US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO1453

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001453 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/18/2015 
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, NO, CE, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA:  NORWEGIAN FACILITATORS SEND LETTER TO 
LTTE LEADER PRABHAKARAN VIA LONDON, GSL ASKS EU TO LIST 
LTTE AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION 
 
REF: COLOMBO 1440 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Charge' d'Affaires, a.i. James F. Entwistle for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary.  In their August 17 meeting with LTTE 
theoretician Anton Balasingham in London, Norwegian FM 
Petersen and DFM Helgesen passed a letter to LTTE leader 
Prabhakaran (text below).  At GSL request, EU missions in 
Colombo will recommend to Brussels that the EU designate 
the LTTE as a terrorist organization.  End Summary 
 
2. (C) Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar called on 
Charge' August 18 to follow up on Norwegian Deputy Foreign 
Minister Helgesen's August 16 meeting with Colombo co-chair 
representatives.  Brattskar confirmed that Norwegian 
Foreign Minister Petersen and Helgesen had called on LTTE 
theoretician Anton Balasingham August 17 in London and had 
given Balasingham a letter to be passed to LTTE leader 
Prabhakaran (text below). 
 
3. (C) Brattskar noted that he was not sharing a copy of 
the Prabhakaran letter with the GSL since that was not 
normal practice.  Moreover, the contents of Petersen and 
Helgesen's Monday night meeting with President Kumaratunga 
had clearly been leaked to the Colombo press ("Vidar is 
hopping mad!"), so passing a copy to the GSL would be "like 
giving it to the Sunday papers," Brattskar mused.  He asked 
that the U.S. not share the letter. 
 
4. (C) Brattskar said that Balasingham had promised 
Petersen and Helgesen he would translate and transmit the 
letter to Kilinochchi immediately.  Balasingham had 
expressed concern over recent LTTE actions in the North and 
East but had danced around the question of responsibility 
for Kadirgamar's assassination (and disavowed any prior 
knowledge).  Balasingham, Brattskar said, had been pleased 
at the prospect of receiving the Norwegian FM and at the 
idea of more direct Norwegian contact with Prabhakaran 
(although Balasingham said he would want to be present at 
any such meetings as he usually has in the past - Brattskar 
said the Norwegians have only met Prabhakaran once when 
Balasingham was not present).  Balasingham did not discuss 
travel plans to Sri Lanka but Brattskar noted that when he 
had seen Balasingham in London in July, the LTTE 
theoretician had said he was thinking about travel to 
Kilinochchi in October. 
 
5. (C) Brattskar undertook to advise Charge' as soon as the 
Norwegians had some reaction to the Prabhakaran letter.  He 
noted that as far as he knew a Petersen/Rice conversation 
was still scheduled to take place this week.  The 
Norwegians, Brattskar concluded, continue to like the idea 
of a September co-chairs meeting in New York although, 
given Japanese sensitivities about their standing 
invitation to host the next meeting in October, the New 
York meeting should perhaps be billed as something like a 
preparatory meeting. 
 
6. (C) On a related topic, the British DCM told Charge' 
August 18 that the GSL had just convoked her High 
Commissioner (as holder of the EU Presidency in Colombo) 
and the EC Charge' to ask that the European Union list the 
LTTE as a terrorist organization (apparently there is a 
mechanism through which the EU can designate terrorist 
organizations on a union-wide basis in addition to whatever 
procedures individual EU members states may have).  The EU 
missions in Colombo plan to endorse the idea strongly to 
Brussels.  The British DCM said she is familiarizing 
herself on the details of the procedure and the potential 
timeline for such listing. 
 
7. (C) Text of Norwegian letter (please protect closely) to 
Prabhakaran follows: 
 
Begin text 
 
Letter from Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Minister of Foreign Affairs 
 
To 
Mr. Velupillai Prabhakaran 
Leader 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 
 
Oslo, 16 August 2005 
 
Dear Mr. Prabhakaran 
 
As I am sure you realize, the peace process is now in a 
critical situation.  The killings and counter-killings over 
the last few months have been watched with mounting concern 
by Norway and the international community.  Along with the 
continued recruitment of children to the LTTE, this has 
created distrust about the LTTE's intentions as regards the 
peace process. 
 
The assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar 
has exacerbated the situation.  It is not up to Norway to 
draw conclusions about the criminal investigations now 
under way in Colombo, or on any other judicial matter in 
relation with the killings.  However, public perception 
both in Sri Lanka and internationally is that the LTTE is 
responsible.  This public perception is a political 
reality.  The LTTE needs to respond to this situation in a 
way that demonstrates continued commitment to the peace 
process. 
 
I see it as my obligation to make clear to you the 
political choice now facing the LTTE.  If the LTTE does not 
take a positive step forward at this critical juncture, the 
international reaction could be severe. 
 
Against this backdrop I would ask you urgently to consider 
the following steps: 
1. To accept the Norwegian Government's invitation to 
participate in a review of the implementation of the 
Ceasefire Agreement in order to find practical ways of 
ensuring full compliance by both parties. 
2.  To establish direct communications between the LTTE and 
the Sri Lankan Army in the east, in order to improve 
security. 
3.  To accept without delay the Sri Lanka Monitoring 
Mission proposal for transportation of LTTE cadres. 
4.  To collaborate in a practical way with government 
initiatives to speed up reconstruction in the north and 
east.  The LTTE's continued commitment to the P-TOMS 
agreement is vital in this regard. 
5.  To take effective steps to halt killings and to cease 
the recruitment of underage combatants. 
 
I trust that you appreciate the gravity of the present 
situation and will take steps to demonstrate to the 
international community that the LTTE is committed to the 
peace process. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
Jan Petersen 
 
End Text 
ENTWISTLE