US embassy cable - 02COLOMBO2163

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 002163 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR THE DEPUTY SECRETARY AND ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROCCA FROM 
AMBASSADOR WILLS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/21/2012 
TAGS: PREL, EAID, PGOV, CE, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT: WHAT THE PM WILL RAISE WITH YOU IN OSLO 
 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR E. ASHLEY WILLS.  REASONS 1.5 B, D. 
 
1.  (C) I saw PM Wickremesinghe three times this week, twice 
at social events and most recently today together with Deputy 
USTR Huntsman, who is here for the first official meeting on 
trade issues since the TIFA was signed in July.  (Ambassador 
Huntsman's visit, by the way, is going extremely well, as we 
will report by septel.)  On all three occasions, Ranil and I 
had brief exchanges about what he intends to raise with you 
in Oslo. 
 
2.  (C) Aggregating his responses, it seems he wants to thank 
you for your personal involvement in and support of his 
government's attempt to end the civil conflict through 
negotiations.  It means a lot to him, he said, that you will 
be attending the Oslo meeting.  He added that he would 
mention his appreciation of the various USG-sponsored 
assessments that have been carried out in recent months, in 
particular those involving the Peace Corps, USAID and 
Treasury programs and the three teams from DOD.  In the 
latter connection, he said that peace is the target but his 
military's preparedness is a key factor in the equation as 
well.  "We don't want to return to fighting, that's for sure, 
but the LTTE must perceive that our military is not weak." 
He elaborated that this is why US assistance to Sri Lanka's 
military forces, mainly in the form of training, education 
and other mil-mil contacts, is so important.  He also 
expressed his hope that "modest" equipment sales -- mainly 
relating to maritime surveillance and interdiction -- would 
be forthcoming too. 
 
3.  (C) I replied that his agenda sounded fine to me, but 
added that I hoped he would not put too much emphasis on 
equipment sales.  These might or might not be possible, I 
said, but it is clear that we see our greatest value added in 
the military field in mil-mil engagement programs relating to 
training and education.  Bottom line:  he probably will raise 
equipment sales with you but not forcefully, as it were. 
 
4.  (C) Ranil's mood is very positive as he approaches Oslo. 
He and his Cabinet colleagues have got our message that they 
should not have high expectation about the money likely to be 
pledged.  The important thing, we and other donors here 
stressed, is our political support of the process.  (Indeed, 
GL Peiris told the media 11/19 that the GSL never expected 
many new financial pledges at Oslo and that it now refers to 
the event not as a donors' conference but as a "peace 
support" one.) 
 
5.  (c) The GSL seems to be coming to the view that the LTTE 
means it this time.  Various ministers I have spoken with 
lately have been somewhat less dubious about the Tigers' 
intentions.  (GL Peiris is utterly convinced that the LTTE is 
for real, an enthusiasm that is not shared by his Cabinet 
colleagues, and that I too find unwarranted.)  But they all 
stress how important it is for us and others in the 
international community to remain steadfast in reminding the 
LTTE that its behavior is being closely observed and that it 
has yet to be declarative in renouncing violence and the idea 
of Tamil Eelam and in embracing the idea of genuine 
democracy. 
 
6.  (C) In one of our brief exchanges this week, I asked 
Ranil what he thought of the PA's harsh statement last week 
alleging bias on the part of the Norwegians and softness on 
the part of the US and the UK regarding the LTTE.  He replied 
that it showed just how unhappy President Kumaratunga is 
about the positive trend of events.  He did not reckon that 
the statement would have a major impact or that it meant that 
the PA could not be worked with.  In this regard, he said he 
will brief the President privately when he returns from Oslo. 
 
WILLS