Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03COLOMBO1606
2003-09-15 11:19:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

Donors reaffirm support for peace process at

Tags:  PREL PGOV EAID PTER CE NO JA UN LTTE 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 001606 

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09-15-13
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID PTER CE NO JA UN LTTE
SUBJECT: Donors reaffirm support for peace process at
Tokyo conference follow-up meeting

Refs: (A) Colombo-SA/INS 9/12/03 class email

- (B) Colombo-SA/INS 9/11/03 class email
- (C) Colombo 1586, and previous

(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead.
Reasons 1.5 (b, d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 001606

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09-15-13
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID PTER CE NO JA UN LTTE
SUBJECT: Donors reaffirm support for peace process at
Tokyo conference follow-up meeting

Refs: (A) Colombo-SA/INS 9/12/03 class email

- (B) Colombo-SA/INS 9/11/03 class email
- (C) Colombo 1586, and previous

(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead.
Reasons 1.5 (b, d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ambassador participated in the
follow-up meeting to the Tokyo conference held on
September 12 in Colombo. Japanese Special Envoy Akashi
chaired the meeting. In their remarks, donors and
international agency heads reiterated their support for
assistance to Sri Lanka, but underscored the need for
the parties to re-engage in negotiations (see Ref A for
a press statement circulated after the meeting by the
Japanese). Several GSL officials spoke at the meeting,
underscoring their full support for an immediate return
to talks. In a separate September 15 meeting with the
Ambassador, Akashi reviewed his September 14 meeting
with the Tigers. Overall, the follow-up meeting was
quite useful in sending out a coordinated message to the
Tigers on the need to return to the talks and a message
of donor support for the peace process to the Sri Lankan
public. END SUMMARY.

--------------
Tokyo Follow-up Meeting
--------------


2. (C) A follow-up meeting to the June Tokyo donors
conference took place in Colombo on Friday,
September 12. Representatives of the governments of
Norway, Japan, the EU and the U.S. (the four co-chairs
of the Tokyo conference) participated in the meeting,
which also included local envoys from AUSTRALIA, Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden,
Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. International
agencies were also represented, with World Bank,
International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank and
United Nations representatives in attendance. The GSL
was represented at the meeting. Although invited, the
Tamil Tigers declined to attend.


3. (C) In his remarks kicking off the meeting, Japanese

Special Envoy Yasushi Akashi cited the "resounding
results" of the Tokyo donors conference and noted the
need for more progress by the parties in Sri Lanka.
Citing the linkage between continued donor assistance
and the peace process, Akashi noted that the September
12 meeting was a "concrete expression" of donor
committment to Sri Lanka. He underlined, however, the
need for more progress between the two parties before
substantial development assistance would be forthcoming
in the north and east. In a press statement circulated
after the meeting (see Ref A),the participants welcomed
the "continuing commitment of both parties to the peace
process and their continued efforts to resume peace
talks."

--------------
GSL Remarks
--------------


4. (C) Several key Sri Lankan government officials
involved in peace process issues spoke at the event.
Highlights of their remarks included:

-- G.L. Peiris, Minister of Enterprise Development and
chief government spokesman, noted that much of the
important preliminary work on the peace process had been
completed, and that Sri Lanka was now "embarking on a
distinct phase," which he characterized as "challenging
and daunting," but nonetheless "promising." Noting the
six rounds of peace talks that took place from late 2002
through early 2003, Peiris characterized the Tokyo and
Oslo Declarations as foundations to build on. He added
that he was confident that the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) sincerely wanted a resolution of the
conflict. He went on to state that the GSL looked
forward to reviewing the LTTE's counter-proposals to the
government's north/east interim administration proposal
when they were ready. Divergences between the GSL's
proposals and the LTTE's counter-proposals, Peiris said,
were expected to be "significant," and one key aspect in
reviewing the proposals would be to align the
aspirations of the LTTE with established Sri Lankan law.
Wrapping up, Peiris described the current situation as
"propitious" for the future of the peace process, and
stated that he was confident that Sri Lanka could live
up to the expectations of the donors.

-- Milinda Moragoda, the Minister of Economic Reform,
noted that the peace process was at a "fragile" point.
He cited a need to reenergize the process and recommit
resources. Moragoda said he felt that support for the
peace process was waning at the present time, and cited
the need to take action on implementing reconstruction
projects to avoid cynicism among the public toward the
process.

-- Bradman Weerakoon, the Secretary to the Prime
Minister, and head of the Rehabilitation, Reconciliation
and Relief Commission for the North and East, noted that
there had been substantial ground activity since the
June Tokyo conference, despite what he characterized as
"slow" movement toward restarting the peace talks.
Weerakoon cited the continuing return of Internally
Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their places of origin and
continued progress on demining as two key areas in which
the government had been moving forward.

