US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO2042

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 002042 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PTER, CE, LTTE - Peace Process, External Relations 
SUBJECT: NEW FOREIGN MINISTER EAGER TO MAINTAIN CLOSE U.S. 
TIES, FOCUSED ON THE PEACE PROCESS 
 
REF: COLOMBO 1994 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead for reasons 1.4 (d). 
 
 1. (C) Summary.  New Sri Lankan Foreign Minister 
Mangala Samaraweera said the GSL has proposed CFA 
talks to the LTTE via the Norwegian facilitators 
and would be flexible on the location of those 
talks.  The landmine killings of soldiers in 
Jaffna make such talks especially urgent.  The FM 
outlined the President's efforts to form a 
"southern consensus" on peace before engaging with 
the LTTE on the larger peace process and said that 
international involvement, especially that of the 
co-chairs, was more necessary than ever.  He 
welcomed the Ambassador's overview of U.S. support 
for and continued involvement in the peace process 
and suggested they meet again before the December 
19 co-chairs meeting in Brussels.  Samaraweera 
welcomed next week's MCC visit and, in his Ports 
and Aviation capacity, undertook to sort out 
difficulties slowing down Megaports implementation 
in the port of Colombo.  The new FM is going to be 
a player on the peace process and is clearly 
interested in maintaining close ties with us.  End 
Summary 
 
2. (C) The Ambassador and DCM (notetaker) called 
on new Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala 
Samaraweera December 6.  The Minister was 
accompanied by newly-reappointed Foreign Secretary 
H.G.M.S. Palihakkara, Peace Secretariat Secretary 
General John Gunaratne and a Ministry notetaker. 
 
Jaffna Killings Underline Need for CFA Review 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) After opening pleasantries about 
Samaraweera's involvement in the post-tsunami 
Bush/Clinton visit to Sri Lanka, the new Foreign 
Minister said that he was speaking individually 
with each of the co-chair chiefs of mission to 
brief them on the new government's current 
thinking on the peace process (note: the co-chairs 
chiefs of mission met later on December 6, septel. 
End note).  Samaraweera said that the GSL had just 
communicated to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil 
Eelam (LTTE) through the Norwegian facilitators 
that it wants to start immediate talks on 
improving implementation of the Cease-fire 
Agreement (CFA).  This week's LTTE landmine 
attacks on soldiers in Jaffna (six more were 
killed there early on December 6) were a matter 
requiring "urgent attention" and therefore 
President Rajapakse believes that a review of 
"cease-fire operations" with the LTTE must begin 
immediately.  Samaraweera said the LTTE's public 
assertion that the GSL in fact wants to 
renegotiate the terms of the CFA is not true.  "We 
want to discuss implementation only."  The Foreign 
Minister said the GSL would prefer to hold such 
talks in Colombo but is prepared to be flexible on 
location.  Samaraweera told the Ambassador that 
the GSL hoped to have a substantive response from 
the LTTE on the proposal for CFA talks before the 
co-chairs meeting in Brussels on December 19. 
 
Building the Southern Consensus for Peace 
----------------------------------------- 
 
4. (C) Turning to the longer range strategy for 
peace, Samaraweera stated that all previous peace 
efforts had eventually failed because the 
government had not gained a "southern 
consensus" before trying to move forward with the 
LTTE.  Tiger leader Prabhakaran had, in the past, 
used this lack of southern consensus as an "escape 
route" to avoid serious engagement on peace. 
President Rajapakse, the Foreign Minister 
continued, realizes this and for the first time in 
Sri Lankan history is working to develop a 
southern consensus as the first step towards 
peace.  To that end, the President met on December 
5 with the Buddhist JHU party and with major 
coalition partner JVP on December 6.  Samaraweera 
said the President will work his way through his 
entire coalition from the Liberal party which 
endorses federalism to the JVP which opposes it, 
with the President's Sri Lanka Freedom Party 
(SLFP), which supports an Indian-style 
constitutional model, firmly in the middle. 
Samaraweera told the Ambassador "very 
confidentially" that this consultation process is 
 
SIPDIS 
already bearing fruit with the JVP having, despite 
their reservations, accepted that the Norwegians 
should continue in their facilitation role. 
 
International Role Crucial 
-------------------------- 
 
5. (C) As President Rajapakse continues to seek 
this southern consensus, Samaraweera said, the 
role of the co-chairs and  the larger 
international community is crucial.  In 
particular, the role of the United States is 
widely appreciated and valued in Sri Lanka.  It is 
clear, the Foreign Minister said, that the Tigers 
only respond to "rewards and punishments" and in 
particular to international pressure.  "The co- 
chairs and Norway should and must play a positive 
role in nudging the Tigers back to the table," 
Samaraweera said.  "We must sit down (with the 
LTTE) and stop the killings and violations." 
Samaraweera said that the Norwegians' facilitative 
efforts had "not been so bad" but that, in 
hindsight, it had probably been a mistake to also 
ask them to head the monitoring effort. 
 
