion, the GSL continues to cede, including on 
transport of cadre by sea, while the LTTE only ended 
open warfare.  He claims that the LTTE continues to 
assassinate Tamils "collaborators".  Silva asserts that 
the LTTE has become proportionately stronger in the 
Tamil community because all Tamil organizations except 
the LTTE have had to give up their weapons. 
 
3. (C) Silva further commented that until the LTTE 
openly declares that it is not seeking an Eelam there 
will always be distrust of them in the south (i.e. the 
Sinhalese community).  As it now stands the LTTE has no 
desire for a peace settlement; they only want the 
ceasefire to continue for as long as possible.  As long 
as the ceasefire holds they are able to strengthen 
themselves without opposition. 
 
4. (C) Silva also had numerous complaints about what may 
be discussed in the peace talks.  He explained that 
federalism, in any form, would not work in the present 
situation.  He asserted that whereas internationally 
federalism was used to combine separate entities, in Sri 
Lanka it is creating divides.  The LTTE will only see 
federalism as a first step in creating an Eelam state. 
 
Constitutional Amendment 
------------------------ 
 
5. (C) Silva stated that the JVP is opposed to both 
parts of the constitutional amendment currently being 
discussed.  (Note: the United National Front --UNF-- is 
proposing an amendment which would limit the President 
powers to dissolve parliament and permit MPs to vote 
outside of party lines in Parliament.)  The JVP's 
position, which coincides with the President's, is that 
the current executive presidency should be eliminated, 
but the change should be all at once and not 
incremental.  Silva added that those claiming the 
President will call elections as soon as 
constitutionally possible are wrong.  The People's 
Alliance (PA), the President's party, is not prepared 
for an election.  Silva claimed that the JVP supports a 
call for "conscience" voting in Parliament, but the UNF 
is only calling for conscience voting on certain issues 
and only the UNF, as the majority bloc in Parliament, is 
permitted to decide what those issues are. 
 
USG involvement in Sri Lanka 
---------------------------- 
6. (C) Silva stated that the JVP membership is concerned 
that the current government is more focused on pleasing 
western nations, particularly the U.S., than responding 
to Sri Lankans.  He added that there is a growing 
perception in the south that the Norwegian government is 
working on the instructions of the USG.  Poloff 
responded that the USG is supportive of the work the 
Norwegians are doing in fostering the peace process, but 
it is the GoN that is making the decisions and working 
with the GSL on the peace process. 
Lifting of the Ban on the LTTE 
------------------------------ 
 
7. (C) The GSL has stated that it will temporarily lift 
the ban on the LTTE September 6, ten days before peace 
talks are scheduled to commence.  Silva stated that 
until the LTTE lays down its arms and publicly 
repudiates the claim for a separate nation, the ban must 
stay in place.  He dismissed the "temporary" nature of 
the lifting of the ban as pure semantics, either there 
is or there is not a ban.  Silva also confirmed that the 
JVP was planning a protest march against the lifting of 
the ban, but was unwilling to discuss the details of the 
march. 
 
Economic reform 
--------------- 
 
9. (C) In a dramatic departure from the JVP's 
Marxist/socialist ideological base, Silva stated that 
the JVP was willing to support globalization and 
privatization to reform the Sri Lanka economy.  He 
stated that neither issue was bad in itself, but the way 
the GSL was going about it was.  Silva complained that 
widespread corruption and graft prevents privatization 
from happening in a manner that helps the economy.  He 
further commented that globalization is fine as long as 
the national economy takes steps to make sure it is 
strong enough to compete in the international market. 
Following these grand proclamations, Silva started 
listing measures needed to protect the local market. 
 
Cohabitation 
------------ 
 
10. (C) Silva believes that one reason for the current 
cohabitation difficulties is that PM Wickremesinghe is 
duplicitous.  Wickremesinghe, according to Silva, has a 
very convincing veneer of a gentleman, but uses others 
in his party to attack the President.  Silva conceded 
that Wickremesinghe might not have complete control of 
his party membership and that some ministers may be 
acting on their own.  According to Silva, in the end, 
the problems of cohabitation are because neither side 
acts in a statesman-like manner. 
 
Wills