US embassy cable - 94COLOMBO954

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000954 
 
CINCPAC FOR FPA 
LONDON FOR JOHNSON/PARIS FOR ALLEGRONE 
KARACHI FOR LAWTON 
 
E.O. 12356:DECL:OADR 
TAGS:  PREL, PTER, PINS, UNHRC-1, CE 
SUBJECT:  THE LTTE: WHAT WE ARE SAYING AND WHO WE 
          ARE SAYING IT TO 
 
REFS:  A) 93 STATE 107728  B) 93 COLOMBO 1850 
 
1. (U)  THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST--PLEASE SEE PARA 9. 
 
2. (C) SUMMARY.  POST IS WORKING THROUGH 
INTERMEDIARIES TO SEND THE MESSAGE THAT THE 
LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE) SHOULD 
BECOME CONSTRUCTIVELY ENGAGED IN FINDING A PEACEFUL 
SOLUTION TO SRI LANKA'S ETHNIC CONFLICT.  WE ARE 
CALLING ON THE LTTE AS WELL AS THE GOVERNMENT TO 
FOCUS INITIALLY ON MODEST CONFIDENCE-BUILDING 
MEASURES, RATHER THAN BROAD POLITICAL ISSUES.  USG 
POLICY CONTINUES TO FAVOR A PEACEFUL POLITICAL 
SETTLEMENT WHICH PRESERVES SRI LANKA'S TERRITORIAL 
INTEGRITY AND PROVIDES APPROPRIATE GUARANTEES FOR 
MINORITY RIGHTS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
3. (C)  WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH INTERMEDIARIES 
TO GET THE TALKING POINTS CONTAINED REF A (REPEATED 
PARA 8) ACROSS TO THE LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL 
EELAM (LTTE).  WE HAVE GIVEN THE MESSAGE TO A NUMBER 
OF PROMINENT CITIZENS OF THE LTTE-CONTROLLED JAFFNA 
PENINSULA WHO HAVE PASSED THROUGH COLOMBO IN RECENT 
MONTHS.  THEY INCLUDE ACADEMICIANS FROM THE 
UNIVERSITY OF JAFFNA, PROMINENT MEMBERS OF THE 
CHRISTIAN CLERGY AND A LEADING DOCTOR FROM JAFFNA 
HOSPITAL.  MOST RECENTLY, THE AMBASSADOR MET THE 
GOVERNMENT AGENT FROM JAFFNA, A TAMIL PUBLIC SERVANT 
WHO MAINTAINS A CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE 
TIGERS.  WE ALSO DELIVERED OUR POINTS TO A 
JAFFNA-BOUND DELEGATION FROM THE UK-BASED "QUAKER 
PEACE AND SERVICE" NGO. 
 
4. (C)  THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERMEDIARIES IS 
LIMITED BY THE RECLUSIVE NATURE OF THE LTTE 
LEADERSHIP AND THE UNDERSTANDABLE RELUCTANCE OF 
JAFFNA RESIDENTS TO MAKE WAVES WITH THE TIGERS. 
NEVERTHELESS, WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT IN THE 
ABSENCE OF DIRECT USG CONTACT WITH THE TIGERS, THIS 
IS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE FOR GETTING OUR MESSAGE 
ACROSS.  WE PLAN TO INTENSIFY THESE EFFORTS BY 
SEEKING OUT SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY HAVE ACCESS 
TO (AND PERHAPS INFLUENCE WITH) THE LTTE.  THESE 
INCLUDE THE CATHOLIC BISHOP OF JAFFNA AND THE VICE 
CHANCELLOR OF JAFFNA UNIVERSITY. 
 
5. (C)  IN ADDITION TO THE TALKING POINTS CONTAINED 
REF A, WE ARE EMPHASIZING THE NEED TO BUILD 
CREDIBILITY PRIOR TO ANY SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION OF 
LARGER POLITICAL ISSUES.  IN OUR VIEW, THERE IS 
CURRENTLY SUCH A LARGE RESERVOIR OF SUSPICION AND 
MISTRUST BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE LTTE THAT 
HASTY NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES COULD 
ACTUALLY SET THE PEACE PROCESS BACK.  PUBLIC 
POSTURING ASIDE, NEITHER THE GOVERNMENT NOR THE LTTE 
IS INTERESTED IN TALKS RIGHT NOW, UNLESS IT IS TO 
DISCUSS THE TERMS OF THE OTHER SIDE'S CAPITULATION. 
 
