Joint GSL-LTTE sub-committees on humanitarian

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 002160

SIPDIS

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

LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11-20-02
TAGS: PGOV PTER PREL MOPS EAID CE NO LTTE
SUBJECT: Joint GSL-LTTE sub-committees on humanitarian
and de-escalation issues hold initial meetings

Refs: (A) Colombo 2147

- (B) Colombo 2142, and previous (All Notal)

(U) Classified by Ambassador E. Ashley Wills. Reasons
1.5 (b, d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The joint GSL-LTTE sub-committees on
humanitarian and de-escalation issues recently held
their initial meetings. The humanitarian-focused
meeting led to an agreement to form a secretariat. The
de-escalation meeting led to the first ever face-to-face
discussions between the GSL navy and the LTTE's sea
wing. A third sub-committee on political issues, also
formed at the second session of talks held earlier this
month, has not yet met. The proliferation of meetings
seems to be broadening the peace process and increasing
confidence on both sides. END SUMMARY.

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Sub-Committees Hold First Meetings
==================================


2. (SBU) Joint Sri Lankan government - Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sub-committees on
humanitarian/reconstruction and de-escalation issues
recently held their initial meetings. Along with a sub-
committee on political issues, which has not yet met
(see Para 8 below),these sub-committees were formed at
the second session of GSL-LTTE talks held earlier this
month -- see Ref B. According to all reports, both sub-
committee meetings were held in a conciliatory
atmosphere and were basically introductory in nature.

=========================================
Humanitarian/Reconstruction Sub-Committee
=========================================


3. (C) The humanitarian/reconstruction-focused sub-
committee met November 18 in Kilinochchi, a major town
in the LTTE-controlled Wanni region. (Note: This sub-
committee is technically called the "Immediate
Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs in the North and
East Sub-Committee.") S.P. Thamilchelvam, the chief of
the LTTE's political wing, represented the LTTE side and
Ambassador Bernard Goonetilleke, head of the Peace
Secretariat, represented the GSL. Norwegian Ambassador

SIPDIS
Jon Westborg participated, as did Japanese Ambassador
Seiichiro Otsuka and Motohide Yoshikawa, a
representative of GoJ Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi.
(Note: See Ref A for comments made by the Japanese
Ambassador to Ambassador Wills re this meeting.)


4. (C) Participants at the meeting mainly reviewed
procedural issues involved in the sub-committee's
operations. Tomas Stangeland, a poloff at the Norwegian
Embassy who attended the meeting, told us that the
meeting reviewed key priority areas for funding,
including issues related to women, displaced persons,
and demining. Ideas on the sub-committee's financial
structure (the "North-East Reconstruction Fund") were
also discussed. According to Stangeland, the major
agreements arrived at during the meeting included the
decision to form a sub-committee secretariat based in
Kilinochchi. An LTTE official would serve as director
of the secretariat. The government would nominate one
deputy director and another deputy director would
represent "minorities" (e.g., Muslims). Stangeland
added that the sub-committee had agreed to meet next on
December 15-16 and then on January 15-16, 2003.

===========================
De-Escalation Sub-Committee
===========================


5. (C) The de-escalation sub-committee met for the
first time on November 10 in Kilinochchi. (Note: This
sub-committee is technically titled "De-Escalation and
Normalization Sub-Committee.") Hagrup Haukland, the
Deputy Chief of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM),
told us that Defense Secretary Austin Fernando
represented the GSL at the meeting and V. Karuna, the
LTTE's military commander in the east, represented the
Tigers. Haukland said the meeting focused on ways to
de-escalate military tensions and ease the burden on
local communities caused by GSL "high security zones."
The sub-committee is scheduled to meet next on
December 15. Haukland noted that the two sides had also
agreed to hold "district committee" and expert-level
meetings.


6. (C) Flowing out from the initial sub-committee
meeting, there have already been several "district
committee" and expert-level meetings. The most
noteworthy of the expert-level meetings took place on
November 13 in the Muhamalai area of Jaffna District.
(Note: Muhamalai straddles the no-man's land separating
GSL and LTTE forces on the Jaffna Isthmus.) At this
meeting, representatives of the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN)
and the LTTE's "Sea Tigers" reportedly met for the first
time ever. SLMM Chief Trond Furuhovde chaired the
meeting. SLN Northern Commander Rear Admiral Sarath
Weerasekara led the GSL delegation and Sea Tiger Deputy
Chief Seliya led the LTTE team.


7. (C) Haukland said the SLN-Sea Tiger meeting focused
on easing fishing restrictions around coastal "high
security zones" and also on the issue of LTTE sea
movements. The two sides also discussed how to hold
firing exercises off the coast. Haukland said
additional meetings between the SLN and the Sea Tigers
were planned. (Note: Several days after the meeting,
the SLN complained that the LTTE's Karuna traveled on a
vessel to the east without utilizing proper procedures.
The SLMM has expressed concern about Karuna's trip.)

===================================
Political Sub-Committee Yet to Meet
===================================


8. (C) The third and final sub-committee, focused on
political issues, has not yet met. This sub-committee
was formed to examine complex political matters,
including constitutional, legal, political, and
administrative issues. G.L. Peiris, a senior minister,
is slated to be the chief GSL representative on the sub-
committee, while the chief LTTE representative will be
Anton Balasingham, the group's spokesman. Muslim leader
Rauf Hakeem is also supposed to serve on the sub-
committee. Tomas Stangeland told us that he was not
sure when this sub-committee would meet. He thought
that Peiris and Balasingham were already in constant
contact on political issues and would arrange a formal
meeting of the sub-committee at some point soon.
Peiris told the Ambassador on November 20 that the first
formal meeting of the political sub-committee would take
place "right after" the donors' conference in Oslo on
November 25.

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COMMENT
=======


9. (C) The proliferation of meetings highlights the
increasing commitment of the two sides to process-
oriented engagement. This, in turn, seems to be
deepening the peace process and leading to progress in
confidence-building. The fact that leaders of the GSL
navy and the Sea Tigers actually met is remarkable, for
example -- the two have been nothing short of mortal
enemies. With few issues dividing them (at least in
public) and the floor open to discourse on multiple
issues in multiple fora, government and LTTE ties seem
to be on a role entering into the Oslo conference and
the third session of talks scheduled to take place in
early December. END COMMENT.

10. (U) Minimize considered.

WILLS