US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO387

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000387 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT, DRL; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  03-07-13 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, PINS, PHUM, CE, NO, JA, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  Recent peace process-related meetings 
involving LTTE help a bit in improving atmosphere 
 
Refs:  Colombo 374, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b, d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  After a March 5 meeting with the 
Norwegian-led monitors, the Tamil Tigers released two 
security force personnel from detention.  In an earlier 
meeting with UNICEF, the Tigers agreed to move forward 
with an "action plan" aimed at ending the use of child 
soldiers.  In other news, the monitors have a new chief, 
Tryggve Tellefsen, a retired Norwegian general.  Amid 
the recent concerns about the state of the GSL's peace 
initiative, the latest meetings with the Tigers have 
helped a bit in confidence-building.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (SBU) RELEASE OF SECURITY FORCE PERSONNEL:  Recent 
peace process-related meetings involving the Liberation 
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have proven relatively 
constructive.  In a March 5 meeting in the LTTE- 
controlled Wanni region, for example, officials of the 
Norwegian-run Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) 
strongly urged LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran and chief 
negotiator Anton Balasingham to release a GSL soldier 
and policeman from custody.  (Note:  The two security 
force personnel had been captured in separate incidents 
and held for some weeks.  The LTTE had promised to free 
them on several occasions.)  Hours after the meeting 
concluded, the Tigers released the two men.  In 
announcing their release, the Tigers stated that the 
move was a "goodwill gesture to the SLMM, a recognition 
of SLMM authority, and a sign of dedication to the 
(February 2002) ceasefire agreement and the peace 
process." 
 
3.  (C) The holding of the two men by the LTTE had been 
a cause celebre, with the anti-peace process press in 
the south loudly demanding their release.  The 
announcement that the men had been freed elicited some 
positive press for the government's peace initiative. 
Jehan Perera of the National Peace Council, a local NGO, 
told us that he thought the move was "quite 
constructive" in that it indicated some respect on the 
part of the Tigers for the SLMM's mandate.  (Note:  The 
LTTE's willingness to work closely with the SLMM had 
been subject to serious question of late, especially 
when SLMM monitors were forced to jump off an arms- 
smuggling boat, which had been set on fire by Tiger 
personnel during a February incident.  The Tiger 
personnel subsequently blew themselves up and the boat 
sank.) 
 
4.  (SBU) MEETING RE CHILD SOLDIERS:  In another meeting 
that wrapped up in seemingly positive fashion, 
representatives of UNICEF met with LTTE political chief 
S.P. Thamilchelvam on March 4 in the Wanni.  At the 
conclusion of the meeting, the Tigers agreed to finish 
work on an "action plan" focused on ending the use of 
child soldiers.  The Tigers also agreed to send 
personnel to workshops and training sessions on the 
issue in coming weeks.  UNICEF and the Tigers also 
agreed to establish "transit centers" to facilitate the 
return to society of children released from LTTE ranks. 
At the close of the meeting, Thamilchelvam was quoted as 
stating the following: 
 
"Our commitment to all children affected by war and not 
to recruit children has been firm and remains firm.  The 
LTTE has informed all military commanders and heads of 
political sections in writing regarding the policy not 
to recruit children under the age of 18." 
 
5.  (C) UNICEF seemed very enthusiastic about the 
outcome of the meeting.  UNICEF assistant program 
officer Sarah Lendon told us that the meeting was held 
in a very cordial atmosphere, with the Tigers seeming to 
want to cooperate fully.  She noted that the meeting had 
resulted in a bit of a "breakthrough" in that for the 
first time the LTTE had agreed to "concrete measures" 
(e.g., agreeing to workshops, setting up transit 
centers) to deal with the child soldier issue.  Lendon 
acknowledged that the Tigers had made promises to reform 
their behavior in this area before and had failed to 
carry through on them. 
 
6.  (U) NEW HEAD OF SLMM:  In other peace process- 
related news, the SLMM has a new chief.  On March 7, 
Tryggve Tellefsen, a retired Norwegian army major 
general, took over as SLMM head of mission.  Tellefsen 
replaces Trond Furuhovde, another retired Norwegian 
general, who had served as chief of the SLMM since the 
group began operations last year.  As with Furuhovde, 
Tellefsen is quite experienced in peacekeeping missions: 
He served as commander of the Multinational Force and 
Observers (MFO) monitoring the Egypt/Israel peace treaty 
from 1997-2001 and in Macedonia with UNPROFOR from 
1994-95. 
 
7.  (C) COMMENT:  As reviewed in Reftels, there has been 
a sour mood surrounding the peace process of late, with 
many in the south -- and the international community -- 
deeply worried about the LTTE and its commitment to 
peace.  Against this backdrop, the latest meetings with 
the Tigers have helped a bit in confidence-building.  It 
seems possible that this somewhat more constructive 
trend on the part of the Tigers could ease the situation 
a bit as the parties prepare for the next main event, 
i.e., the sixth round of GSL-LTTE talks, which is 
scheduled to take place March 18-21 in Japan.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
8.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
WILLS