NORWEGIAN PEREGRINATIONS FOR PEACE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001062

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR D, SA, SA/INS; NSC FOR E.MILLARD
PLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/22/2014
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER CE NO LTTE
SUBJECT: NORWEGIAN PEREGRINATIONS FOR PEACE

REF: COLOMBO 1013 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead. Reason 1.5 (b,d).

SUMMARY
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1. (C) Norwegian visit to Delhi was largely a briefing for
the Indians, who expressed support for Norway and its role in
the peace process. Both GSL and LTTE have asked Norway to
continue to try to find a formula to allow them to resume
talks. Norwegians may wait until after July 10 Provincial
elections before making a new proposal, but Solheim will
visit Sri Lanka next week for discussions. LTTE continues to
be upset about alleged GSL support for breakaway leader
Karuna. The GSL is taking some steps which "test the limits"
of the Cease Fire Agreement. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) Ambassador met with Norwegian Ambassador Hans
Brattskar June 22 to discuss recent Norwegian activities in
support of Sri Lankan Peace Process. These included meetings
last week between Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Helgesen
and Sri Lankan President Kumaratunga in London, between
Norwegian Special Envoy Solheim and Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) adviser Balasingham also in London, and
Helgesen,s visit to New Delhi. Solheim will return to Sri
Lanka next week.

BRIEFING THE INDIANS IN NEW DELHI
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3. (C) Brattskar traveled to New Delhi for Helgesen,s
meetings with the new Indian government June 19. Helgesen
met with Foreign Minister Singh, National Security Adviser
Dixit, and the Foreign Secretary. Brattskar described the
meetings as basically a briefing by Norway on the peace
process, with very little input by the Indians. The Indian
officials, he said, were supportive of Norway and its role,
and asked many questions. They said that India would play a
positive role, and that there would be "no surprises."
Brattskar did note that Dixit said that his own views on Sri
Lanka were naturally colored by his experiences there as High
Commissioner from 1985-87.

CBK AND BALASINGHAM IN LONDON
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4. (C) Brattskar said that Helgesen had a two hour
one-on-one meeting with President Kumaratunga in London last
week. (Kumaratunga was in London to attend her daughter's
graduation from medical school.) They had a "good exchange."
Helgesen clarified for her that it is not Norway which is
insisting that the two sides agree on a statement before they
can meet again. Kumaratunga had suggested that the two sides
could proceed on the basis of an "understanding" if they
could not reach agreement on a statement. But, said
Brattskar, LTTE distrust is so deep that they will not move
forward without "something solid."


5. (C) The good news is that both sides have asked the
Norwegians to continue to work the issue. For the LTTE, this
was confirmed by both Balasingham in London and by
Thamilchelvam in his meeting with Brattskar on June 16
(Reftel). Brattskar noted that the two sides had been "very
very close" to an agreement several weeks ago, but that the
government had kept putting new things in. Norway would now
try to come up with a new, and simpler, text to which both
sides could agree. (Brattskar confirmed that the statement
would be one by Norway, not by the two sides.) The
Norwegians were considering what such a statement might look
like, and also what might be the right time to try to move
ahead. One school of thought is that the Government will not
be able to agree to anything until after the Provincial
Council Elections on July 10, so Norway might delay until
that point. Brattskar did say, however, that Special Envoy
Eric Solheim would return to Sri Lanka next week for talks
with both sides.


6. (C) Brattskar agreed with Ambassador that President
Kumaratunga had so far been much more flexible than the LTTE.
Her last offer -- to conclude negotiations on an interim
administration and then to begin negotiations on final issues
while the interim administration was being set up -- was
quite forward-leaning. The LTTE was so suspicious, however,
that they had not moved at all, said Brattskar. He noted
that Government actions tended to reinforce LTTE suspicions.
The LTTE was especially worked up about the situation in the
East and alleged Government support to Karuna. (See Septel
for more details.) Balasingham and Thamilchelvam had both
stressed the need to maintain the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA).
Unfortunately, Brattskar said, the Government was taking
some steps which were not good at this time. For instance,
the Sri Lankan Navy and the LTTE were now embroiled in a
dispute over movement of LTTE cadres by boat. The Navy was
attempting to unilaterally change the procedures which had
been followed until now. Brattskar described this as the
Navy &testing the limits,8 which was not good at this
sensitive time. He also said that Sri Lanka Monitoring
Mission head General Furhovde was quite unhappy about this.
(Ambassador will see Furhovde, who is currently out of
Colombo, early next week.)

COMMENT
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7. (C) The current Norwegian tactic of stepping back for a
minute and then trying to come up with a fresh formulation
which could satisfy both sides seems a good one at the
moment. Ambassador will make points about all sides needing
to compromise and necessity to support the Cease Fire when he
holds an &on the record session8 with leading editors on
June 24. Importance of the cease fire and seeking
clarification on recent changes in naval procedures with the
LTTE would also be useful topics to raise during Deputy
Secretary,s upcoming meeting with Sri Lankan Navy chief

SIPDIS
Admiral Sandagiri. END COMMENT.
LUNSTEAD