Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03COLOMBO970
2003-06-05 11:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

GSL looks forward to Tokyo and hopes for big

Tags:  PREL PGOV PTER EAID CE NO JA IN LTTE 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000970 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR D, SA, SA/INS, EUR/NB, EAP/J
NSC FOR E. MILLARD
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/13
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER EAID CE NO JA IN LTTE
SUBJECT: GSL looks forward to Tokyo and hopes for big
impact; Tigers' apparent non-participation casts shadow

Refs: Colombo 960, and previous

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000970

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR D, SA, SA/INS, EUR/NB, EAP/J
NSC FOR E. MILLARD
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/13
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER EAID CE NO JA IN LTTE
SUBJECT: GSL looks forward to Tokyo and hopes for big
impact; Tigers' apparent non-participation casts shadow

Refs: Colombo 960, and previous

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: The GSL is looking forward to the Tokyo
donors conference, hoping for a big impact both
politically and financially. That said, the Tigers'
apparent non-participation is casting a bit of a shadow.
The Norwegians plan to be represented in Tokyo by
development officials. India may be represented by its
ambassador to Japan. On the financial side, donors are
gearing up to make fairly robust pledges. Although
original expectations for Tokyo are down somewhat due to
the Tigers, the conference is set to provide crucial
support for the next phase of the peace process. END
SUMMARY.

--------------
On to Tokyo
--------------


2. (C) The Sri Lankan government is looking forward to
the June 9-10 Tokyo donors conference, hoping for a big
impact both politically and financially. In a
conversation with Ambassador Wills on June 5, Minister
Milinda Moragoda, a key assistant to Prime Minister
Wickremesinghe, said the government hopes that Tokyo
will provide "a fresh impetus" to the peace process.
In addition, the government hopes that it will obtain
the "political, moral and financial support" needed to
carry on. Moragoda also said that he hoped Tokyo would
send the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) "a
message that their foot stomping and immature behavior"
will not be rewarded. (Note: See Paras 8-9 for the
prime minister's comments on the Tigers' apparent non-
participation in Tokyo and their June 4 letter.)
(Note: Late June 5, the Ambassador also held a brief
meeting with Moragoda. A brief readout of this meeting
was sent to SA and SA/INS in an unclass e-mail. Among
other matters, Moragoda again stressed the importance of
using the conference to underscore international support

for the peace process. In reference to the Tigers'
latest demand -- see more below, Moragoda said the GSL
could support formation of an interim administration in
the north/east, but only as part of a well-scripted
process and only after confidence is restored.)


3. (C) With respect to the financial side (see more on
pledges in Para 12),Moragoda told the Ambassador that
he hoped donors at Tokyo would favor what he called a
"lockbox" approach to pledging. By this, he said he
meant that they would express their pledge and say the
money would be put in a metaphorical lockbox. That
lockbox would be unlocked when the LTTE rejoined the
process in a constructive way, he remarked.


4. (C) Re the U.S. message at Tokyo, Moragoda commented
that the peace process was a bit "amorphous" at the
moment. He hoped that Deputy Secretary Armitage in his
remarks will "emphatically state that Sri Lanka needs a
process, a road map, a new direction and milestones" so
that the peace attempt reacquires direction. He kept
returning to this point throughout the conversation.
Moragoda also suggested that the two sides need to be
reminded of the goal they agreed to at the Oslo
conference in November 2002, namely their joint support
for formation of a federal structure in a united
country. Moragoda added that there was no need for the
U.S. to get into nitty gritty issues, such as the
military's "high security zones" in Jaffna and whether
the GSL has moved fast enough to withdraw its troops in
that area.


5. (C) Re earlier reports that President Kumaratunga
would do a video message to be shown at the conference,
Moragoda said it appears she will not/not do it.
Moragoda said that might change, however. (Note:
Presidential spokesman Harim Peiris told us on June 5
that the president would definitely not be doing a video
and had no plans for involvement in the conference. He
said the president and the PM might be meeting before
the latter's departure for Tokyo, but that meeting might
be put off. In his meeting late June 5 with the
Ambassador, Moragoda confirmed that, in the end, the
president had indeed decided not/not to do the video
feed.)


6. (SBU) On other aspects of the conference, Moragoda
said Norway will serve as a co-chair and will be
represented either by the minister or deputy minister of
development cooperation. (Note: See comments of
Norwegian polchief in Para 10. Also, see comments in
Para 11 re possible Indian representation.) In the
meantime, the European Union would be represented by Guy
Legras, External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten's
deputy. Moragoda said he had just heard that Canada
will be represented at below the political level and
will hold back some of their total pledge until the
Tigers rejoin the whole process.


7. (SBU) Closing on an operational note, Moragoda said
he planned to meet with the four co-chairs (Japan,
Norway, the EU, and the U.S.) at the conference hotel at
4:00 P.M. on Sunday, June 8. He would then meet with
other officials who were coming to the conference
(ambassadors, representatives of multilateral
organizations and international financial institutions,
etc.) at 5:00 P.M. the same day. (Note: Ambassador
Wills plans to attend both of these meetings, in
addition to one with representatives of European
countries at 2:00 P.M. on June 8.) (Note: We have e-
mailed to SA/INS a tentative list of Sri Lankan
government participants at the Tokyo conference.)