6. (C)  WE BELIEVE THAT ALL PARTIES--GOVERNMENT, 
LTTE, AND NON-LTTE TAMILS--SHOULD FOCUS INITIALLY ON 
PRACTICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING, LEAVING ASIDE THE LARGER 
POLITICAL ISSUES.  (A NOTE OF CAUTION:  WHILE WE 
RECOGNIZE THAT THE LTTE IS THE ONLY TAMIL PLAYER 
THAT MATTERS MILITARILY, WE DO NOT ACCEPT THE LTTE 
AS THE SOLE SPOKESMAN OF THE TAMIL PEOPLE; AN 
EVENTUAL POLITICAL SOLUTION WILL HAVE TO TAKE INTO 
ACCOUNT THE NON-TIGER TAMILS AS WELL AS THE LTTE.) 
THESE CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES SHOULD BE 
DESIGNED TO DEMONSTRATE A SERIOUS COMMITMENT TO 
FINDING A POLITICAL SOLUTION AND UPHOLDING ANY 
EVENTUAL AGREEMENT.  WE ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, 
ENCOURAGING THE GSL TO PUT INTO PRACTICE ITS 
COMMITMENT TO DEVOLVE POWER AT THE PROVINCIAL AND 
LOCAL LEVELS. 
 
7. (LOU  WITH THE ABOVE IN MIND, WE PLAN TO ADD THE 
FOLOWING POINTS TO OUR "DIALOGUE" WITH THE LTTE: 
 
0 WE ENCOURAGE THE LTTE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT IT IS 
SERIOUS ABOUT FINDING A POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE 
WAR.  THIS COULD INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, GOODWILL 
GESTURES SUCH AS PRISONER RELEASES, ALLOWING FREE 
MOVEMENT OF CIVILIANS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND 
LTTE-CONTROLLED AREAS, OR A TEMPORARY, UNILATERAL 
CEASEFIRE. 
 
0  WE ENCOURAGE THE LTTE AND THE GOVERNMENT TO 
SEARCH FOR AREAS OF POTENTIAL AGREEMENT WHICH COULD 
BE NEGOTIATED PRIOR TO ANY DISCUSSION OF LARGER 
POLITICAL ISSUES.  THESE COULD BE USED TO BUILD THE 
CONFIDENCE NECESSARY FOR MORE COMPREHENSIVE FUTURE 
AGREEMENTS. 
 
8. (LOLL)  THE NEW TALKING POINTS WILL BE 
INCORPORATED INTO THE POINTS WE HAVE BEEN USING 
SINCE LAST YEAR: 
 
0  THE U.S. SUPPORTS A POLITICAL SOLUTION TO SRI 
LANKA'S ETHNIC PROBLEMS WHICH PRESERVES SRI LANKA AS 
ONE COUNTRY AND PROVIDES MINORITIES WITH PROTECTION 
AND DIGNITY. 
 
0  SRI LANKANS OF ALL ETHNIC GROUPS AND POLITICAL 
PERSUASIONS NEED TO WORK OUT AMONG THEMSELVES THE 
CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WILL RESOLVE THIS 
TRAGIC CONFLICT WHILE PRESERVING THE INTEGRITY OF 
SRI LANKA AND THE RIGHT OF ITS PEOPLE TO LIVE IN 
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FREEDOM. 
 
0  BOTH SIDES MUST BE WILLING TO DISCUSS ALL 
RELEVANT ISSUES AND SEEK COMPROMISE.  NOTHING OF 
IMPORTANCE SHOULD BE LEFT OFF THE TABLE. 
 
0  WE HAVE SPOKEN OUT VIGOROUSLY AGAINST GSL HUMAN 
RIGHTS ABUSES, AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE 
GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE ITS PERFORMANCE. 
 
0  WE ALSO CONDEMN HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES BY OTHERS, 
NOTABLY THE LTTE.  WE CONDEMN IN THE STRONGEST TERMS 
THE LTTE'S ATTACKS ON INNOCENT MUSLIM AND SINHALESE 
CIVILIANS. 
 
9. (C)  POST RECOMMENDS CONTINUATION OF OUR CURRENT 
POLICY OF RESTRICTING SUBSTANTIVE CONTACTS WITH THE 
LTTE AND LTTE SYMPATHIZERS TO EMBASSY COLOMBO AND 
THE DEPARTMENT.  IF OTHER MISSIONS ARE APPROACHED BY 
LTTE REPRESENTATIVES OR PERSONS CLAIMING TO SPEAK ON 
BEHALF OF THE LTTE, WE ASK THAT THEY SEEK GUIDANCE 
FROM THE DEPARTMENT.  HOWEVER, SHOULD THE USDEL IN 
GENEVA BE APPROACHED IN THE COURSE OF THE ONGOING 
UNHRC MEETING BY TAMIL EXPATRIATE GROUPS SEEKING TO 
PLEAD THEIR CAUSE, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE 
DEPARTMENT AUTHORIZE THE USDEL TO MAKE USE OF THE 
ABOVE TALKING POINTS. 
 
 
SCHAFFER