C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000052

SIPDIS

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

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/09/13
TAGS: PGOV PTER MOPS EAID PHUM CE NO TH LTTE
SUBJECT: GSL-LTTE talks in Thailand: Fourth round
wraps up on positive note

Refs: (A) Colombo/Ops Center 01/09/03 telecon

- (B) Colombo-SA/INS 01/09/03 fax
- (C) Colombo 47, and previous

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: The fourth round of GSL-LTTE talks
wrapped up in Thailand on January 9. Key understandings
reached by the two sides included their agreement to
move forward on resettling displaced persons. They also
agreed to continue discussions re security zones in
Jaffna, and to involve the World Bank in assistance-
related disbursements for the north and east. Mission
has faxed SA/INS a copy of the Norwegian facilitators'
press statement issued at the close of the talks.


2. (C) Reaction to the talks has been quite positive in
general, although the radical JVP party held a large
anti-GSL peace initiative rally in Colombo late
January 8. Overall, the talks seem to have been another
success for the peace process. Suggested "if asked"
press guidance is contained in Para 8. END SUMMARY.

=============
TALKS WRAP UP
=============


3. (SBU) The fourth round of talks between the
Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE) wrapped up on January 9. (Note: The
Norwegian government-facilitated talks began on
January 6 and took place at a resort hotel in the
Bangkok area. For information on previous rounds see
Ref C.) Based on the Norwegian facilitators' press
statement issued at the close of the talks, which is
contained in Ref B, key understandings reached by the
two sides included the following:

-- Resettlement: The two sides agreed to move forward
on resettling Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
outside the area of the Sri Lankan military's high
security zones in Jaffna. To do this, the two sides

agreed on an "Action Plan for an Accelerated
Resettlement Program for the Jaffna District." This
plan has various elements, including a phase providing
for assessment of the issue, which would be completed in
the near-term.

-- Security Zones: The two sides agreed, in essence, to
continue to discuss this sensitive and complex issue.
(Note: The GSL military's high security zones cover
approximately 18 percent of Jaffna District. The Tigers
want the zones drastically reduced, but the government
and the military disagree.) The second phase of the
"Action Plan" mentioned above would focus on the issue
of the resettlement of IDPs and refugees in the high
security zones "as and when they are released by the
security forces." To accomplish this, the GSL agreed to
develop a plan on the issue using an "internationally
recognized military expert, taking into account relevant
humanitarian and security needs." (Note: From what
Mission understands, the expert is a retired Indian
general named Sathish Nambiar.)

-- De-escalation Sub-Committee: The Norwegian press
statement notes that the two sides "did not reach
agreement on the continuation of the work of the (joint
GSL-LTTE) Sub-Committee on De-escalation and
Normalization." (Note: The Tigers have pulled out of
the sub-committee, charging that the body has not made
enough progress in resolving the security zone issue.)

-- World Bank role: Both sides agreed that the World
Bank would serve as custodian of funds allotted for the
"North East Reconstruction Fund" (NERF). In performing
this role, the World Bank would report to the joint GSL-
LTTE Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and
Rehabilitation Needs.

-- Human Rights: The parties agreed to continue
discussing human rights issues. They agreed that a
"human rights adviser" will be appointed to work on the
issue. (Note: According to press reports, Ian Martin,
a former official with Amnesty International, will
fulfill this role.) The two sides will also work with
the ICRC to create an "independent verification
mechanism" to deal with MIAs and disappearances.

-- Next Rounds: Future rounds of talks are scheduled
for:

- February 7-10
- March 18-21
- April 29 - May 2
- June (dates to be determined per the scheduling of the
international donor conference in Japan)

(Note: According to press reports, various side
meetings also took place on the margins of the talks on
the issue of federalism. A number of Sri Lankan NGO
representatives and academics, in addition to foreign
experts, reportedly interacted with the GSL and LTTE
delegations in meetings on this issue.)

(Note: A press conference involving the parties was
reportedly scheduled to take place late January 9, after
this message was sent out.)

