Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04COLOMBO704
2004-04-27 11:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

Ambassador meets with President Kumaratunga

Tags:  PREL PGOV MASS CVIS CE LTTE ECONOMICS 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000704 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS; NSC FOR E. MILLARD

PLEASE PASS TOPEC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04-27-14
TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS CVIS CE LTTE ECONOMICS
SUBJECT: Ambassador meets with President Kumaratunga
and reviews peace process and highlights USG programs

Refs: Colombo 694, and previous

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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000704

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS; NSC FOR E. MILLARD

PLEASE PASS TOPEC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04-27-14
TAGS: PREL PGOV MASS CVIS CE LTTE ECONOMICS
SUBJECT: Ambassador meets with President Kumaratunga
and reviews peace process and highlights USG programs

Refs: Colombo 694, and previous

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


1. (C) SUMMARY: The Ambassador met Sri Lankan
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga on April

26. A visibly tired CBK said she wanted to restart
peace negotiations with the LTTE as soon as possible,
and was willing to discuss the LTTE Interim Authority
proposal. She intends to reorganize the Peace
Secretariat and bring relief and rehabilitation measures

SIPDIS
under it. She is still deciding on her negotiating
team. She values US-Sri Lanka military cooperation.
She promised an answer by the end of the week on whether
Sri Lanka would proceed with the acquisition of an ex-US
Coast Guard cutter. She expressed interest in the
TIP/PISCES program, which she had not heard about
previously. She is also interested in a Free Trade
Agreement if it would have benefits for Sri Lanka. CBK
said she wanted to know about ongoing and proposed US
programs so decisions could be made. Though clearly
fatigued, the President was much more focused and
forward-looking than in previous meetings. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) The Ambassador called on Sri Lankan President
Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga April 26 for a one-
on-one meeting which lasted well over an hour. The
Ambassador began by stating that the US supported Sri
Lanka, not a particular party or person, and wanted to
work with the new government, as Secretary Powell had
told CBK in his recent phone call. CBK said how much
she appreciated the Secretary's call and the neutral
stance which the US had taken during the election.

Peace Process
--------------


3. (C) The Ambassador said that, as the Secretary had
stated in his call, we believed the first priority was
to restart the peace negotiations. CBK said she agreed
completely and was eager to proceed. She then

complained that she had told this to Norwegian
Ambassador Brattskar on April 5, but he had not
contacted the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to
pass on the message, pending a written request from the
GSL that Norway continue as facilitator. With Brattskar
out of the country, CBK called the Norwegian Foreign
Minister and obtained his agreement to a continued
Norwegian role.


4. (C) CBK continued that she had received informal
messages from the LTTE that they wanted the talks to
start up soon, and on the basis of their proposal for an
Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA). CBK said that
she had agreed, although she would rather discuss a
final solution. The Ambassador noted that the end step
in this negotiation would result in the demise, or
perhaps the transformation of the LTTE into a completely
different kind of organization. It was unrealistic to
think that the LTTE would agree in advance to such a
thing. The strategy for the negotiations had to be to
build a new situation step by step, so that in the end
there could be no backing out.


5. (C) The Ambassador asked CBK if she had chosen her
Peace Team yet or her lead negotiator. She said the
issue was under discussion. When the Ambassador asked
if she had any ideas about her negotiator, she said
again that it was under discussion and suddenly asked
the Ambassador "Do you have any suggestions?" (The
Ambassador declined to enter into that discussion.) CBK
did say that she would keep the Peace Secretariat but
restructure it. She would bring the current "Triple R"
activities (relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction)
into one section, and have two additional sections: one
for strategic planning and one for staff work for the
negotiations. Ambassador noted that we had tried to
provide some technical assistance to the Peace
Secretariat earlier, but that there had not been much

SIPDIS
interest, and we had therefore moved our peace support
activities to Track II areas. CBK said she might be
interested in some assistance to the Secretariat. The
Ambassador said that the negotiations would need a
carefully structured approach; utilizing the Secretariat
would be important.

