Peace process update: Positive response to

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001736 SIPDIS USUN NEW YORK PLEASE PASS TO SA A/S ROCCA DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS NSC FOR E. MILLARD LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL E.O. 12958: DECL: 09-17-12 TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM PINS SOCI CE LTTE SUBJECT: Peace process update: Positive response to talks; President hits out; Possible prisoner exchange Refs: (A) Colombo 1719; (B) Colombo 1629 (Notal) (U) Classified by W. Lewis Amselem, Charge d'Affaires. Reasons 1.5 (b, d). ¶1. (C) This update of Sri Lanka's peace process reviews the following: -- Kickoff of peace talks in Thailand engenders highly positive response in Sri Lanka -- Before start of talks, President Kumaratunga hits out at GSL -- Government and Tamil Tigers working closely on prisoner exchange -- The flavor of the peace process: Christian pilgrims visit shrine in LTTE-controlled area en masse =================================== Sri Lankans respond warmly to talks =================================== ¶2. (C) The kickoff of peace talks between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Thailand on September 16 was greeted warmly in Sri Lanka. Observers -- both Sinhalese and Tamil -- told us they thought the opening ceremony set an excellent tone for the talks. Joseph Parajahsingham, a pro-LTTE Tamil MP, told us that "it was very encouraging to see both sides talking about ending the war and coming to a negotiated settlement." Desmond Fernando, a well-known Sinhalese lawyer, told us that "the important thing is that the two sides are meeting after seven years." (Note: The last time the two sides sat down for formal face-to-face talks was in early 1995.) ¶3. (U) Press coverage was also positive. Newspapers, both vernacular and English language, gave extensive coverage to the opening ceremony, as did TV and radio. Probably the most circulated photos and video clips involved shots of chief GSL negotiator G.L. Peiris standing side-by-side with chief LTTE negotiator Anton Balasingham -- with both smiling amicably. Newspapers also carried long excerpts from the speeches given at the opening ceremony by Peiris and Balasingham (see Ref A). Articles took note of the eloquence of Peiris' speech ("...a sea change is necessary, now that the tempests have abated...") and Balasingham's straightforward remarks welcoming the talks. ¶4. (SBU) (((Note: The coverage of the talks on the pro-LTTE website "TamilNet" was also generally positive. TamilNet welcomed the start of the talks and carried several photos of the opening ceremony. In line with the often-acerbic public style of the LTTE, however, the site also took digs at "Sinhalese hard-liners led by President Kumaratunga." In what is becoming a LTTE mantra, the site also demanded that the GSL provide more assistance to the north and east.))) ¶5. (C) Comment: Despite the positive vibes, Sri Lankans do not seem worked up or overly enthusiastic about the talks. Sri Lanka has been through numerous peace process iterations in the past. Each has failed and usually been followed by large-scale violence. Given this sorry record, people seem relatively realistic and disinclined to set expectations too high. That said, although there seems a depth of patience, there is a feeling that this version of the peace process needs to succeed for the sake of the country's long-term prosperity. End Comment. ================== President Hits Out ================== ¶6. (SBU) Shortly before the government delegation left Sri Lanka for Thailand, President Kumaratunga took the opportunity to lash out at the GSL over its handling of the peace process. In a long letter dated September 12 that was issued to the press, Kumaratunga alleged that the government was doing little to stop the LTTE from violating the February ceasefire accord. In a subsequent speech, Kumaratunga also went on to enunciate strong support for the peace process, as long as her letter's concerns were met. Defense Minister Marapana immediately responded to Kumaratunga's letter, flatly rejecting the notion that the GSL had "permitted" the LTTE to engage in serious violations of the ceasefire accord. ¶7. (C) Comment: Kumaratunga seems to be on the losing side of this argument: The Norwegian-run Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) reported on September 13 that ceasefire accord violations were drastically down in recent weeks. The SLMM even stated that "...the situation on the ground seems to be in such good order that it will support the parties during their initial talks in Thailand." ¶8. (C) Regarding the talks, Kumratunga is also clearly annoyed over the fact that the GSL has not welcomed a representative of her party on the government's negotiating team in Thailand. Her spokesman, Harim Peiris, told us that she thought this was "quite a snub." End Comment. ========================== Possible Prisoner Exchange ========================== ¶9. (SBU) With Norwegian government facilitation, the government and the LTTE are heavily engaged in negotiating the terms of a possible prisoner exchange. The essential elements of the exchange would have the LTTE turn over to the GSL the seven Sri Lankan security force personnel it claims to have in custody. Meanwhile, the GSL would free 14 LTTE personnel, who are held in government jails. It is not clear when the exchange might take place, but Taranjit Sandhu, polchief of the Indian High Commission, told us that he had heard that it might occur right after the end of the first round of peace talks. ¶10. (SBU) (((Note: The LTTE claims that the seven are the only prisoners it holds. According to human rights activists, the government holds about 800 Tamils under the Prevention of Terrorism Act on grounds that they are terrorist operatives linked with the LTTE. The government's recent lifting of the ban on the LTTE as an organization has had no legal effect on the circumstances of these prisoners. End Note.))) ¶11. (C) Comment: The release of prisoners by both sides would be a solid confidence-building measure. It is potentially very controversial in the Sinhalese south, however. Already, the GSL has had to drop the notion of including several LTTE prisoners in the exchange who are believed to have been involved in serious acts of terrorism, such as the December 1999 attempt to assassinate President Kumaratunga. Given the gathering momentum of the peace process, the possibility of a prisoner exchange raises the prospect of a general amnesty at some point. The government has not publicly discussed this possibility yet, probably because it is too hot too handle. End Comment. ====================================== LTTE allows visits to important shrine ====================================== ¶12. (SBU) Huge numbers of Roman Catholics and other Sri Lankans are being allowed to visit a shrine in the town of Madhu in the LTTE-controlled Wanni region in northern Sri Lanka. Founded on a site visited by Portuguese clergy in the 1600s, Our Lady of the Holy Rosary church is the most important shrine in the country for Sri Lankan Catholics. The LTTE gradually opened up access to the area in the past several months as the peace process gained momentum. With the loosening of travel restrictions, roads in the Madhu area have become flooded with pilgrims, with tens of thousands of people converging on the site in mid-August for a religious feast, for example. ¶13. (SBU) Comment: The LTTE's decision to open up access to the shrine has been greatly appreciated by Catholics, who represent about seven percent of the population, and are an influential group within both the Sinhalese and Tamil communities. It has also been lucrative: the LTTE are apparently reaping considerable funds from taxes applied to road use and on the (rustic) tourist facilities in the Madhu area. End Comment. ¶14. (U) Minimize considered. AMSELEM