In positive move for peace process, Tigers

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000543

SIPDIS

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

LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03-31-13
TAGS: PGOV PINS PHUM ECON SOCI CE LTTE
SUBJECT: In positive move for peace process, Tigers
agree to discuss Muslim claims re land in the east

Ref: Colombo 229

(U) Classified by Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b, d)


1. (C) SUMMARY: A March 27 meeting between Muslims and
the Tamil Tigers has gone some way toward dealing with a
long-standing dispute over land. The dispute revolves
around Muslim claims that the Tigers have kicked them
off land they own in the east. Muslim and Tamil
representatives laud the meeting and its agreement to
discuss the issue further as a positive development.
Due in large part to constructive discussions such as
that on March 27, Muslim-Tamil tensions in the east seem
to have eased a bit of late. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) MARCH 27 MEETING: A long-standing dispute
between Muslims and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) involving land in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province
was discussed in a constructive fashion at a March 27
meeting in Batticaloa District. The meeting was hosted
by the Norwegian-run Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission
(SLMM),and involved delegations led by Deputy Minister
of Housing Basheer Dawood of the Sri Lanka Muslim
Congress (SLMC) and T. Ramesh, a high-ranking LTTE
commander in the east. With respect to substance, the
delegations agreed to form three committees to look into
land dispute issues in three specific areas of the east.
The delegations also agreed on a draft proposal
regarding the dispute that would be presented at the
seventh round of high-level peace talks, which is
scheduled to take place April 29 - May 2. The key
phrase from the draft proposal is that whatever "rights,
privileges and obligations that are available to Tamils
will be extended to Muslims as well, as far as the
paddy-lands are concerned." (Note: Most of the lands
in question are agricultural -- see Para 3.) At the
close of the meeting, the two sides issued a joint
statement that said their discussion had been "frank,
open, cordial and friendly."


3. (C) A LONG-SIMMERING DISPUTE: The dispute basically
centers on accusations by Muslims that the Tigers have
seized huge swaths of Muslim-owned land in the east.
Muslims, specifically, assert that members of their
community have been evicted from between 40-50,000 acres
of farmland (mostly paddy fields) by Tamils backed up
the LTTE. The Muslims note that the land in question is
quite fertile and that the loss in income for their
community has been immense. For their part, LTTE
representatives state that Muslims have not been
evicted, but that, because of the war, the Sri Lankan
military has cut off access to their lands to them. The
LTTE has also argued that much of the land that the
Muslims claim was, in fact, originally owned by Tamils
in any case. While most observers admit that the
dispute is complex and involves multiple plots with
different histories, they basically give more credence
to the Muslim side of the argument.


4. (C) POSITIVE REACTION: Muslim and Tamil
representatives laud the meeting's outcome as a positive
development. National Unity Alliance (NUA) MP M.L.A.M
Hizbullah, a Muslim from Batticaloa, told us he was
enthusiastic about the meeting's outcome. He said he
believed Muslims might even be tilling their lands in
the east again in the very near future. He added one
point of caution, however, commenting that twice before
the LTTE has permitted Muslims to return to work on
their lands only to have the LTTE steal the harvest.
(Note: This happened during previous peace processes.)
That said, he remarked that the March 27 meeting was a
solid first step, which should create momentum to
resolve the issue.


5. (C) In the meantime, G. Ponnambalam, a Tamil
National Alliance MP, told us that he also thought the
meeting was a real confidence-builder. He argued that
LTTE control of the paddy fields has been primarily
motivated by military concerns. With the ceasefire now
in place, he said he believed that the Tigers will soon
return land to the Muslims since they (the Muslims) are
no longer considered "enemies" to the Tamil cause.


6. (C) COMMENT: Due in large part to constructive
discussions such as that on March 27, Muslim-Tamil
tensions in the east seem to have eased a bit of late.
The LTTE's agreement to pursue a resolution of the
multiple claims re land seems to have done wonders as a
confidence-building measure for the Muslims. That said,
as noted above, the LTTE has given promises in this area
before only to turn its back on them. In addition to
continued discussions re land, Muslims are also looking
forward to political-level consultations with the LTTE,
which are slated to take place within the next three
weeks. END COMMENT.


7. (U) Minimize considered.

WILLS