PM suggests need to amend ceasefire with

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000026

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT
DEPARTMENT PLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC
NSC FOR E. MILLARD

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01-07-14
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER MOPS CE LTTE
SUBJECT: PM suggests need to amend ceasefire with
Tigers given President's control of Defense portfolio

Refs: (A) Colombo 12, and previous

(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead.
Reasons 1.5 (b, d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: During a January 7 United National
Party (UNP) meeting in Panduwasnuwara, roughly 70 miles
north of Colombo, the Prime Minister gave a speech
suggesting the need to amend the government's ceasefire
agreement with the LTTE based on the President's control
of the Defense Ministry. Rumors in the local press
earlier on January 7 exaggerated the intent of the PM's
speech, suggesting the government would walk away from
the ceasefire. Several of the contacts that we spoke
with on January 7 agreed that concerns over a GSL
walkout of the ceasefire were based on misconstrued
press reports. The PM's comments on amending the
ceasefire, a variant of his earlier theme of "let her
take over the negotiations" are a clear sign of
frustration. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) PM SUGGESTS AMENDING CEASEFIRE WITH TIGERS:
During a January 7 UNP meeting in Panduwasnuwara,
roughly 70 miles north of Colombo, Prime Minister
Wickremesinghe gave a speech suggesting the need to
amend the government's ceasefire agreement with the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) based on
President Kumaratunga's control of the Defense Ministry.
(Note: The defense portfolio has been under the
President since she took control of the defense,
interior, and mass communications ministries on November
4.) According to accounts of the speech, the Prime
Minister claimed that the government's agreement with
the LTTE was based on both sides being in control of its
respective forces. Without control of the Defense
Ministry, the government could no longer take
responsibility for the ceasefire or resume peace
negotiations with the Tigers. The PM stressed, however,
that it was imperative for the government to remain
committed to upholding the ceasefire agreement. He
reportedly called on the President to take
responsibility for the ceasefire and the peace
negotiations with the Tigers, if she intended to remain
in control of the three ministries she took over.


3. (C) PRESS SPREADS RUMORS: Rumors in the local press
on January 7 exaggerated the intent of the Prime
Minister's speech, planned for later in the day. Local
headlines suggested that the PM would announce the
government's withdrawal from the ceasefire agreement
with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It
would appear that the PM's prepared speech was leaked to
the press, with his planned remarks taken out of
context. Further media reports that the government had
already informed the four co-chairs (Norway, Japan, US,
and EU) of its intent to abrogate the ceasefire were
also inaccurate: Mission has had no such communication
from the GSL. (Note: As for the Tigers, a late January
7 report on the pro-LTTE website, "TamilNet" carried
excerpts of the PM's speech, stating that "there was no
immediate reaction from the Tigers.")


4. (C) CEASEFIRE CONCERNS OVERSTATED: Several of the
contacts that we spoke with on January 7 agreed that the
concerns over a GSL walkout of the ceasefire were based
largely on misconstrued press reports. The Ambassador
spoke to Minister Milinda Moragoda (just back from
Washington, Oslo, and Brussels),a key GSL figure in the
peace process, who stated unequivocally that there were
no plans for the GSL to withdraw from the ceasefire
accord and that the PM's comments on the matter had been
blown wildly out of proportion in the press. Tomas
Stangeland, poloff at the Norwegian Embassy, told us
that the GSL had not approached Norway, in its role as
peace process facilitator, regarding any changes with
the ceasefire agreement. Stangeland said that the
Norwegians had spoken with Minister G.L. Peiris, another
key GSL peace process figure, who also confirmed that
the government was not preparing to withdraw from the
agreement with the Tigers. Separately, contacts within
the Sri Lankan military told us that there had been not
operational change with respect to maintaining the
ceasefire.


5. (C) COMMENT: Shortly after the President took
control of the three ministeries on November 4, the PM
stated that if the President kept the ministries, she
should take over the peace negotiations. Today's
statement is a variant on that theme. Whatever effect
it may have, it seems a clear indication that the PM is
growing increasingly impatient with the current
situation. END COMMENT.


6. (U) Minimize considered.

LUNSTEAD