In Sri Lanka visit, A/S Rocca underscores

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 COLOMBO 000805

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR D, SA, SA/INS, S/CT; NSC FOR

E. MILLARD

LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05-13-13
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER OTRA CE
SUBJECT: In Sri Lanka visit, A/S Rocca underscores
support for peace track, urges parties to work together

Refs: Colombo 787, and previous

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: SA A/S Rocca used her May 12 meetings
with President Kumaratunga, Prime Minister
Wickremesinghe, and other GSL officials to underline
strong U.S. support for the peace process. Noting the
recent spike in cohabitation tensions, A/S Rocca also
urged that parties work together in the national
interest. Both the president and the prime minister
stressed their support for the peace track, with the
president very critical of the Tigers. Re cohabitation,
both indicated that they did not want to see an
escalation in tensions. A/S Rocca's visit was very
successful in highlighting strong U.S. support for Sri
Lanka during this sensitive timeframe. END SUMMARY.

--------------
A/S Rocca's May 12 Meetings
--------------


2. (U) Assistant Secretary for South Asian Affairs
Christina Rocca met May 12 with President Chandrika
Kumaratunga, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and
Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando. A/S Rocca also had
tea with key ministers G.L. Peiris and Milinda Moragoda,
and lunch with a selection of top Tamil politicians and
think-tank analysts.

--------------
President makes Moderate Sounds
--------------


3. (C) At her meeting with A/S Rocca, President
Kumaratunga was joined by former foreign minister
Lakshman Kadirgamar and presidential spokesman Harim
Peiris. A/S Rocca began the meeting by underscoring
strong U.S. support for the peace process, and our hope
that major parties will pull together to see it through.
Sri Lanka should be proud that it is a model of conflict
resolution for South Asia and other regions, she
emphasized.


4. (C) President Kumaratunga responded that Sri Lankans
truly value the assistance of their friends in the
international community. Re the peace process, she
stressed that she strongly supports the government's
efforts. That said, she expressed concern that the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have not really
given up anything substantive in the peace talks, but
the group has demanded much from the GSL. The
international community must press the LTTE on human
rights issues because the government had already
surrendered much of its bargaining power and was not
pressuring the Tigers enough. Kumaratunga went on to
assert that the lack of professional, experienced peace
monitors had been a source of much controversy. (Note:
This was a reference to the Norwegian-run Sri Lanka
Monitoring Mission, "SLMM," which is charged with
monitoring adherence to the February 2002 ceasefire
agreement.)


5. (C) Ambassador Wills took the opportunity to brief
the president on a recent document drafted by the donor
community which contained milestones re development
assistance, including re the observance of human rights
(see Reftels). The current plan, he noted, was to
present the document privately to both sides if and when
talks resume. Kumaratunga warned that the current
actions of the LTTE (e.g., blaming the GSL for delays in
the talks, highlighting minor issues as major problems)
are similar to those taken by the group in the past just
before breaking off talks. Kumaratunga added that
Deputy Secretary Armitage and the Ambassador had made
very refreshing and helpful statements, which had served
to reinforce the peace process.


6. (C) Turning to the tense cohabitation situation,
Kumaratunga asserted that the current rift over the
Development Lotteries Board was much ado about nothing.
(Note: Per Reftel review of recent events, the
president tried to take over the lotteries board late
last week, but the government blocked the move. Both
sides are now reviewing next steps in this controversial
matter.) She asserted that she had performed a minor
administrative act to which the government had reacted
violently and illegally. Her intent was not to create a
crisis, she said, only to ensure that lottery proceeds
were allotted in correct fashion. The Ambassador
emphasized that the U.S., first and foremost, saw this
issue as an internal matter. The way it was playing
out, however, raised concerns that the two major parties
were bickering to the net detriment of the peace
process. Kumaratunga asserted that the government had
made it impossible for cordial cohabitation relations.
Members of the GSL, for example, did not routinely
consult or inform her of what was going on, she said.

