US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO2007

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 002007 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/28/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KIRF, MASS, EAID, CE, LTTE - Peace Process, Elections, Religious Freedom 
SUBJECT: NEW PRIME MINISTER SEES HOPE FOR PEACE 
 
REF: (A) COLOMBO 2003 (B) COLOMBO 1982 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead for reason 1.4 (D). 
 
 1. (C) Summary.  New Prime Minister Ratnasiri 
Wickremanayake reacted with optimism to LTTE 
leader Prabhakaran's November 27 Heroes' Day 
speech, said that a return to war is not an option 
and expressed appreciation for U.S. military 
assistance.  He said the anti-conversion bill will 
not come back for consideration.  Given his 
hawkish reputation, his comments on the peace 
process, although vague, are welcome.  End Summary 
 
Continued Disaster Management Cooperation 
----------------------------------------- 
 
2. (C)  The Ambassador and DCM (notetaker) called 
on new Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake 
November 28.  In addition to the premiership, 
Wickremanayake will head a new Ministry of 
Disaster Management and maintain his position as 
Deputy Minister of Defense.  Turning first to his 
new Disaster Management ministry, Wickremanayake 
said it will enfold functions and personnel that 
now fall under the Social Services and Scientific 
Affairs ministries and thus will take some time to 
get off the ground.  The Ambassador briefed 
Wickremanayake on the various Embassy-facilitated 
interactions between American and Sri Lankan 
disaster management specialists since the tsunami 
and expressed hope they would continue.  The Prime 
Minister concurred. 
 
Military Budgets and Assistance 
------------------------------- 
 
3. (C)  Turning to his defense responsibilities, 
Wickremanayake confirmed that the Ministry of 
Public Security has been abolished and that police 
functions will be brought back into the Ministry 
of Defense, as was the case until several years 
ago.  He attributed this move to a desire to curb 
the number of ministries rather than any 
substantive or policy reason.  Asked about the 
significant increase in defense spending in the 
recently-promulgated budget, Wickremanayake said 
much of it will be for the "social services" 
aspects of the military, in other words for 
increases in salaries and benefits.  Morale has 
declined of late, he said, as military personnel 
have seen civil service benefits outstripping 
theirs.  The Ambassador told the Prime Minister 
that the U.S. intends to continue its program of 
military assistance with which he is familiar as 
Deputy Defense Minister (Wickremanayake, for 
example, presided at the handing over ceremony for 
the surplus U.S. Coast Guard cutter earlier this 
year).  The Prime Minister said U.S. military 
assistance was greatly appreciated and he hoped 
the levels could be increased. 
 
Hopeful Opening on Peace 
------------------------ 
 
4. (C)  The Ambassador told the Prime Minister 
that the United States remained committed to 
helping achieve peace and prosperity in Sri Lanka 
and asked Wickremanayake how he and President 
Rajapakse planned to move forward on peace. 
Wickremanayake turned immediately to the November 
27 Heroes' Day Speech by LTTE leader Prabhakaran 
(septel):  "It's an opening and it's up to us to 
respond.  He (Prabhakaran) is being careful but 
has given us hope."  The Prime Minister continued 
that all members of Rajapakse's coalition agree 
that "war is out" and that "we must get back to 
the peace table and negotiate with an open mind. 
We expect the same open mind from the LTTE." 
Asked how the cease-fire agreement (CFA) should be 
"strengthened" (as both the President and PM have 
stated), Wickremanayake said the government had no 
specific ideas yet but commented that both child 
abductions by the LTTE and LTTE entry into cleared 
areas with weapons had to be addressed.  Asked 
about the breakaway LTTE Karuna faction, 
Wickremanayake referred to it as "small but 
influential" and (somewhat uncomfortably) said the 
government was "studying" how to approach the 
issue.  The Ambassador emphasized that continued 
killings by the Karuna faction--and the tit-for- 
tat response by the LTTE--were a threat to the 
ceasefire.  Wickremanayake said the President was 
"thinking about" the proper role for the Norwegian 
peace process facilitators. 
 
Anti-conversion Bills Dead 
-------------------------- 
 
5. (C)  In response to the Ambassador's question 
about the status of anti-conversion legislation 
(Wickremanayake was Buddhist Affairs minister in 
the previous government and  a proponent of the 
bill), the Prime Minister said that the bill 
sponsored by the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) party 
had lapsed when Parliament was prorogued, but 
would probably be reintroduced to no avail.  The 
government bill was dead, he said.  "The issue 
will not arise," he concluded. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
6. (C)  Given Wickremanayake's reputation as a 
hawk on the peace process, his positive reaction 
to Prabhakaran's speech and his comment that war 
is not an option are welcome.  Less encouraging is 
the fact that, like the President, he does not yet 
seem to have any detailed ideas on how to bring 
about tangible progress on peace. His about-face 
on the anti-conversion bill is good news. 
LUNSTEAD