-- Rauf Hakeem, the Minister of Ports and Shipping, and
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader, emphasized that
Muslims still supported the peace track. That said,
Muslims in the east were still being harassed and
sometimes killed by the LTTE. In the meantime, Muslim
IDPs were still unable to return to their points of
origin in Jaffna. He urged continued international
pressure on the LTTE to accept pluralism in the north
and east.

--------------
The Ambassador's Remarks
--------------


5. (C) In his remarks (text provided in Ref B),
Ambassador Lunstead emphasized that the U.S. strongly
supported the peace process and he noted the pressing
need for a resumption of negotiations. The Ambassador
commented that the spate of assassinations of Tamils was
deeply harmful to the process, and he called for the
LTTE to publicly renounce terrorism in word and deed.
The Ambassador also noted how crucial it was that the
LTTE fully adhere to the rulings of the Sri Lanka
Monitoring Mission (SLMM).

--------------
Other Remarks
--------------


6. (C) Representatives of other donor countries and
international agencies made the following remarks:

-- Norwegian Ambassador Hans Brattskar reiterated
Norway's commitment to third party facilitation between
the GSL and the LTTE on peace process issues, and he
noted the need for a common mechanism to direct aid to
the north/east. Brattskar remarked that the GSL needed
to take the intiative in rehabilitation and
reconstruction programs. (Note: Norwegian deputy
Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen is due to visit Sri
Lanka later this week.)

-- Miguel Bermeo, Resident Coordinator of the United
Nations Development Programme, noted that the UN
remained committed and fully engaged, and stated that
the UNDP would maintain and increase its level of
engagement. Bermeo further cited the urgent need to
deliver aid to the war-torn north and east, and cited
the level of commitment to human rights by the parties
as a key factor for the peace process.

-- Italian Ambassador Salvatore Zotta (speaking for the
EU) stressed the need for an "inclusive" peace process,
that would take into consideration Tamil, Muslim, and
Sinhalese civil society. He stressed the EU's strong
support for Norway's facilitation efforts.

-- Asian Development Bank (ADB) country director John
Cooney cited progress on the ADB-funded north-south "A9"
road project. Cooney noted, however, that further ADB
projects would be subject to substantial progress in the
peace process.

-- IMF representative Jeremy Carter noted that Sri
Lanka's economic development indices were getting more
positive, but urged the GSL to be "brave on economic
reform". Carter further noted that sustainable economic
development required a sustainable peace.

--------------
Akashi Meets the Tigers
--------------


7. (C) Akashi and Japanese Ambassador Otsuka briefed
Ambassador and other co-chairs Sept 15 on his talks the
previous day with the LTTE's Thamilchelvam. Akashi said
that Thamilchelvam, in the absence of Balasingham,
seemed clearly in charge and much more self-confident.
At the same time, Thamilchelvam also spoke from a rigid
position and appeared unable or unwilling to make any
decisions himself -- in Otsuka's words, he was "His
Master's Voice." Thamilchelvam said the Tigers' Interim
Administration Proposal would be "tangible and
pragmatic," and that the international community would
be able to support it. He dismissed Akashi's contention
that, with negotiations on an interim administration
liable to drag on for months, the parties should agree
to an ad hoc procedure to administer humanitarian
assistance. On human rights ("The Tigers have not
murdered anyone"),child soldiers ("What is their
motivation to join the Tigers?") and on illegal camps
("The camp was there earlier and hence not illegal"),
Thamilchelvam showed no flexibility.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) Overall, the follow-up meeting was quite useful
in sending out a coordinated message to the Tigers on
the need for the group to return to the peace talks.
The LTTE also no doubt got the message that development
assistance to the north and east would not be
forthcoming if it did not re-commit itself to the
process. At the same time, given the generous and
favorable press coverage it received, the meeting was
also important in sending out a message of donor support
for the peace process. This message was an important
one for the Sri Lankan public to hear. Although it
still strongly supports the GSL's peace process efforts,
the public is understandably worried about LTTE
activities and intentions given the group's track
record.


9. (C) Donors and international organizations all
agreed in principle that development assistance and
progress in the peace talks were linked, and that
humanitarian/rehabilitation aid in the North and East
should continue even though reconstruction would have to
wait. Underneath, however, there are both definitional
and policy issues. The Tokyo Declaration stated that
the international community would "monitor and review"
progress in the peace process, and that "Japan, in
cooperation with the U.S. and EU, will undertake
necessary consultations to establish the modalities for
this purpose as early as possible." We will work with
the Japanese and the EU to try to develop a structure
and process to do so.


10. (C) The Akashi/Thamilchelvam meeting largely speaks
for itself. What is not clear is if Thamilchelvam's
rigid stance indicates that the Tigers will not
negotiate at all, or if it just means that negotiations
will be more difficult and protracted, with
Thamilchelvam unable to take decisions himself as
Balasingham did. END COMMENT.


11. (U) Minimize considered.

LUNSTEAD