US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO39

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000039 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS 
 
NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 01-07-13 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, PINR, CE, NO, JA, TH, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  Peace Process Update:  Fourth round of talks 
kicks off; PM's address to nation; Japanese FM's visit 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo-SA/INS 01/06/03 Fax 
 
-      (B) Oslo 16 
-      (C) Colombo 14, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by W. Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) This update of Sri Lanka's peace process reviews 
the following: 
 
>> Fourth round of GSL-LTTE talks begins in Thailand 
 
>> Muslim leader Hakeem attends talks as part of GSL 
team -- and takes other Muslims with him 
 
>> In nationally televised address, Prime Minister 
reviews progress of GSL's peace initiative 
 
>> In visit, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi underscores 
Japan's support for peace process 
 
------------------------------ 
Start of Fourth Round of Talks 
------------------------------ 
 
2.  (U) The fourth round of Norwegian-facilitated talks 
between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation 
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) began at a resort hotel in 
the Bangkok area on January 6. (Note:  The last round of 
talks took place in Oslo in early December.  The 
previous two rounds took place in Thailand in September 
and November.)  The talks are scheduled to continue 
until January 9, with a press briefing slated to take 
place on January 10.  The first day of talks seems to 
have taken place in a cordial atmosphere.  Photos and TV 
news feed of the brief opening ceremony showed GSL and 
LTTE team members standing together and grinning, 
apparently in a relaxed mood. 
 
3.  (SBU) In a press briefing late January 6, G.L. 
Peiris, a senior GSL minister and key negotiator, set an 
optimistic tone and related that the first day mainly 
involved developing an agenda for the rest of the 
discussions.  As foreshadowed in Refs B and C, Peiris 
stated that the key agenda items were the Sri Lankan 
military's "high security zones" in Jaffna and human 
rights in LTTE-controlled areas.  Before talks wrapped 
up on January 6, the two sides had also begun 
substantive discussions on humanitarian/resettlement 
issues, including prioritization of assistance projects 
and how to handle pledges by donors. 
 
4.  (C) COMMENT:  Entering this round of talks, there 
were concerns that the two sides would not hit it off 
because of recent disagreements over the Jaffna security 
zones (see Ref C).  So far, however, it appears that the 
government and the Tigers are striving to make things 
work.  In fact, it's almost as if they want to prove the 
peace process skeptics back home wrong.  If that spirit 
prevails, it seems likely that the Norwegians will be 
able to put together a positive joint communique at the 
end of the talks, allowing the process as a whole to 
maintain its momentum.  END COMMENT. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
Muslim Leader Attends Talks, Gains "Advisers" 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
5.  (SBU) After weeks of confusion, embattled Sri Lanka 
Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader (and senior GSL minister) 
Raul Hakeem is participating in the Thailand talks as a 
member of the government delegation.  (Note:  Hakeem was 
a member of the GSL team at the first three rounds of 
talks.  He had to leave the third round of talks in Oslo 
in December early because a group of party rebels was 
threatening to eject him from the SLMC leadership.)  In 
a new development, three other Muslims have joined 
Hakeem in Thailand.  The three -- M.L.M. Cader, H.S. 
Hasbullah, and M.I.M. Mohiudeen -- are reportedly 
serving in an "advisory" capacity and not directly 
participating in the talks.  (Note:  Cader and Hasbullah 
are educators, who -- along with Hakeem -- are former 
IVP grantees.  Mohiuddin is also well-known, having been 
involved in Muslim politics in the east for years.) 
 
6.  (C) Asked about the addition of the three Muslim 
advisers, M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, a senior MP for the Muslim 
National Unity Alliance (NUA), told us that Prime 
Minister Wickremesinghe, reacting to complaints by other 
Muslims, had essentially ordered Hakeem to bring 
additional members of the community with him to 
Thailand.  Hizbullah commented that he and other Muslims 
continued to demand that their community be granted 
third party status at the talks and not remain part of 
the government's team. 
 
