In positive news for peace process, Norwegian

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001078

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT, EUR/NB
NSC FOR E. MILLARD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06-19-13
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM CE NO JA LTTE
SUBJECT: In positive news for peace process, Norwegian
facilitators touch base with the Tamil Tigers

Refs: Colombo 1075, and previous

(U) Classified by Joseph L. Novak, Charge d'Affaires.
Reasons: 1.5 (b, d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: After a brief hiatus in contacts,
Norwegian facilitators met with the Tamil Tigers on
June 18. Norwegian Ambassador Brattskar told us the
Tigers complained about the June 14 sinking of one of
their ships and denied culpability for a wave of recent
assassinations. The group also said it was waiting for
new proposals from the GSL re an interim structure for
the north/east. The fact that the meeting took place is
positive news. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) MEETING WITH TIGERS: After a brief hiatus in
contacts, Norwegian government facilitators met June 18
with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
(Note: The LTTE had last met with the Norwegians just
before the Tokyo donors conference, which took place
June 9-10. The group -- which did not attend Tokyo --
had seemingly been avoiding contact with the GoN and
much of the rest of the international community since
that time.) The meeting took place in the LTTE-
controlled town of Kilinochchi in northern Sri Lanka.
In a June 19 conversation with Charge, Norwegian
Ambassador Hans Brattskar, who led the GoN side at the
meeting, related that the 90-minute meeting was cordial.
He said S.P. Thamilchelvam, the LTTE's political chief,
seemed to go out of his way to be diplomatic and
friendly. (Note: In a late June 18 posting, the pro-
LTTE website "TamilNet" provided a very brief, neutral-
sounding report on the meeting, complete with several
photos.)


3. (C) TIGER COMPLAIN RE SHIP INCIDENT: Aside from the
relatively upbeat atmospherics, Thamilchelvam made clear
that the LTTE had deep concerns over the sinking of one
of its ships during a confrontation with the Sri Lankan
Navy (SLN) on June 14 (see Reftels). Thamilchelvam
complained that the SLN acted completely without
provocation in sinking the ship and without any concern
for the fate of the LTTE crew. (Note: Twelve LTTE
personnel are presumed dead in the incident. Despite
Thamilchelvam's assertions, it is still not clear
whether the LTTE crew detonated the ship or whether it
was sunk by SLN gunfire. For its part, the SLN says the
LTTE blew up the ship.) Thamilchelvam, Brattskar
continued, also complained that the SLN had utterly
failed to involve the Norwegian-run Sri Lanka Monitoring
Mission (SLMM) in its June 14 operation, as it should
have per understandings related to the February 2002
ceasefire accord. Brattskar, urging the LTTE to act
with restraint, noted to Thamilchelvam that the SLMM was
investigating the incident and would be reporting its
conclusions soon. (Note: The SLMM report is reportedly
due out next week. We understand that the SLMM cannot
yet prove the SLN's contention that the LTTE's ship was
carrying arms-related items, nor can it prove the LTTE's
contention that the ship was an "oil tanker.")


4. (C) DENIAL OF INVOLVEMENT IN KILLINGS: The
Norwegian side also raised the issue of the recent wave
of assassinations of anti-LTTE Tamils. (Note: Over 30
opponents of the Tigers have been killed in recent
months -- See Reftels. In one particularly notorious
incident, a senior-level Tamil politician was shot and
killed in Jaffna on June 14. The Tigers are almost
certainly responsible for the slayings.) Thamilchelvam
denied in vociferous fashion that the Tigers had carried
out the killings. He went on to assert that Sri Lanka
had a "culture of political violence," which should be
held accountable for the killings, north and south. In
the larger interests of the facilitation effort,
Brattskar said he did not press the matter further with
Thamilchelvam. He said Norway would continue to treat
the issue as a high priority, however.


5. (C) INTERIM STRUCTURE IDEA: Regarding the overall
peace process, Brattskar said he had tried to brief
Thamilchelvam on the results of the Tokyo conference.
Thamilchelvam, however, did not evince much interest in
the matter. Re engagement with the GSL, Thamilchelvam
said the LTTE still awaited further details from the
government regarding the formation of an interim
administrative structure in the north/east. (Note:
Thamilchelvam expressed zero interest in ideas raised by
GSL Minister G.L. Peiris on June 16 re forming "district
development committees" in the north/east as a prelude
to agreement on an interim structure -- See Reftels.)
Brattskar replied that he understood that the government
was working on the matter, but it would take some more
time. Thamilchelvam gave no indication that the Tigers
planned to re-engage the GSL in peace talks soon.
(Note: The Tigers suspended their participation in the
face-to-face talks with the government in late April.)


6. (C) (((Note: When asked, Brattskar responded that
Thamilchelvam did not mention the U.S. in any way. He
said Thamilchelvam did -- echoing recent postings on
"TamilNet" -- warn about "outside interference" in the
peace track. Brattskar took this as a vague reference
possibly to the U.S. and perhaps to some other members
of the international community.)))


7. (C) NORWAY'S NEXT STEPS: Brattskar said the GoN was
encouraged that the meeting had gone forward. The LTTE
had been difficult to get hold of for a period, but it
now seemed willing to discuss matters with the GoN.
When queried, Brattskar replied that it seemed possible
that Norwegian facilitators might even be meeting with
the LTTE's London-based spokesman Anton Balasingham,
soon. Re Japan, Brattskar said he was not sure, but he
did not think that Japanese government representatives,
including Special Envoy Akashi, had had any luck
arranging meetings with the LTTE as of yet. (Note: We
have heard the same from the Japanese Embassy.)


8. (C) COMMENT: Based on Brattskar's comments, the
Tigers made no commitment to re-engage the GSL soon,
preferring to complain about the recent ship sinking
incident, for example. The fact that the meeting took
place is positive news, however. For weeks now, the
group had been issuing ever more harsh sounding
statements re the peace process, as Tamil opponents of
the group were being gunned down. In the meantime,
since Tokyo, the Tigers had also been virtually
incommunicado as far as the Norwegians were concerned.
With the group back in touch with the GoN, the peace
process -- which had been getting a bit ragged around
the edges -- might pick up some much needed momentum.
Nonetheless, the Tigers, who seem to go through volatile
mood swings regarding the peace track, remain a real
wildcard. END COMMENT.


9. (U) Minimize considered.

NOVAK