--------------
PM reviews Peace Process, Cohabitation
--------------


7. (C) In her meeting with Prime Minister
Wickremesinghe, A/S Rocca expressed her pleasure at
returning to Sri Lanka (she had also visited in March
2002),and assured him of strong and continued U.S.
support for the peace process. Re the peace track, the
PM commented that both the GSL and the LTTE had to look
long-term. It would be helpful if they could jointly
develop a road map with timeframes focused on keeping
the international community engaged. A/S Rocca asked
the PM about the LTTE's current mindset. The PM replied
that he viewed the LTTE's recent pullout from the peace
talks as being the result of the influence of Tiger
hard-liners, who wanted the LTTE to re-establish control
over the pace and agenda of the process. Wickremesinghe
predicted that the LTTE's desire for funding and
reconstruction assistance for the north and east would
lead the group to change its mind and decide to attend
the June donors conference in Tokyo. Minister Milinda
Moragoda, also present at the meeting, added that the
Tigers' lack of democratic experience was at the root of
the peace process' current difficulties. Both
Wickremasinghe and Moragoda expressed appreciation for
consistent U.S. support for the peace track.
Wickremesinghe reacted positively to a suggestion by
Ambassador Wills for a possible "clear-the-air," low-key
meeting between the GSL and the Tigers prior to Tokyo
(if the LTTE decides to attend the conference).


8. (C) Expressing her concern about the recent spike in
cohabitation stresses, A/S Rocca asked PM Wickremesinghe
for his view of the evolving situation. The PM saw only
two possible resolutions to the dispute over who
controls the lotteries board: (1) talks with President
Kumaratunga that would provide her some sort of face-
saving cover to rescind her order taking over the board;
or (2) escalating cohabitation tensions that would help
no one. The prime minister added that he personally
remained optimistic about a resolution to the dispute
over the lotteries board, though he could not discount
the likelihood of further cohabitation tensions.
Wickremesinghe said his greatest fear was having the
LTTE view this situation as a weakening of the
government's resolve and power, hindering its efforts to
achieve a negotiated settlement.


9. (C) In regard to international matters, A/S Rocca
and PM Wickremasinghe exchanged views about the GSL's
recent proposal to form some sort of group that would
counter the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The PM said the
government wanted to form a group of moderate,
developing countries that would work within the UN
system on key international issues. A/S Rocca said the
U.S. was very interested in the proposal and had
compiled a preliminary list of possible countries that
might join, including several from each geographical
region. A/S Rocca asked what the GSL's next steps would
be regarding the proposal, and how it anticipated its
role vis-a-vis other voting blocs in the UN.
Wickremesinghe, who referred to the possible grouping as
"the axis of hope," stated that the GSL was still
reviewing how to handle it. The plan as of this point
was to float the idea publicly after the June donors
conference in Tokyo and perhaps formally announce it
during the UNGA in September. (Note: That evening at
dinner Minister Morogoda asked for names of individuals
from the countries we think might be interested in this
proposal, saying that once he has the list he will
contact them personally.) (Note: Wickremesinghe also
commented that the GSL would like to have meetings with
President Bush and high-level U.S. officials on the
margins of UNGA.) At the close of the meeting, A/S
Rocca expressed deep appreciation to the Sri Lankan
government for its November 2002 signing of an
Article 98 waiver of International Criminal Court (ICC)
jurisdiction with the U.S.

--------------
Tea with Key Ministers
--------------


10. (C) In her meeting with G.L. Peiris and Milinda
Moragoda, A/S Rocca asked about the status of the peace
process. Both ministers seemed somewhat optimistic that
the LTTE would, in the end, return to the peace talks
and decide to attend the June donors conference. Peiris
stressed that the government was working hard to give
the LTTE the assurances the group needed for it to
return to the talks, especially in regard to the
provision of funds for humanitarian assistance in the
north and east. Morogoda underscored the importance of
continuing to work with the LTTE. He admitted that it
was not easy, but he thought the LTTE could be convinced
to go in the right direction via constant consultation
and explanation.


