US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO2056

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 002056 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S/ES, INR/MR, PA 
SA/INS (CAMP, SIM, GOWER) SA/PPD (SCENSNY, ROGERS, 
PALLADINO); SSA/PAS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, KPAO, PTER, EAID, OIIP, PREL, CE, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  Special Media Reaction: Department's Statement on 
Jaffna Landmine Blasts 
 
1. (U) Summary:  Sri Lankan Media commented widely on the 
statement issued Monday, December 5, by Deputy Spokesman 
Adam Ereli condemning persistent violations of the cease- 
fire agreement (CFA), in particular the December 4 LTTE 
landmine attacks in Jaffna. The English-language and Sinhala 
media called upon the international community, particularly 
the U.S., to get more involved in pressuring the Tigers, 
while Tamil and pro-LTTE media carried the statement without 
comment.  End Summary. 
 
2. (U) The English editorial press commented widely on the 
Department's statement condemning the LTTE's landmine blast 
in Jaffna and calling upon both sides to curb violence.  The 
government owned Daily News (circulation 85,000) asked the 
U.S. and other Co-chairs to pressure the LTTE with more than 
official statements and promises of development aid:  "Mere 
words will not suffice to halt the LTTE's killing spree. 
The international community, especially the four co-chairs, 
must come down hard on the LTTE.  More sanctions, as 
envisioned in the recent UN resolutions against terrorism, 
are called for." 
 
3. (U) Independent newspapers' commentary sections each 
featured multiple articles citing the Department's 
statement.  The independent Daily Mirror's(circulation 
125,000) editorialist, whose writing is generally slanted 
towards the opposition United National Party, argued: "The 
international community especially needs to bring pressure 
on the LTTE to stop violence and fall in line with the 
ceasefire agreement."  In another Daily Mirror column, 
political columnist Champika Liyanaarachchi contended: 
"Sunday's call [by the government] for the international 
community to condemn the LTTE violence is the first 
indication of the real expectations the new regime has on 
the global community.  The U.S. statement on Monday 
condemning the LTTE's claymore attack in Kondavil will serve 
as a morale boost to Rajapaksa."  In an op-ed in the Morning 
Leader, a weekly often critical of the government, regular 
columnist Sonali Somarasinghe speculated: "The United States 
is looking for a non-Islamic terrorist organization to make 
an example of globally and would come down hard on the LTTE. 
However, the U.S. State Department communiqu after the 
(Jaffna) attack by the Tigers did not reflect this stand." 
She contended the LTTE is counting on the international 
community to be disengaged as it wages war for a separate 
state and urged the U.S. to pressure the Tigers more 
actively to give up terrorism. 
 
4.  (U) While more mainstream independent media gently 
called upon the U.S. and other co-chairs to be more involved 
in psychologically fighting the Tigers, the Sinhala 
nationalist press took a more chastising approach.  In its 
editorial titled "Where are the co-chairs?," the independent 
Island (circulation 75,000) called the U.S. statement 
condemning Sunday's LTTE landmine attack a "paper rocket" 
and contended Sri Lanka "is a prisoner to the donor 
community which is soft pedaling LTTE terror and using aid 
as its weapon.  It looks as if the international community 
has mistaken Sri Lanka for a terror group and the LTTE as a 
sovereign state.  The U.S. is doing what is good for her [to 
fight terrorism], but who is cooperating with little Lanka, 
not to fight, but to defend herself against terrorism?"  In 
an op-ed in the same section titled, "The need to rethink 
U.S. policy on Sri Lanka," editorialist Neville Ladduwahetty 
considered the recent Department statement and a portion of 
President George W. Bush's Inaugural Address on promoting 
democracy.   Luddawahetty contended: "U.S. policy toward Sri 
Lanka is based on the belief that in time the LTTE would 
undergo a metamorphosis to become a legitimate political 
entity."  If the U.S. hopes "to bring about a durable 
stability by fostering the process of democracy," he argued, 
peace facilitators must not focus on the LTTE as the 
representative of the Tamil people, but "must reach a 
consensus with the major communities in Sri Lanka, then 
present it to the LTTE and the world at large." 
 
5. (U) The vernacular press's reaction to the statement was 
less notable.  Only one Sinhala newspaper, the independent 
Lakbima, carried it, though all commented widely on the 
attacks against government forces.  All Tamil and pro-LTTE 
media carried the statement without comment, instead blaming 
the Rajapaksa government in editorial sections for unclear 
peace policies and failure to uphold its commitment under 
the Ceasefire Agreement to disarm anti-LTTE paramilitary 
groups. 
 
6. (U) Afternoon and evening television news bulletins of 
December 6 led with the U.S. statement.  Independent 
Swarnavahini reported: "America expresses grave concern over 
LTTE atrocities."  Maharaja Television's (MTV) noon programs 
Sirasa (Sinhala) and Shakthi (Tamil) emphasized the U.S. 
request that the government and the LTTE uphold the CFA. 
State-owned Rupavahini's evening news program detailed the 
government Information Department's press release welcoming 
the statement by the US State Department condemning the LTTE 
attack and India's request that the EU ban the LTTE. 
Rupavahini stated the government urged the international 
community to condemn such attacks on Sri Lankan security 
forces and to exert maximum pressure on the LTTE to desist 
from such attacks.  State owned TV ITN evening news 
headlined: "US denounces the LTTE attack on the army." 
Independent ABC radio aired a voice cut of PAO reading the 
statement on the air. 
 
7.  (SBU) Comment: The government-controlled media 
predictably emphasized the government's commitment to peace 
and the Sri Lanka Army's exercise of restraint despite the 
LTTE's obvious violations of the Ceasefire Agreement. 
Independent English press widely asked for more support from 
the international community, in some cases blaming the US 
and others for not taking a harder line towards the LTTE in 
the past.  Independent papers also expressed more realistic 
concern for the status of the CFA, analyzing Prabhakaran's 
alleged attempt to instigate the Security Forces to respond 
violently to LTTE attacks.  Tamil papers printed the 
statement and led with reports of the landmine attacks 
without comment, reflecting a disturbing complacency in the 
face of the escalation of violence.  End Comment. 
 
Lunstead