Tamil MPs candidly discuss peace process

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001762

SIPDIS

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

PLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10-10-13
TAGS: PTER PGOV PINS PHUM CE LTTE
SUBJECT: Tamil MPs candidly discuss peace process
issues with Ambassador

Refs: Colombo 1708, and previous

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ambassador met October 9 with key
MPs from the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). Asked for
their views on the peace process, the MPs said the
inability of internally displaced persons to return to
their lands was causing great discontent. The MPs said
progress toward peace would require a cooperative
relationship between the President and Prime Minister.
They said the LTTE may not have understood the U.S.
public message at the time of FTO redesignation. While
the MPs expressed reservations about some peace process
issues, they appeared relatively upbeat. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) MEETING WITH TAMIL MPS: On October 9,
Ambassador Lunstead met with three key MPs from the
Tamil National Alliance (TNA): Gajan Ponnambalam, N.
Raviraj, and R. Sampathan. Suresh Premachandran, the
leader of a faction of the Eelam People's Revolutionary
Liberation Front (EPRLF),and a member of the TNA, also
attended, although Premachandran is not a current MP.
Poloff and pol FSN also attended the meeting.


3. (C) VIEWS ON THE PEACE PROCESS: Asked for their
views on the status of the peace process, the MPs
expressed concern over the continuing inability of
internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return to their
lands in the Sri Lanka military's "High Security Zones"
and surrounding areas in the north and east. Sampathan
and Ponnambalam stressed the importance of this issue to
the Tamil population, and said that in response to
tremendous pressure on the issue from the TNA's
constituency, the TNA was considering possible campaigns
of civil disobedience.


4. (C) Turning to interim administration of the
north/east, the MPs noted that the biggest task of any
interim setup would be to create conditions of normalcy
for people living in those areas. Raviraj commented
that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) could
use their role in an interim administration in a
positive way as a "stepping stone" to the political
mainstream. Sampathan underscored the need for interim
administration of aid in the north/east, adding that
peace dividends were not reaching Tamil people in line
with their expectations. Sampathan further opined that
the LTTE's counterproposals would likely include
requests for increased powers in the areas of police,
land management, and finance in the area of aid
administration. Sampathan and Ponnambalam said that they
were convinced the LTTE was serious about seeking peace,
but that the LTTE cadres were much more skeptical.


5. (C) COMMENTS ON COHABITATION: Regarding
cohabitation tensions, Sampathan commented that the lack
of a consensus in the Sinhalese political parties -- as
exemplified by the tense relationship between the
President and Prime Minister -- was a serious problem
for the peace process, and would likely make the LTTE
question whether the GSL could bring about reforms
necessary for the peace process. In particular, the PM
and the President would have to agree to any interim
administration deal. Sampathan said the TNA was
reluctant to deal directly with the President, as they
did not want the PM to think they were dealing behind
his back. Ambassador noted that the President and PM
were both personally dedicated to peace, and that this
might help them to make a deal.


6. (C) DID THE TIGERS GET THE MESSAGE?: When asked if
the LTTE had fully understood that, despite their recent
U.S. Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) redesignation,
the group could be removed from the list if it changed
its behavior, Sampathan said he understood the U.S.
message, but he feared the Tigers did not. Ponnambalam
said that he also believed the LTTE did not fully
understand the message the U.S. was sending, adding that
if the U.S. were to remove the ban, he believed the LTTE
would be more flexible in the peace process. On October
9, the pro-LTTE website "TamilNet" carried an article on
the MPs' meeting with the Ambassador. The article
quoted the MPs as saying the redesignation was "sad to
note" at a time when the LTTE had "committed itself to
finding a political solution to the conflict."


7. (C) COMMENT: TNA members are loath to criticize
the LTTE, and their suggestion that the U.S. rescind the
FTO designation comes as no surprise -- and not one we
need to pay much attention to. We were struck, however,
by their contention that our intended message to the
LTTE may not be getting through. See Septel on USAID
meeting with LTTE officials in Trincomalee in which the
comments of LTTE officials suggest they got the
redesignation message perfectly. Their anguish about
the lack of resettlement of IDPs seemed quite genuine.
Their comment about a possible civil disobedience
campaign is disturbing. The picture of the Sri Lankan
military facing down peaceful Tamil protesters would
certainly not advance the peace process. END COMMENT.


8. (U) Minimize considered.

LUNSTEAD