"Enhanced" Indian Role Sought But Unlikely 
------------------------------------------ 
 
6. (C) Asked about his just-concluded visit to New 
Delhi, Samaraweera said the Indian government 
"agrees with our approach" of first seeking a 
southern consensus while trying to shore up the 
CFA.  The Indians had made clear their support for 
a continued Norwegian role.  Samaraweera said he 
had asked the Indians to play an "enhanced" role 
in the peace process but came away with the clear 
impression that the vagaries of domestic Indian 
politics probably would prevent it.  The 
Ambassador noted that the U.S. relationship with 
India has improved markedly in recent years and 
that the coordination and information-sharing on 
Sri Lanka is especially close. 
 
U.S. Position Unchanged 
----------------------- 
 
7. (C) The Ambassador told the Foreign Minister 
that the U.S. had issued a statement in Washington 
strongly condemning the December 4 LTTE landmine 
attack on soldiers in Jaffna and that our position 
on the LTTE was longstanding and clear.  He 
reviewed for the Foreign Minister the history of 
U.S. support for the Sri Lankan peace process and 
made clear that it would continue.  U.S. 
objectives in Sri Lanka are "peace and prosperity" 
and the U.S. stands ready to work with any 
government that shares those objectives.  The 
Ambassador reminded the Foreign Minister of U.S. 
military assistance and said it is designed to 
send a message to the LTTE that, if it should 
choose a return to war, it will face a stronger 
Sri Lankan military.  The Ambassador noted that he 
would attend the December 19 co-chairs meeting in 
Brussels.  Samaraweera said he would like to meet 
again before the Ambassador left for Brussels. 
The Foreign Minister said he looked forward to 
visiting Washington and hopefully calling on 
Secretary Rice but that he had no plans for 
 
SIPDIS 
imminent travel to the U.S. 
 
Shared Democratic Values Lead to Greater 
Cooperation 
---------------------------------------- 
 
8. (C) The Ambassador told the Foreign Minister 
that when former FM Kadirgamar had called on 
Secretary Rice earlier in the year she had been 
 
SIPDIS 
very interested in his account of Sri Lanka's long 
democratic history which underlined the U.S. view 
that shared democratic values should lead to 
coordination on key international issues.  Of 
late, the U.S. had "noted and appreciated" the 
helpful Sri Lankan statement on Iran at the IAEA 
Board of Governors.  The Ambassador expressed hope 
that the U.S. and Sri Lanka would be able to 
similarly find common ground at the WTO meeting in 
Hong Kong. 
 
Millenium Challenge Account 
--------------------------- 
 
9. (C) The Ambassador briefed Samaraweera on the 
status of the Millennium Challenge Account, noting 
that Washington continued to review Sri Lanka's 
compact proposal.  Moreover, an MCC team would be 
in Sri Lanka next week.  The Foreign Minister said 
the visit was welcome and that the President would 
mention the MCA in his budget speech to Parliament 
later in the week.  Palihakkara said that Finance 
Secretary P.B. Jayasundera would meet with the MCC 
 
SIPDIS 
team and that the GSL inter-ministerial MCC 
committee was still in operation.  The Ambassador 
noted that he had also briefed President Rajapakse 
on the MCC and it was clear that the President 
remains very enthusiastic. 
 
Megaports Logjam 
---------------- 
 
10. (C) Telling the Foreign Minister  that he also 
needed to raise an issue under the Minister's 
other portfolio (Samaraweera also remains Minister 
of Ports and Aviation), the Ambassador advised 
that continuing problems with Sri Lankan Customs 
in the port of Colombo are preventing progress 
towards full implementation of Megaports. 
Samaraweera said he was not aware of the problem 
but, given the importance of Megaports to Sri 
Lanka, would convene a meeting of relevant 
Ministries to sort it out and asked the Ambassador 
for a letter detailing the obstacles.  "I will 
attend to it."  The Ambassador noted that the 
Container Security Initiative (CSI) is proceeding 
well and that to be both a CSI and Megaports port 
will be a significant plus for the port of 
Colombo.  Samaraweera agreed. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
11. (C) Samaraweera came across well in our first 
encounter with him as Foreign Minister with a 
lowkey (reinforced by his open collar, rolled-up 
sleeves and sandals) but focused approach on the 
issues.  His emphasis on the peace process 
underlines reports we've heard that Samaraweera 
will be a major player in that regard.  Also 
encouraging is that he displayed no hesitation on 
deferring on details to his team members in the 
meeting (Palihakkara's retention is particularly 
good news in our view). The new Foreign Minister 
clearly is well-disposed to the U.S. and eager to 
work closely with us.  Whenever Samaraweera 
decides to make his maiden voyage to Washington, 
we think high-level attention could bear fruit. 
End Comment 
LUNSTEAD