Positive reaction to talks; LTTE spokesman's

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001751

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS; NSC FOR E. MILLARD

LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09-19-12
TAGS: PGOV PTER PINS EAID KPAO CE LTTE
SUBJECT: Positive reaction to talks; LTTE spokesman's
remarks edging away from separatism earn high praise

Refs: (A) Colombo 1743 (C) Bangkok 6597
- (B) Colombo 1739 (D) Colombo 1736

(U) Classified by W. Lewis Amselem, Charge d'Affaires.
Reasons 1.5 (b, d).


1. (C) Summary: Sri Lankans have reacted in a highly
positive fashion to the successful conclusion of the
first round of talks between the government and the
Tamil Tigers. Contacts highlighted as noteworthy the
announcements that the two sides would soon meet again,
that they would form joint committees on certain issues,
and that Muslim leader Hakeem would meet Tiger leader
Prabhakaran next month. LTTE spokesman Balasingham's
remarks backing away from separatism also reaped praise.
With the peace process steadily gaining traction, Sri
Lanka is rapidly becoming a changed country. End
Summary.

==========================
Positive Reaction to Talks
==========================


2. (C) The successful outcome of the first round of
talks between the Sri Lankan government and the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has garnered a
highly positive reaction in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan TV,
radio, and newspapers have been full of reports on the
talks, with much comment directed toward the apparently
positive atmospherics shared by the two sides at the
closing press conference on September 18. In a common
reaction from an observer, A.H.M. Fowzie, a senior
People's Alliance (PA) MP, told polchief: "Given all
that has happened in the past, it was quite remarkable
to see how well Peiris (the chief GSL negotiator) and
Balasingham (the chief LTTE negotiator) got on."

=========================
Three Major Announcements
=========================


3. (C) Contacts welcomed what they saw as three major
announcements emerging from the talks:

-- More Meetings: The single important announcement was
seen as the two sides' agreement to meet three more
times in coming months (See Ref A for exact dates).

K. Loganathan of the Center for Policy Analysis, a local
think-tank, told us that the fact that the two sides had
agreed to multiple meetings meant "they were gradually
getting subsumed in a process that would be difficult to
get out of without repercussions."

-- Joint Bodies: Another important agreement was that
the two sides would form joint bodies to look into such
issues as humanitarian assistance, as well as the
Sri Lankan military's "High Security Zones" in the north
and east. Joseph Pararajahsingham, a pro-LTTE senior
Tamil National Alliance MP, told us that Tamils were
enthusiastic about the agreement to form these joint
bodies. It indicated that the government was taking
seriously the "humanitarian plight" faced by the people
in Sri Lanka's north and east, he commented.

-- Muslim/LTTE Meeting: The two sides also agreed that
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress leader (and GSL Minister) Rauf
Hakeem would meet with LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran next
month. Such a meeting would be significant, as it would
afford Hakeem another opportunity to review strained
LTTE-Muslim relations with the LTTE's top leader,
according to M.L.A.M. Hizbullah, a senior PA MP. (Note:
Hakeem was a member of the government's negotiating team
in Thailand. Hakeem and Prabhakaran also met in April.)
(Note: There were also unconfirmed press reports that
Minister Milinda Moragoda, a key member of the GSL's
peace process team, would also meet Prabhakaran next
month.)

======================================
LTTE Spokesman seems to nix separatism
======================================


4. (SBU) LTTE spokesman Balasingham's remarks backing
away from separatism also reaped praise. In statements
that earned banner headlines in the local press,
Balasingham -- responding to repeated questions at the
September 18 press conference -- stated:

-- "I wish to impress upon you that the LTTE does not
operate with the concept of a separate state. Our
demand for a homeland is not for a separate state."

-- "When we use the category or concept of self-
determination we mean that the concept entails
substantial autonomy or self-government in a homeland or
the historical areas where we live. These aspirations
can be achieved in one country if we set about (the
discussions) correctly."

-- "If our demand for regional autonomy and self-
government is rejected and conditions of oppression
continue as a last resort our people have no option
other than to fight for political independence or
statehood."


5. (C) The general view was that Balasingham's remarks
were about as far as the LTTE has ever gone in
indicating that it would settle for less than an "Eelam"
or separate Tamil state in the north and east.

K. Loganathan of the Center for Policy Alternatives told
us that he thought Balasingham's remarks were "quite
important, as they indicated the LTTE might be willing
to work within the `united Sri Lanka' concept." Even
Presidential spokesman Harim Peiris, who is otherwise
quite critical of the LTTE, welcomed Balasingham's
remarks, commenting that it was a "potentially positive
announcement that needs to be studied further."


6. (C) (((Note: There was some skepticism about
Balasingham's comments, however. A representative of
the radical Janantha Vimukthi Peramuna publicly blasted
Balasingham, asserting that "the LTTE is simply making
its original demand for separatism in another way."
Dayan Jayatilleke, a local press commentator with
Sinhalese extremist leanings, was also dubious, accusing
"the pro-peace crowd of making a big deal over
nothing.")))

=======
Comment
=======


7. (C) The talks seem to have met local expectations in
every way. Balasingham's comments, which received so
much press coverage, were a decided bonus for the
government, strengthening its position in the south vis-
a-vis Sinhalese hard-liners. (Note: Balasingham's
comments could easily be seen as the LTTE's quid pro quo
response to the GSL's recent decision to lift its ban on
the LTTE. The GSL had been seeking something in return
for its politically risky announcement. It is not clear
whether Balasingham cleared his remarks with his boss,
Prabhakaran, but it would have been dangerous not to.
End Note.)


8. (C) With the peace process steadily gaining
traction, Sri Lanka is rapidly becoming a changed
country. While the wounds of the nearly 20-year
conflict are not even close to healed, Sri Lanka has
come a long way very quickly, becoming much less tense
and optimistic in the process. The flip side of this is
that if expectations are dashed the negative reaction
could be a powerful one. End Comment.

9. (U) Minimize considered.

AMSELEM