US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO1560

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001560 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/07/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, CE, NO, UN, Human Rights, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT: BRAHIMI TELLS CO-CHAIRS UN NOT OUT TO REPLACE 
NORWEGIAN FACILITATORS 
 
Classified By: Charge' d'Affaires, a.i. James F. Entwistle for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
 1. (C)  Colombo co-chair representatives (Charge', British 
DCM Craig, Japanese Ambassador Suda, Norwegian DCM 
Laegreid, EC Charge' Wilton) met with UNSYG special envoy 
and former Algerian FM Lakhdar Brahimi September 6 to 
exchange views on the current situation.  Brahimi 
characterized his visit to Sri Lanka as "improvised" and 
appended on short notice to a visit to India after Sri 
Lankan President Chandrika Bandanaraike Kumaratunga (CBK) 
had called UNSYG Kofi Annan in the wake of the August 12 
assassination of Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman 
Kadirgamar.  Brahimi advised that his visit was to "assess 
a situation that I don't know much about."  He had/would 
meet with all significant political players except the LTTE 
(no trip to Kilinochchi) and had no plans to make a public 
statement beyond an already-concluded interview with BBC to 
debunk as "rubbish" local Sunday newspaper reports that his 
visit was a UN effort to ease out the Norwegians as 
facilitators of the Sri Lankan peace process. 
 
2. (C)  Asked after co-chair reps shared their views to 
comment on his perceptions and on possible UN next steps, 
Brahimi said clearly more had to be done to stem flows of 
money and weapons to the LTTE.  Moreover, in his view, the 
UN needed to do more to call the LTTE on the carpet over 
increasing child recruitment numbers ("I'm astonished at 
how quiet we've been).  Brahimi commented that, atypically 
compared to most such situations, the cease-fire in Sri 
Lanka has "held for a hell of a long time" given that it 
had not been followed by a "meaningful peace process" and 
mused (without reaching any conclusions) whether a process 
similar to the Bonn Afghanistan meetings ("with key players 
waiting in the back rooms to intervene as needed") might 
have utility.  The Algerian also opined that, given the 
LTTE's reputation as a "very brutal organization," perhaps 
the United Nations needed to be more outspoken in 
condemning the LTTE's "campaign of assassinations, 
culminated by but not limited to" Kadirgamar's murder. 
 
3. (C)  Brahimi said he will brief UNSYG Annan who will 
meet CBK in New York later this month.  Brahimi has a 
meeting scheduled with Norwegian FM Petersen and DFM 
Helgesen next week in New York (and compared notes with 
them before his trip).  Brahimi doubted that much will come 
out of his trip in light of the imminent Sri Lankan 
presidential elections and told co-chair reps that "at this 
stage" he does not foresee a return to Sri Lanka. 
ENTWISTLE