US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO873

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000873 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, EUR/NB, EAP/J; NSC FOR 
E. MILLARD 
 
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958:   DECL: 05/27/13 
TAGS: PGOV, PTER, EAID, CE, NO, JA, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT:  Norwegians set to try again with Tigers; 
President criticizes the group's latest demands 
 
Refs:  (A) OpsCenter-Colombo 05/24/03 telecon 
 
-      (B) Colombo 868, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons:  1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  In the latest effort to convince the 
Tigers to come to the Tokyo conference, a Norwegian 
envoy is working with the GSL on ways to meet the 
group's demands re control of assistance funds.  Sharply 
curbing the GSL's room for compromise on the matter, the 
president has harshly criticized the Tigers' demand for 
an interim structure in the north/east.  In other news, 
the Tigers have been earning some rare plaudits for 
their recent meeting with eastern Muslims and their 
sending of flood aid to the south.  Although the GoN is 
giving it another try, getting the Tigers to Tokyo still 
seems a long shot.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (C) NORWEGIAN ENVOY ARRIVES:  Norwegian envoy 
Erik Solheim arrived in Colombo on May 25 in the latest 
effort to convince the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam 
(LTTE) to come to the Tokyo donors conference, which is 
scheduled for June 9-10.  (Note:  The LTTE announced in 
late April that it was pulling out of the peace talks 
and would not go to Tokyo.  Since that time, Norwegian 
and Japanese officials have been engaged in a full-court 
press aimed at convincing the LTTE to reconsider.)  From 
what Mission understands, Solheim was in close 
consultation with GSL officials, including Prime 
Minister Wickremesinghe, during the first part of his 
visit.  The focus of these meetings was to fine-tune the 
government's reaction to the latest LTTE demand that an 
"interim administrative structure" be set up in the 
north/east to distribute assistance funding.  (Note: 
The LTTE demands that whatever structure is formed also 
be basically under its control -- See Reftels.)  Solheim 
is expected to take the GSL's counter-proposals to the 
LTTE-controlled Wanni region soon and review them with 
Tiger officials at that time.  (Note:  We have heard 
late reports that the essence of the GSL's proposals 
have already been provided to the LTTE and that Solheim 
will review the details whenever he visits the Wanni.) 
 
3.  (C) (((Note:  The GSL's exact counter-proposals have 
not been publicized as of yet.  Per Septel, however, we 
understand that the government is recommending to the 
LTTE that a new entity be created to deal with all 
aspects of development and reconstruction in the NE, 
replacing the joint Sub-Committee on Immediate 
Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs for the North and 
East, "SIHRN."  The new entity would be quite complex, 
with various units, including an "apex" council.  The 
general idea is that the LTTE would have a "major" role 
in the delivery of assistance in the NE, but not a 
"majority" voice.  End Note.))) 
 
4.  (SBU) (((Note:  The Department's May 23 announcement 
that the Deputy Secretary would be attending Tokyo 
received a great deal of press play in Sri Lanka.  Local 
reaction was highly favorable.  A media reaction cable 
is being sent Septel.))) 
 
5.  (SBU) PRESIDENT HITS OUT:  Sharply curbing the GSL's 
room for compromise, the president has harshly 
criticized the Tigers' demand for an interim structure 
in the north/east.  President Kumaratunga, addressing a 
foreign correspondents' dinner late May 23, flatly 
rejected the Tiger demands for an interim administration 
and stated:  "I have not heard of any self-respecting 
sovereign government anywhere in the world agreeing to 
act outside its own constitution at the request of 
anyone."   The president went on to criticize the 
Norwegian effort as going beyond facilitation and stated 
that she did not know what Japan's exact role in the 
process was.  The president's People's Alliance (PA) 
party also hit out hard against the LTTE's demands and 
starkly warned the PM about the matter, stating, "The PA 
rejects totally the LTTE's demands and warns the Prime 
Minister that if he continues, his government will be in 
peril."  In the meantime, the radical, anti-peace 
process Janantha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party also 
joined in the hue and cry, characterizing any attempt to 
create an interim administration as nothing but a move 
toward "Tamil Eelam" in disguise.  In its statement, the 
JVP slammed the government, claiming that the GSL had 
achieved nothing in its months of negotiations with the 
LTTE, and accused "Western interests" of acting in 
concert with the LTTE to "trap" the government. 
 
6.  (SBU) SOME POSITIVE NEWS RE THE LTTE:  Of late, most 
reports regarding the LTTE's activities have been highly 
negative.  (Note:  Much of the reporting, for example, 
has focused on the group's pullout from the talks and 
the Tokyo conference, and on clear indications that the 
group is assassinating Tamil opponents, etc.)  There 
have been some slight recent bright spots, however, 
including the fact that local Tiger leaders met with 
local Muslim leaders in the eastern town of Mutur on May 
21.  (Note:  Mutur was the scene of serious communal 
violence between pro-LTTE Tamils and Muslims in mid- 
April.)  In a show of communal solidarity, the two sides 
discussed ways to avoid conflict in the future, even 
agreeing to form a committee on the matter.  (Note: 
FYI.  Muslim leader Rauf Hakeem has reviewing peace 
process issues with the Norwegian government in Oslo for 
the past several days.) 
 
7.  (SBU) In other positive news re the LTTE, the Tigers 
donated six truckloads of dry rations (rice, lentils, 
etc.) to flood victims in the south on May 22.  LTTE 
political wing officials accompanied the aid -- which 
was reportedly worth about USD 35,000 -- on its trek to 
the south.  This gesture netted significant (and rare) 
positive press coverage for the LTTE in the south. 
 
8.  (C) COMMENT:  Although the Norwegians are giving it 
another try, getting the Tigers to Tokyo still appears a 
long shot.  The pressure on the GSL is considerable, 
with the LTTE setting tough conditions on one flank and 
the president/JVP criticizing whatever the government 
does on the other.  Coming up with a workable compromise 
on aid delivery in the north/east that is politically 
palatable in the south (and legal per Sri Lanka's 
complex constitution) normally would take weeks and 
months to work out.  It is certainly very, very 
difficult to do so in several days.  All that said, the 
fact that Tokyo is moving forward and that the U.S. will 
be there has given the government more breathing space 
to try to work things out.  END COMMENT. 
 
9.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
WILLS