=========================
REACTION LARGELY POSITIVE
=========================


4. (C) Back in Sri Lanka, reaction to the talks has
been largely positive. In discussions with contacts,
Mission picked up the following comments:

-- Jehan Perera, the head of the National Peace Council,
a highly regarded local NGO, remarked that he thought
the talks had gone extremely well. Both sides had
agreed to keep the process moving and not to let any
disagreements block progress on other issues. It was
almost as if the GSL and the LTTE were working together
to make the process work, so that anti-peace process
elements in the south could not take advantage of any
divisions between the two sides.

-- Joseph Pararajasingham, a MP for the Tamil National
Alliance who has close links with the LTTE, told us the
talks had made important progress. The fact that the
two sides had agreed to proceed with resettlement was
very important to the Tamil people. Tamils also hoped
that the agreement about using the World Bank would help
speed up aid disbursements to the north and east. While
making these points, Pararajasingham underlined that the
issue of the security zones was still problematic and
would have to be dealt with sooner rather than later.

-- Kethesh Loganathon of the Center for Policy
Alternatives, another local NGO working on peace-related
issues, remarked that this round of talks had been
successful in coming to agreement on practical matters,
such as resettlement. Unlike past rounds, there had
been no breakthroughs, however, and there was no sense
of "euphoria" over the results. Nonetheless, the two
sides were still talking in a serious way, which was
very positive for the peace process.

=============================
RADICAL PARTY HOLDS BIG RALLY
=============================


5. (SBU) On a down note for the peace process, a
radical Sinhalese chauvinist party held a large rally in
Colombo late January 8. The rally, which was sponsored
by the Janantha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the third
largest party in Parliament, was well-attended, with a
crowd of several thousand present. JVP leaders used the
event to give speeches lambasting the peace process as a
"sell-out" to the LTTE. Speakers, including party
General Secretary Tilvin Silva and spokesman Wimal
Weerawansa, also lashed out at the Norwegian government
in bitter fashion, charging it with siding with the
LTTE. In doing this, they again raised the issue of the
recent import of radio equipment for the LTTE in a
Norwegian Embassy diplomatic consignment. (Note: The
embassy only did this at the express request of the
government. The GoN's involvement has come under sharp
criticism from opposition parties and in the anti-peace
process press in recent weeks -- see Ref C.) Silva went
on to call for the toppling of the government because it
was "betraying the nation" via its peace initiative and
"heaping a burden on the people" through its economic
policies.

=======
COMMENT
=======


6. (C) Overall, the talks seem to have been another
success for the peace process. Both sides clearly
wanted the talks to maintain the momentum of the process
as a whole and they largely succeeded in doing just
that. That said, the fact that the two sides basically
punted on the issue of the security zones in Jaffna
illustrates just how sensitive an issue it is and how
hard it will be to reach an accommodation. Given all
the tension over the issue (symbolized by the LTTE's
pulling out of the de-escalation sub-committee), it was
probably sensible for the two sides to put the security
zones on the backburner and move on to other pressing
matters. In the longer term, the issue is probably not
intractable, but the two sides clearly need more time to
deal with it.


7. (C) As for the JVP, there is little doubt that the
group is trying to mobilize anti-peace process forces.
At this point, however, the JVP does not appear to be
picking up much traction and the results of the fourth
round will probably buoy public support for the process
even more. Nonetheless, the JVP is clearly positioning
itself should there be serious bumps in the road for the
GSL's peace initiative. END COMMENT.

========================
SUGGESTED PRESS GUIDANCE
========================


8. (U) Suggested "if asked" press guidance follows:

BEGIN TEXT:

The U.S. has taken note of the talks between the
Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE) held in Thailand from January 6-9. We
regard as extremely positive the announcement that the
two sides have made progress in plans for resettling
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). It is also
positive that the two sides have agreed to meet again in
February, April/May, and June. We salute the Norwegian
government's able facilitation of the talks and the Thai
government for hosting them.

END TEXT.


9. (U) Minimize considered.

WILLS