US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO205

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000205 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, SA/PD, NEA/NGA; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  02-06-13 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, KPAO, CE, MV, IZ 
SUBJECT:  Low key reaction to Secretary's UN Security 
Council speech on Iraq so far in Sri Lanka and Maldives 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo 185 
 
-      (B) Colombo 170 
-      (C) Colombo 24 
-      (D) 02 Colombo 1879, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by W. Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b, d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  Reaction to the Secretary's speech to 
the UN Security Council has been low key in Sri Lanka 
and the Maldives.  Press coverage was limited to wire- 
service reports.  Neither the GSL nor GoRM have issued 
public statements as of yet.  With the speech wrapping 
up very late February 5 local time, our assessment is 
that reaction will take several days to roll in.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (SBU) Reaction to the Secretary's speech to the UN 
Security Council has been low key in Sri Lanka and the 
Maldives, thus far.  The speech wrapped up very late 
February 5 local time.  Our assessment is that its 
contents are just being digested and that reaction will 
take time to develop. 
 
3.  (C) OFFICIAL REACTION:  We have checked with Sri 
Lankan MFA and Office of the Prime Minister contacts, 
and they report that the GSL has not developed an 
official reaction to the speech as of yet.  (Note:  Last 
week, the GSL issued a constructive statement re Iraq -- 
see Ref B.)  It is possible that a GSL press statement 
will be forthcoming, but contacts are not sure, given 
that key ministers, including senior government 
spokesman G.L. Peiris, are in Berlin for talks with the 
Tamil Tigers.  Harim Peiris, a press spokesman for the 
Office of President Kumaratunga, said he had "no 
comment" on the speech at this time.  Mission also 
contacted the Maldivian MFA in Male, which reported that 
it had no plans to issue a statement right away.  Dr. 
Shaheed, the MFA's Permanent Secretary, added that his 
government was still reviewing the Secretary's comments. 
 
4.  (SBU) MEDIA REACTION:  There is no locally-generated 
media reaction to share at this point.  Knowing that the 
speech was scheduled, however, the English-language -- 
although not the vernacular -- press saved a few front- 
page inches for wire-feed (Reuters, etc.) coverage under 
headlines such as "Powell plays UN tapes suggesting 
Iraqi evasion" (ISLAND, opposition English daily) and 
"Don't shrink from disarming Iraq:  Powell" (DAILY 
MIRROR, independent English daily).  Sri Lanka's 
substantive media reaction (editorials, op-ed pieces, 
etc.) will probably not be available until the weekend. 
Mission also did not notice any coverage of Secretary 
Powell's speech in the official Maldivian government 
website "Haveeru," nor in the anti-GoRM website, 
"Sandhaanu." 
 
5.  (SBU) That said, Mission is doing everything that it 
can to get the story out.  We are making tapes of the 
speech available to Sri Lanka's government-owned and 
independent TV channels for telecast prime time tonight 
(2/6).  We are also turning Washington File materials -- 
articles, visuals, etc. -- into press releases for 
distribution to the media.  Additionally, we are sending 
out a press release reviewing the highlights of the 
speech and making its text widely available. 
 
6.  (C) COMMENT:  As mentioned above, we expect that 
media and other reaction to the speech will take several 
days to roll in.  Per Ref B, the situation in the Gulf 
region has been receiving increased press and public 
attention in Sri Lanka of late.  There is some concern 
bubbling up, for example, that a possible war could 
cause oil shortages and a collapse in remittances from 
overseas workers.  Despite the recent spurt in interest, 
however, our assessment is that Sri Lankans seem 
preoccupied with their very delicate peace process. 
(Note:  The fifth round of GSL and Tamil Tiger talks is 
taking place in Berlin, February 7-8.)  Given this 
situation, Iraq does not appear destined to become a 
major issue.  END COMMENT. 
 
7.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
WILLS