US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO75

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000075 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT, INR/NESA; NSC FOR E. 
MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL: 01/13/13 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, PINR, CE, NO, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  PEACE PROCESS UPDATE:  LTTE NEGOTIATOR SPEAKS 
OUT; UN SYG ANNAN TO VISIT; FEDERALISM EXPLORED 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo-SA/INS 01/13/03 fax 
 
-      (B) Colombo 52, and previous (NOTAL) 
 
(U) CLASSIFIED BY LEWIS AMSELEM, DEPUTY CHIEF OF 
MISSION.  REASONS 1.5 (B,D). 
 
1.  (C) This update of Sri Lanka's peace process reviews 
the following: 
 
-- LTTE negotiator Balasingham speaks out 
 
-- Norwegian Prime Minister responds to president's 
charges 
 
-- Kofi Annan to visit in February; Japanese Special 
Envoy Akashi also on the way 
 
-- Exploring federalism 
 
-------------------------- 
LTTE NEGOTIATOR SPEAKS OUT 
-------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) senior 
negotiator Anton Balasingham has received widespread 
press coverage in Sri Lanka of late.  The coverage has 
been generated by his remarks at the press conference 
that took place after the completion of the fourth round 
of talks last week and in two press interviews, one with 
the BBC and one with a local paper.  Overall, 
Balasingham used the three occasions to emphasize the 
LTTE's commitment to the ongoing peace process.  On a 
more negative note, he also went on to stress that the 
LTTE would not consider disarming until much further 
down the road.  Highlights of Balasingham's comments 
included: 
 
-- BBC TV interview (telecast on January 7):  During 
this interview with BBC Sri Lanka correspondent Frances 
Harrison, Balasingham underscored that he did not 
believe that the war would return because "both parties 
are seriously committed to peace."  In response to a 
question, he stressed that the Tigers had no intention 
of disbanding the "Black Tiger" suicide squads at this 
time, stating:  "All LTTE units are now observing the 
ceasefire, but they are also the bargaining power of the 
Tamil people.  We have to keep them to pressurize the 
government to bring about a settlement.  When this 
situation is reached, then we will consider disarming 
these units." 
 
-- (After-the-talks) press conference (January 9):  When 
queried once again on the issue of disarmament, 
Balasingham replied:  "Some people are under the 
impression that we are like the IRA or some other 
organization which has a few weapons lying here or 
there.  That is wrong.  The LTTE has a formidable 
military machine, a conventional army that has fought 
this war for 20 years...we will not disarm, until the 
aspirations of the Tamil people are met.  (Until this 
happens) disarming would be suicidal."  Balasingham went 
on to deny that the Tigers were holding any Sri Lankan 
military POWs or that there were any MIAs, stating 
"Unfortunately, they (the Sri Lankan soldiers) all died 
on the battlefield."  He estimated that 25,000 GSL 
soldiers were killed in the war along with 17,500 LTTE 
cadre. 
 
-- Interview in the SUNDAY LEADER (published 
January 12):  During this interview with editor Lasantha 
Wickremetunge, Balasingham underscored that the LTTE 
wanted to see progress made in solving the issue of the 
Sri Lankan military's "high security zones" in Jaffna. 
The LTTE was not demanding that the GSL withdraw from 
all of these security zones, but it wanted them 
relocated or reduced in size.  In any case, the LTTE had 
no intention to move heavy weapons into any areas that 
were eventually vacated by the military.  He asserted 
that the military -- as opposed to Prime Minister 
Wickremesinghe's government -- was being "rigid" on the 
security zone matter.  In response to a question, he hit 
out at President Kumaratunga, asserting that the LTTE 
could not work with her, remarking:  "If she 
(Kumaratunga) takes power (by regaining control of the 
government), I don't think there will be any peace 
negotiations because she is committed to war."  (Note: 
the text of this interview is contained in Ref A.) 
3.  (C) COMMENT:  Although he is technically spokesman 
of the LTTE (among many other titles), Balasingham -- 
befitting an organization that remains highly secretive 
-- does not interact with the press all that much.  His 
latest comments, particularly those published in the 
SUNDAY LEADER, were some of the most extensive a LTTE 
official has made since the peace process began, 
however.  (Note:  His appearance with LTTE leader V. 
Prabhakaran at a press conference in April 2001 was also 
a major media event.)  In general via his comments, 
Balasingham appeared to be trying to seem moderate and 
to assure the south of the LTTE's commitment to peace. 
That said, his obvious attempts to divide the south into 
elements the LTTE can work with (e.g., the GSL) and 
those it cannot work with (e.g., Kumaratunga/the 
military) were a bit unsettling and probably too clever 
by half.  END COMMENT. 
 