11. (C) On the subject of the latest cohabitation
tensions, Minister Peiris claimed that the GSL had a
strong legal case in that the president had not
consulted with the PM regarding the attempt to take over
the lotteries board. The Sri Lankan Constitution
required such consultation, he stressed. Moreover, in
taking such a rash action, she was losing the political
fight, he claimed. All in all, Peiris said he thought
the current situation could be worked out without more
escalation. He allowed, however, that cohabitation ties
would remain tense and subject to periodic crises, which
he said stemmed from the president's irascibility and
sense of entitlement. The government had information,
for example, that the president might be using the
lotteries board matter as a "test" before trying to
replace the interior minister, but it was not clear, he
noted.

--------------
Brief Meeting with the FM
--------------

12. (C) In her brief meeting with Foreign Minister
Fernando, A/S Rocca provided a readout on her recent
visit to India and Pakistan. FM Fernando commented that
peace in the South Asia was critical to Sri Lanka, and
it would be positive for the region if the Indians and
Pakistanis continued to work to lower tensions. Foreign
Secretary Nihal Rodrigo, who was also in the meeting,

SIPDIS
noted India's nervousness due to Pakistan's chairing of
the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC). A/S Rocca replied that the U.S. was watching
the situation closely and continued to hope that SAARC
could help bridge differences. A/S Rocca remarked that
Sri Lanka was an excellent model for the rest of the
international community, including South Asia, and she
urged the government to persevere in the peace track.
Fernando replied that the government was committed to
the peace process, and hoped that the LTTE would soon
return to the talks and come to the June donors
conference. Regarding the latest re cohabitation,
Fernando remarked that he thought the situation could be
worked out without a major escalation in tensions. He
averred that the U.S. and others in the international
community could play a role in smoothing the waters.
(Note: The FM was also the host of a May 12 dinner in
honor of A/S Rocca. Muslim leader Raul Hakeem, chief of
the Peace Secretariat Bernard Goonetilleke, and other
key GSL ministers and officials attended the dinner.)

--------------
Lunch with Tamil MPs, NGO Representatives
--------------


13. (C) The May 12 lunch with several Tamil National
Alliance (TNA) MPs and representatives of local think-
tanks and NGOs was a lively affair. Senior TNA MP R.
Sampathan asserted that the LTTE was raising legitimate
complaints re the delivery of humanitarian assistance
and the size of the security zones in the Jaffna
District. Until the LTTE had satisfaction re these
matters, they would not return to negotiations,
according to Sampathan. When queried, TNA MP G.
Ponnambalam replied that if the Tigers did not attend
the planned June donors conference, then the conference
should be postponed until the LTTE's participation could
be assured. Vigorously countering the pro-LTTE trend of
these comments, Kethesh Loganathan, a local think-tank
analyst who is Tamil, said there were many views in the
Tamil community and the LTTE had no right to claim to
speak for all Tamils. National Unity Alliance (NUA) MP
Ferial Ashraff, a Muslim, complained about LTTE actions
in the east, noting that the group continued to harass
and extort money from Muslims. Ambassador Wills noted
the copious evidence that the Tigers were assassinating
opponents in the Tamil community. In response to these
points, Sampathan replied that the LTTE had a lot of
growing up to do before it would become a genuine
political organization, but the group was slowly moving
in the right direction.

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


14. (C) A/S Rocca's visit was very successful in
highlighting to interlocutors strong U.S. support for
Sri Lanka and its people during this sensitive
timeframe. Both the president and the prime minister,
for example, tried to appear reasonable in discussing
the cohabitation situation with A/S Rocca. This tone of
moderation seems to have worn off a bit on both sides in
that the cohabitation situation does not appear as acute
now as it did previously (though it could still
escalate). Moreover, during a difficult timeframe for
the peace process, the Assistant Secretary was able to
underscore to the GSL our support for its policies while
noting our concerns about LTTE behavior. Overall, as
exemplified by A/S Rocca's latest visit, Sri Lankans
clearly appreciate continued high-level U.S. interest,
seeing such engagement as vital in helping return the
country to long-term peace and security. END COMMENT.


15. (U) Minimize considered.

WILLS