US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO670

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000670 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR D, INR/R/MR, I/RW, I/REC; PA 
SA/INS(FOR JWALLER); SA/PD (FOR LJIRWIN, LSCENSNY, 
WREINCKENS); SSA/PAB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO, OPRC, KMDR, OIIP, CE, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  MEDIA PLAY - 4/14 WASHINGTON CONFERENCE 
 
1. On April 14 Deputy Secretary Armitage hosted an 
international conference on Sri Lanka for representatives 
of 21 countries and 16 international organizations who 
gathered to discuss Sri Lanka's peace negotiations, and 
international assistance for the Island's development and 
reconstruction.  As expected, the Sri Lankan media's 
response to the conference was quick, plentiful, and mainly 
positive.  All of the Island's major telecasters covered 
the story in their 4/15 evening newscasts.  On 4/16 and 
again on 4/17 the conference received front-page coverage 
in most English and vernacular dailies.  As of 4/17 one 
English and one Tamil daily had commented editorially. 
Both editorials were critical of the conference, but we 
anticipate that the post-holiday weekender op-ed coverage 
will be heavy and more nuanced. 
 
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Television. 
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2. In their 4/15 newscasts Sri Lankan telecaster headlined 
the conference with stories such as "Washington conference 
pledges support for Sri Lanka," "$3 billion dollar 
assistance for Sri Lanka for three years from Washington 
conference," "In Washington conference, three years 
assistance agreed at the rate of $1 billion per year," and 
"U.S. assistance assured in Washington conference." 
 
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Newspapers. 
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3. Newspaper headlines were invariably positive.  "Global 
support for 'momentum of peace' in Sri Lanka" and "India 
for united Sri Lanka" said the government-owned English 
daily, while the government-owned vernaculars used 
headlines such as "SLG's Reawakening Sri Lanka fully 
endorsed" and "'Last chance for peace -- if we fail, no 
more possibilities' says [Milinda] Moragoda," one of the 
GOSL's chief negotiators.  The independent press was 
equally effusive, e.g., "$3 billion assistance for Sri 
Lanka," "Plans to disburse 1 billion per annum," and 
"Assistance for Sri Lanka - Rs.100,000 each year, for 3 
years" said the Sinhala independents, and Sri Lanka's major 
English independent daily, the MIRROR, wrote -- in 
reference to the fact that 4/14 was New Years Day in Sri 
Lanka -- "biggest new year gift for Lanka:  aid donors 
pledge $2 billion a year at Washington meeting."  Even the 
skeptical Upali Group's headlines applauded.  The Group's 
Sinhala daily said "Washington Conference pledges absolute 
support for 'Re awakening of Sri Lanka,'" while its English 
daily said "U.S., Japan, IMF praise peace effort," adding 
only that "LTTE must give up terrorism in word and deed - 
Armitage." 
 
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Editorials. 
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4. Under the headline "Washington Summit" the independent 
Tamil daily SUDAR OLI focused on the absence of the LTTE, 
saying that the "The Washington meeting was like a wedding 
without the bridegroom."  Excerpts: 
 
"A meeting to encourage international cooperation and 
support for the peace process and development was held in 
Washington under the chairmanship of U.S. Deputy Secretary 
of State Richard Armitage....  Representatives of 21 
countries and 16 international organizations attended the 
meeting....  But no one represented the Tigers because the 
U.S. did not invite them. 
 
"The Tigers were invited to the meeting in Norway, and they 
attended.  They have been invited to the Tokyo Donor Summit 
in June, and have decided to attend.  But to the Washington 
meeting the Liberation Tigers, the sole representatives of 
the Tamil people, were not invited. 
 
"U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard [Armitage] knows 
that the Tigers are unhappy....  He explained why they were 
not invited.  Because the LTTE is on the list of Terrorist 
Organizations, inviting them would have been illegal.  He 
also said that the Liberation Tigers should renounce 
violence and terrorism by words and deeds. 
 
"The U.S. has already said that the LTTE has never been 
involved in terrorist activities in the U.S. and that they 
have no connection with any other international terrorist 
organization. 
 
"The Liberation Tigers have signed an MOU with the 
government and the ceasefire has held for over a year.  Six 
rounds of talks have been convened, and Armitage himself is 
happy with the progress.... 
 
"Even under these circumstances, however, he requests the 
Tigers to renounce violence by words and deeds.  What is 
the meaning of this?  Why is he asking those who are not 
involved in violence to renounce violence? 
 
"Is it correct to label as violence the LTTE actions, taken 
prior to the MOU, to win the rights of the Tamil people? 
Then the Sri Lankan government was also engaged in 
violence. 
 
"And what can we call the killing of innocent people in 
today's Iraqi war?  Law should be equal to everyone. 
 
"The Washington meeting was like a wedding without the 
bridegroom." 
 
5. Under the headline "Cart before the Horse" the typically 
skeptical opposition English daily ISLAND complained that 
giving aid to the LTTE does not promote peace.  Excerpts: 
"American officials such as Mr. Armitage poured ice cold 
water on the hot heads of the Wanni when they were not 
extended an invitation to the Washington Seminar although 
the Tigers were key players. Anton Balasingham, the LTTE 
spokesman... even threatened to keep out of the Tokyo 
Conference if they were not invited to Washington. Armitage 
very coolly pointed out `We do not yet see a rational for 
lifting the designation as a foreign terrorist 
organisation. Our position is crystal clear. The LTTE must 
unequivocally renounce terrorism in word and deed, if we 
are to consider withdrawing the designation'." 
"We have been very hard on the government, the Norwegian 
peace monitors and even western nations involved for 
looking away from acts of terrorism of the LTTE. The 
thinking behind this indulgent attitude on terrorism is 
that it is for the `greater good'. Ignore these `minor 
infringements' - even if they be smuggling of arms, 
abduction of children and sinking of ships' - for the 
`Peace Process' has to be saved, it is claimed. But one 
year and four months of the `Peace Process' have passed and 
terrorism continues unabated.""Mr. Armitage has said: 
`Indeed. I believe that negotiations......have reached 
animportant point, on where an infusion of international 
support could add an unstoppable force to this momentum of 
peace'. We agree that continued moral support would indeed 
yield positive results but material assistance to a region, 
run by a group still committed to terrorism will only add 
momentum to their barbaric ways of governance and not to 
peace." 
"While it is extremely desirable and tempting to commence 
rehabilitation and reconstruction as soon as possible, it 
will be prudent on the part of all those who want the 
people of the North and East to live under a pluralistic 
democratic regime to hold back this assistance till a final 
agreement has been signed and a durable peace achieved." 
"Pumping of massive assistance before democracy and a 
durable peace is established into regions under terrorism 
is tantamount to placing the cart before the horse." 
Wills