C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000873

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, EUR/NB, EAP/J; NSC FOR

E. MILLARD

LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/27/13
TAGS: PGOV PTER EAID CE NO JA LTTE
SUBJECT: Norwegians set to try again with Tigers;
President criticizes the group's latest demands

Refs: (A) OpsCenter-Colombo 05/24/03 telecon

- (B) Colombo 868, and previous

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: In the latest effort to convince the
Tigers to come to the Tokyo conference, a Norwegian
envoy is working with the GSL on ways to meet the
group's demands re control of assistance funds. Sharply
curbing the GSL's room for compromise on the matter, the
president has harshly criticized the Tigers' demand for
an interim structure in the north/east. In other news,
the Tigers have been earning some rare plaudits for
their recent meeting with eastern Muslims and their
sending of flood aid to the south. Although the GoN is
giving it another try, getting the Tigers to Tokyo still
seems a long shot. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) NORWEGIAN ENVOY ARRIVES: Norwegian envoy
Erik Solheim arrived in Colombo on May 25 in the latest
effort to convince the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) to come to the Tokyo donors conference, which is
scheduled for June 9-10. (Note: The LTTE announced in
late April that it was pulling out of the peace talks
and would not go to Tokyo. Since that time, Norwegian
and Japanese officials have been engaged in a full-court
press aimed at convincing the LTTE to reconsider.) From
what Mission understands, Solheim was in close
consultation with GSL officials, including Prime
Minister Wickremesinghe, during the first part of his
visit. The focus of these meetings was to fine-tune the
government's reaction to the latest LTTE demand that an
"interim administrative structure" be set up in the
north/east to distribute assistance funding. (Note:
The LTTE demands that whatever structure is formed also
be basically under its control -- See Reftels.) Solheim
is expected to take the GSL's counter-proposals to the

LTTE-controlled Wanni region soon and review them with
Tiger officials at that time. (Note: We have heard
late reports that the essence of the GSL's proposals
have already been provided to the LTTE and that Solheim
will review the details whenever he visits the Wanni.)


3. (C) (((Note: The GSL's exact counter-proposals have
not been publicized as of yet. Per Septel, however, we
understand that the government is recommending to the
LTTE that a new entity be created to deal with all
aspects of development and reconstruction in the NE,
replacing the joint Sub-Committee on Immediate
Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs for the North and
East, "SIHRN." The new entity would be quite complex,
with various units, including an "apex" council. The
general idea is that the LTTE would have a "major" role
in the delivery of assistance in the NE, but not a
"majority" voice. End Note.)))


4. (SBU) (((Note: The Department's May 23 announcement
that the Deputy Secretary would be attending Tokyo
received a great deal of press play in Sri Lanka. Local
reaction was highly favorable. A media reaction cable
is being sent Septel.)))


5. (SBU) PRESIDENT HITS OUT: Sharply curbing the GSL's
room for compromise, the president has harshly
criticized the Tigers' demand for an interim structure
in the north/east. President Kumaratunga, addressing a
foreign correspondents' dinner late May 23, flatly
rejected the Tiger demands for an interim administration
and stated: "I have not heard of any self-respecting
sovereign government anywhere in the world agreeing to
act outside its own constitution at the request of
anyone." The president went on to criticize the
Norwegian effort as going beyond facilitation and stated
that she did not know what Japan's exact role in the
process was. The president's People's Alliance (PA)
party also hit out hard against the LTTE's demands and
starkly warned the PM about the matter, stating, "The PA
rejects totally the LTTE's demands and warns the Prime
Minister that if he continues, his government will be in
peril." In the meantime, the radical, anti-peace
process Janantha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party also
joined in the hue and cry, characterizing any attempt to
create an interim administration as nothing but a move
toward "Tamil Eelam" in disguise. In its statement, the
JVP slammed the government, claiming that the GSL had
achieved nothing in its months of negotiations with the
LTTE, and accused "Western interests" of acting in
concert with the LTTE to "trap" the government.


6. (SBU) SOME POSITIVE NEWS RE THE LTTE: Of late, most
reports regarding the LTTE's activities have been highly
negative. (Note: Much of the reporting, for example,
has focused on the group's pullout from the talks and
the Tokyo conference, and on clear indications that the
group is assassinating Tamil opponents, etc.) There
have been some slight recent bright spots, however,
including the fact that local Tiger leaders met with
local Muslim leaders in the eastern town of Mutur on May

21. (Note: Mutur was the scene of serious communal
violence between pro-LTTE Tamils and Muslims in mid-
April.) In a show of communal solidarity, the two sides
discussed ways to avoid conflict in the future, even
agreeing to form a committee on the matter. (Note:
FYI. Muslim leader Rauf Hakeem has reviewing peace
process issues with the Norwegian government in Oslo for
the past several days.)


7. (SBU) In other positive news re the LTTE, the Tigers
donated six truckloads of dry rations (rice, lentils,
etc.) to flood victims in the south on May 22. LTTE
political wing officials accompanied the aid -- which
was reportedly worth about USD 35,000 -- on its trek to
the south. This gesture netted significant (and rare)
positive press coverage for the LTTE in the south.


8. (C) COMMENT: Although the Norwegians are giving it
another try, getting the Tigers to Tokyo still appears a
long shot. The pressure on the GSL is considerable,
with the LTTE setting tough conditions on one flank and
the president/JVP criticizing whatever the government
does on the other. Coming up with a workable compromise
on aid delivery in the north/east that is politically
palatable in the south (and legal per Sri Lanka's
complex constitution) normally would take weeks and
months to work out. It is certainly very, very
difficult to do so in several days. All that said, the
fact that Tokyo is moving forward and that the U.S. will
be there has given the government more breathing space
to try to work things out. END COMMENT.


9. (U) Minimize considered.

WILLS