--------------------- 
NORWEGIAN PM RESPONDS 
--------------------- 
 
4.  (C) Norwegian Prime Minister Bondevik has responded 
to President Kumaratunga's complaints about GoN 
involvement in a recent incident involving the import of 
radio equipment for the LTTE.  (Note:  On January 1, 
Kumaratunga sent Bondevik a letter questioning the 
Norwegian role in this matter, especially the 
involvement of Ambassador Jon Westborg -- see Ref B.) 
In a letter dated January 6 that received front-page 
coverage in the local press, the Norwegian PM noted that 
the GSL had already explained the circumstances 
surrounding the import of the equipment and that the GoN 
did not have anything else to add to this explanation. 
(Note:  PM Wickremesinghe recently sent Kumaratunga an 
extensive letter explaining GSL involvement in the 
matter, noting that the Norwegian embassy had only 
gotten involved at the specific request of the GSL.) 
Ambassador Westborg was open to briefing the president 
on the matter if she wished, Bondevik noted.  The letter 
went on to praise Kumaratunga's involvement in 
initiating and supporting the peace process.  Asked 
about the letter, Oddvar Laegried, DCM at the Norwegian 
Embassy, told us that the letter was carefully 
calibrated not to anger Kumaratunga and Norway hoped she 
would put the matter behind her. 
 
5.  (C) COMMENT:  It is possible that the controversy 
over the radio equipment will come to a close with this 
missive from Prime Minister Bondevik.  The letter was 
drafted with the utmost care and seemed to hit all the 
right notes, especially in its salutes to Kumaratunga's 
(rather large) ego.  In the meantime, anti-peace process 
elements -- and those who are merely skeptical like the 
president -- seem to have wrung just about every last 
bit of blood they can out of this matter.  In the 
process, they seem to have scored some points on the 
government and the GoN -- but not too many.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
---------------------------------- 
UN SYG, GOJ SPECIAL ENVOY TO VISIT 
---------------------------------- 
 
6.  (U) The Sri Lankan MFA has announced that UN 
Secretary General Kofi Annan will visit Sri Lanka from 
 
SIPDIS 
February 26-27.  According to UN sources, the focus of 
the visit will be Sri Lanka's peace process, and ways to 
address the humanitarian situation in the north and 
east.  While plans for the visit are still being put 
together, it will center around meetings with GSL 
officials in Colombo.  It is also possible that a visit 
to war-ravaged Jaffna will be arranged. 
7.  (SBU) In another visit related to the peace process, 
Japan's Special Envoy for Sri Lankan peace process 
humanitarian issues Yasushi Akashi plans to visit, 
January 15-20.  The primary reason for the visit, 
according to Koji Yagi, a poloff at the Japanese 
Embassy, is for Akashi to attend the "Sub-Committee on 
Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs" (SIHRN) 
meeting being held in the LTTE-controlled Wanni region. 
(Note:  Akashi is acting as principal advisor to the 
sub-committee, which was formed at the second round of 
GSL-LTTE talks in November.)  According to press 
reports, Akashi may meet with LTTE leader Prabhakaran 
during his stop in the Wanni, but Yagi said he did not 
think that Akashi would be participating in any such 
meeting.  Akashi is also planning to visit sites in 
southern Sri Lanka.   (Note:  Akashi is scheduled to 
meet Ambassador Wills on January 17.) 
 
8.  (C) COMMENT:  Annan's visit will be the first by a 
UN SYG since U Thant's in 1967.  With the GSL's peace 
initiative now over a year old, Annan clearly wants to 
try to reinforce the process to the full extent 
possible.  It will be interesting to see who in the LTTE 
he might meet with, if anyone.  As for Akashi, as 
mentioned in Ref B, Japan has been trying to play a more 
important role in Sri Lanka's peace process for some 
time.  FM Kawaguchi's recent visit to Sri Lanka fit into 
that mold, as does Akashi's involvement.  END COMMENT. 
 
-------------------- 
EXPLORING FEDERALISM 
-------------------- 
 
9.  (U) In an effort to increase understanding of 
federalist models of government, a German NGO called 
"PeaceTalk" has invited ten Sri Lankans on a ten-day 
tour of Italy, Austria, Germany, and Belgium.  (Note: 
Mission is trying to find out more information about 
this NGO.)  Representatives of most major parties in the 
south, including the governing United National Party and 
the opposition People's Alliance, are reportedly slated 
to participate in the study, as is the LTTE.  The 
radical, Sinhalese extremist Janantha Vimukthi Peramuna 
(JVP) has reportedly turned down an invitation to 
participate.  Gajan Ponnambalam, a Tamil National 
Alliance MP who plans to join the study tour, told us 
that the primary focus of the trip would be ways to 
apply federalist models to the Sri Lankan situation. 
 
10.  (SBU) COMMENT:  Once extremely controversial, 
federalism is now clearly a growth business in Sri 
Lanka.  Since the LTTE announced at the third round of 
talks in December that it was willing to explore 
federalist options, numerous NGOs have offered to work 
with the two sides in developing ideas on this issue. 
(Note:  Essentially the issue under discussion is the 
Sri Lankan constitution, which is unitary in structure, 
and would need to be revamped or rewritten to allow some 
sort of federalist structure to emerge.)  The study tour 
to Europe is part of this general educational effort, as 
was a conference held in December in Switzerland 
sponsored by a Swiss NGO.  We also understand that at 
the recently concluded fourth round of talks there were 
many meetings on the margins on this topic, including 
some involving the Forum of Federations, a Canadian NGO. 
END COMMENT. 
 
11. (U) Minimize considered. 
WILLS