Military Cooperation
--------------


6. (C) The Ambassador said that, as CBK knew, we had an
extensive military cooperation program with Sri Lanka.
This program was designed in part to make it clear to
the LTTE that if they returned to war, they would face a
stronger Sri Lankan military, which would be supported
by the international community. CBK said that she
understood and supported this. The Ambassador then
raised the issue of former US Coast Guard cutter
"Courageous," scheduled for transfer to the Sri Lankan
Navy as an excess defense article (EDA). He noted that
Sri Lankan had to decide quickly if it wanted the
cutter. Other countries would snap it up if Sri Lanka
did not. He noted that the cutter would greatly
increase the Sri Lankan Navy's maritime surveillance and
interdiction capabilities, and would also be a visible
symbol of US support for Sri Lanka.


7. (C) CBK replied that she had the file on this issue
on her desk at that moment. She said that the problem
was that the cutter was 36 years old and would cost the
GSL $11 million ($7 million for refurbishment and $4
million for new guns.) The Chinese had offered a brand
new ship for $33 million and the Indians a similar ship
for $25 million. Would the GSL not be criticized for
spending so much money on a "36 year-old ship?" The
Ambassador emphasized that the cutter had been
maintained and revamped throughout its career, and that
with the planned refurbishment, Sri Lanka would
essentially receive a new ship. He said further that he
had to tell CBK frankly that a tremendous effort had
been expended in obtaining this ship for Sri Lanka under
the EDA program. If Sri Lanka turned down the ship now,
it would be difficult to make further EDA requests --
such as the Sri Lankan Air Force desire for an EDA C-

130. After further similar discussion, CBK promised the
Ambassador that the GSL would give its answer by the end
of the week.

Anti-terrorism Cooperation
--------------


8. (C) The Ambassador said that he wanted to mention
one particular program, the TIP/PISCES immigration
control system, which we had briefed before the election
to the Defense and Interior Ministries. The Ambassador
described the system and the advantages it would bring
to Sri Lanka. CBK said she was very interested and
would ask for the file from the Public Security
(formerly the "Interior") Ministry. She said that the
Embassy should use the new Public Security Secretary as
the GSL's point of contact on PISCES. There is one
thing for sure, she said: "I hate terrorists."

Economic Issues
--------------


9. (U) The Ambassador said he wished to briefly raise
two economic issues. We had discussed a Free Trade
Agreement (FTA) with the previous government, although
no decision had yet been made on whether to go ahead
with negotiations. We needed to know if the GSL was
still interested. CBK said that her earlier government
had negotiated Sri Lanka's first FTA, with India. In
general she favored free trade agreements, but, of
course, there needed to be some benefit for Sri Lanka.
She told the Ambassador to work with the Finance
Minister on the issue, and the Ambassador said he had
already raised it with Finance Minister Amunugama. The
Ambassador then briefly described the Millennium
Challenge Account, noting that possible participants
would be chosen shortly.


10. (U) The Ambassador said that there were many
ongoing or proposed programs which the USG had with the
GSL, and which we were discussing with the new
government. He had raised only a few during this
discussion. CBK asked that the Ambassador send her a
note describing these programs so that she could ensure
they were dealt with properly.

Frustrations
--------------


11. (C) CBK said that she was tired and frustrated,
annoyed that three weeks after the election, her
government was still unformed due to the dispute with
the JVP over ministerial portfolios. "I have been up
till 2:00 a.m. every night trying to sort this out."
She noted, somewhat ruefully, that the "mainstream
parties" (the UNP and the SLFP) had seventy-five percent
of the seats in Parliament, while the "extremists" (the
JVP and the TNA),which had twenty-five percent, were
able to hold the others hostage.

Comment
--------------


12. (C) Despite her visible fatigue, CBK was much more
focused and forward looking than in previous meetings.
She was also much less strident, foregoing her usual
vitriolic asides about former Prime Minister
Wickremesinghe. Her last attempt at direct negotiations
with the LTTE, in 1995, ended in renewed fighting, at
least partly because her negotiating team was
inexperienced and operated without any staff or backup.
From her comments, she may be prepared to try a new
approach this time. END COMMENT.


13. (U) Minimize considered.

LUNSTEAD