--------------
Tigers' probable absence casts Shadow
--------------


8. (C) While there are still high hopes for Tokyo, the
apparent non-participation of the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is casting a bit of a shadow. This
is especially the case given the Tigers' pointed June 4
rejection of the GSL's latest offer re assistance
delivery modalities for the north/east. (Note: In its
latest exchanges with the GSL, the LTTE has not actually
mentioned Tokyo. The group, however, has given no
indication that it plans to reconsider its late April
decision not to go. Despite entreaties from a group of
European envoys visiting the LTTE-controlled Wanni
region on June 4, for example, the Tigers reportedly
would give no commitment on going to Tokyo -- a fax has
been sent to SA/INS with information about this visit.
The Tigers' June 4 letter, mentioned above, is reviewed
in detail in Reftel. Also, see Septel containing local
media reaction, which focuses on the Tigers' letter.
End Note.) In a meeting late June 4 with visiting
Deputy USAID administrator Schieck and the Ambassador,
PM Wickremesinghe seemed in a very pensive mood
regarding the peace process, noting that he did not
expect the LTTE to be present at Tokyo. Queried about
the LTTE's June 4 letter, the PM said the negative
response from the Tigers was something the GSL fully
expected at this point. The prime minister did not
indicate how or when the GSL intended to reply to the
group.


9. (C) In another conversation late June 4, polchief
found Bradman Weerakoon, a close adviser to the PM, also
in a pensive mood. In comments similar to those we have
picked up from other government officials, Weerakoon
said he believed that Tokyo would have a very positive
impact, but he clearly felt disappointed that the LTTE
-- at its very own choice -- was apparently not going to
be there.

--------------
Norwegian, Indian Representation in Tokyo
--------------


10. (C) Regarding his government's role at Tokyo,
Norwegian Embassy polchief Tomas Stangeland confirmed
Moragoda's comments that the GoN would be represented by
development officials. There would be political-level
representation, but at a lower level with Ambassador to
Sri Lanka Hans Brattskar and some other MFA officials
present. Because Norway wanted to maintain its position
as a "neutral" facilitator (given that the Tigers
appeared not to be participating),neither Deputy
Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen nor Special Envoy Erik
Solheim would be in Tokyo. Stangeland related that the
GoN had originally thought that it would try to avoid
being seen as one of the sponsors of the conference if
the Tigers did not participate (this, in the interests
of appearing more "neutral"). The Norwegian government,
however, had in the end decided to serve as one of the
co-chairs, he said.


11. (C) With respect to India, Taranjit Sandhu, Indian
High Commission polchief, told us that it was possible
that the Indian ambassador to Japan would participate in
the conference. India, however, did not want to attend
if the Tigers were there, and it was still not clear
exactly what the LTTE planned to do. With the LTTE
apparently not participating, however, Sandhu thought
that possibly cleared the way for India to attend.

--------------
Expected Pledges
--------------


12. (C) Re the financial side, donors are gearing up to
make fairly robust pledges. Mission has surveyed the
donor community and collected the following information
on level of representation and, where available, likely
pledges (Note -- Some of the information on
representation was already flagged above):

-- Japan: Prime Minister to make an opening statement,
Foreign Minister to attend.

-- EU Commission: DG of External Affairs Guy Legras.
Pledge: 20 million Euros.

-- EU Presidency: Director of Asian Office, Greek MFA.
Individual member states will pledge.

-- Norway: Either Minister or Deputy Minister of
Development Cooperation.

-- AUSTRALIA: AUSTRALIAn High Commissioner to Sri
Lanka, along with a rep from AUSTRALIAn MFA. Pledge:
AUD 32 million over two years.

-- Sweden: Charge of Swedish Embassy in Sri Lanka,
along with MFA division head for Asia. Pledge: USD 41
million (includes existing program).

-- UK: DFID Director Asia: USD 40 million over 3
years.

-- Netherlands: Dutch Ambassador to Sri Lanka.
Pledge: 11 million Euros (existing program).

-- Germany: German Ambassador to Sri Lanka. Pledge: 13
million Euros (existing program).
-- ADB: Bank President. Pledge: USD 200 million
(existing program; new funding under discussion).
--------------
COMMENT
--------------


13. (C) Original expectations that Tokyo would be "big
bang" for the peace process are down somewhat. This is
mainly due to the fact that the LTTE, of late, has
thrown a wrench into the process by pulling out of the
talks and out of Tokyo. (Note: The latter decision
could still be reversed, of course -- there are several
days left until Tokyo takes place, but it seems very
unlikely.) That said, per Moragoda's comments, there
remains a widespread belief among Sri Lankans and among
most of the donors, including the Japanese and the
Norwegians, that the conference will provide crucial
support for the underlying peace process, which
continues apace and uninterrupted. Moreover, the fact
that expectations have come down a bit is basically a
net positive, as it is easier to surpass them in that
case. Nonetheless, with GSL-LTTE relations in a trough,
Tokyo is set to be seminal moment for the next stage of
the peace process, especially as efforts are made to get
it firmly back on track in the coming weeks and months.
END COMMENT.


14. (U) Minimize considered.

WILLS