7.  (C) COMMENT:  Although it's a victory of sorts that 
he is even in Thailand, Hakeem is clearly struggling 
politically.  Despite his best efforts, he has 
not been able to quell the protests that he is not 
attentive enough to the needs of eastern Muslims.  In 
addition, criticism from his many SLMC opponents 
continues to flare.  Although he has seemingly gained an 
edge in the party leadership battle, both sides are 
still heavily involved in litigation and it is not clear 
where the chips will fall.  In the meantime -- and in 
another humbling experience, Hakeem has been forced to 
bite the bullet and accept the three advisers.  Given 
the confluence of events, it seems that Hakeem is well 
on the way to being marginalized unless he does 
something in short order that halts the erosion in his 
support.  END COMMENT. 
 
------------------- 
PM Addresses Nation 
------------------- 
 
8.  (SBU) On the evening of January 5, Prime Minister 
Wickremesinghe gave a nationally televised address. 
(Note:  Ref A contains a text of the speech.)  In 
essence, the address was of the "State of the Union"- 
type in which the PM reviewed what he considered his 
coalition's major successes of the past year.  Three 
major points emerged:  First, the PM stated that 
the peace process was at a "decisive moment" and that it 
was now time to start making a transition to a permanent 
peace.  Second, he reached out to President Kumaratunga, 
urging her to work with him to make peace possible. 
Third, the PM used part of the speech to underline the 
GSL's commitment to economic growth and reform. 
 
9.  (C) The address received mostly favorable press play 
in papers the next day.  The President's Office and her 
People's Alliance party had no immediate comment on the 
speech.  As could be expected, the radical JVP party 
harshly criticized it, asserting that the peace process 
was only working in favor of the LTTE.  (Note:  More 
humorously, the JVP also asserted that the PM was wrong 
to wear the "kit of George Bush," i.e., a coat and tie, 
during the speech, and not local dress.)  Asked for his 
reaction to the speech, Jehan Perera, the head of the 
National Peace Council, a local think-tank, commented 
that he thought the speech was constructive in that it 
was "conciliatory" toward the president, which was 
positive in terms of easing cohabitation strains. 
 
10.  (C) COMMENT:  Although their peace initiative has 
been amazingly successful, one area where the PM and his 
government have been criticized is with respect to 
public relations.  Despite much advice, the PM and his 
major advisers have not taken to the airwaves in any 
sustained way to explain the peace process and solidify 
support for the GSL's efforts.  The lack of such an 
effort has not been too much of a problem thus far, but 
could be in the future if the process hits bumps in the 
road.  Wickremesinghe's speech seemed to go a way toward 
helping plug the public relations gap, but it is still 
not clear whether it will be part of a longer-term 
effort.  END COMMENT. 
 
-------------------- 
Visit of Japanese FM 
-------------------- 
 
11.  (SBU) Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi 
visited Sri Lanka, January 5-7.  In Colombo, Kawaguchi 
met with President Kumaratunga, the Prime Minister, and 
Foreign Minister Fernando.  She also visited the war- 
ravaged Jaffna area.  While in Jaffna, she promised 
augmented Japanese rehabilitation assistance, including 
funding for demining.  Noting that it was the first 
visit by a Japanese FM to Sri Lanka in 16 years, Koji 
Yagi, a Japanese Embassy poloff, told us that the trip 
went extremely well.  He added that a key area of focus 
in GSL-GOJ discussions during the visit involved a 
review of modalities for the Sri Lanka donor conference 
being hosted by the Japanese government in the June 
timeframe. 
 
12.  (C) COMMENT:  Japan has been trying to play a more 
important role in Sri Lanka's peace process for some 
time and Kawaguchi's visit fits into that mold.  One 
aspect of the visit that received significant local 
coverage centered on comments by Hatsuhisa Takashima, an 
assistant of Kawaguchi's, who was quoted as repeatedly 
assuring press conference participants that Kawaguchi 
will carefully brief the GoI on the results of her visit 
to Sri Lanka (India is her next stop).  In very 
solicitous remarks, Takashima went on to add that the 
GoJ would ask India for its views about an invitation 
Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi had received from the LTTE 
inviting him to visit areas under its control.  (Note: 
Per Reftels:  According to various sources, the Indian 
government has not welcomed Japan's attempts to enhance 
its involvement in Sri Lanka-related issues.)  END 
COMMENT. 
 
13.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
WILLS