Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04COLOMBO747
2004-05-10 11:03:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

Peace Process update: Norwegian FM in high-

Tags:  PGOV PTER PINS MOPS CE NO LTTE 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000747 

SIPDIS

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

PLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05-10-14
TAGS: PGOV PTER PINS MOPS CE NO LTTE
SUBJECT: Peace Process update: Norwegian FM in high-
profile visit; Tensions in east between LTTE and army

Refs: (A) Colombo 737, and previous
- (B) Oslo 756

(U) Classified by James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b,d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000747

SIPDIS

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

PLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05-10-14
TAGS: PGOV PTER PINS MOPS CE NO LTTE
SUBJECT: Peace Process update: Norwegian FM in high-
profile visit; Tensions in east between LTTE and army

Refs: (A) Colombo 737, and previous
- (B) Oslo 756

(U) Classified by James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of
Mission. Reasons 1.5 (b,d).


1. (C) This update on Sri Lanka's peace process reviews
the following recent developments:

-- Norwegian Foreign Minister visits Sri Lanka for
meetings with GSL and LTTE leaders.

-- LTTE London-based spokesman Anton Balasingham visits
Sri Lanka after a year's hiatus.

-- Tensions between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan military
increase in the east.

-- Controversy over decision by GSL not to allow a
separate Muslim delegation in any future peace talks.

====================
Norwegian FM's visit
====================


2. (SBU) Following recent public statements from the
Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE) expressing their desire to resume peace
talks (see Reftels),the Norwegian government's peace
facilitation effort is kicking into high gear.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Petersen arrived in
Colombo on May 10 for a two-day visit and he is
scheduled to meet key GSL and LTTE leaders. According
to a Norwegian Embassy press release, FM Petersen,
accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen,
is scheduled to meet with President Kumaratunga and LTTE
leader V. Prabhakaran, among other top local leaders.
The meeting with Prabhakaran is slated to take place at
LTTE headquarters in the LTTE-controlled Vanni region in
northern Sri Lanka. Petersen's visit follows up an
early May visit to Sri Lanka by DFM Helgesen and Special
Envoy Erik Solheim (see Reftels). Petersen, himself,
last visited Sri Lanka in May 2003. In other news re
high-level visits to Sri Lanka focused on the peace
process, the Japanese Embassy has confirmed that Special
Envoy Yasushi Akashi will visit Sri Lanka from
May 15-19.


3. (C) COMMENT: Petersen's visit is an important one.

In his meetings with Kumaratunga and Prabhakaran, he
will be able to judge how much preparatory work will be
needed before talks can resume. (In a discussion with
the Ambassador on May 3, Special Envoy Solheim said he
thought that much work would be needed and said he
doubted that talks would resume right away.) Petersen's
meeting with Prabhakaran is particularly noteworthy, as
he is one of the highest-level Western government
officials to ever meet the reclusive leader. Moreover,
the Norwegians have not met with Prabhakaran for some
months now and tell us that they are eager to hear what
he thinks first hand. END COMMENT.

========================
Balasingham in Sri Lanka
========================


4. (SBU) LTTE chief spokesman Anton Balasingham has
returned to Sri Lanka, following a hiatus of nearly one
year. (Balasingham is based in London.) Norwegian
Ambassador Hans Brattskar met Balasingham and his wife
Adele upon their arrival at Colombo's international
airport on May 7. Later that day, Balasingham traveled
by Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter to Kilinochchi, where
he met with Prabhakaran and LTTE political chief S.P.
Thamilchelvam, among other senior Tiger officials.
Subsequent reports on the pro-Tiger website "TamilNet"
have stated that Balasingham will be mapping out the
LTTE's strategy in possible future peace negotiations
with the Sri Lankan government.

5. (C) COMMENT: Balasingham's return to Sri Lanka is a
hopeful sign regarding a possible resumption of talks
between the GSL and the LTTE. Balasingham -- who led
the LTTE side at the six round of talks held from 2002-
2003 -- is widely regarded as the Tigers' most
experienced hand at negotiations and his visit appears
to be a sign that the Tigers are making preparations to
return to the negotiating track. Prabhakaran probably
also wanted Balasingham to be with him for the meeting
with FM Petersen. The fact that Balasingham is making
the trip at all is noteworthy in and of itself. Last
year, it was thought that his health had deteriorated to
such an extent that he might have to give up his LTTE
duties. That apparently is not the case and he seems
back in the middle of events. END COMMENT.

====================
Tensions in the East
====================


6. (C) Tensions between the LTTE and the Sri Lanka Army
(SLA) are increasing in the east. The reason for the
friction appears to revolve around the LTTE's apparent
belief that the SLA is protecting remnants of rebel
eastern commander Karuna's forces and allowing those
forces to launch attacks on LTTE cadre. (Karuna's
military force was largely defeated by the LTTE in early
April fighting -- see Ref A. Karuna's whereabouts
remain unknown.) The Tigers, for example, have
indirectly blamed the SLA for the May 6 killings of two
LTTE cadre in Batticaloa District and the killing of
seven other operatives on April 24 in the same district.
In apparent retaliation for these killings, a Sri Lanka
Army (SLA) intelligence operative was shot and killed on
May 9 in a government-controlled area of Batticaloa.
Military spokesman Col. Sumeda Perera told poloff on
May 10 that Lance Corporal W. Colombage was traveling on
a civilian bus in civilian clothes when he was slain by
a fellow passenger, who then fled the scene. Perera
said the Army had complained about the incident to the
Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). He said the
killing was "almost certainly the work of the LTTE." In
another incident on May 7, a member of Sri Lanka's
paramilitary Special Task Force (STF) was injured when a
hand grenade exploded in Batticaloa town.


7. (C) COMMENT: If they are indeed responsible for the
recent attacks, it is not clear how far the LTTE wants
to press matters with the SLA,. It is certainly rare
for a SLA operative to be killed so openly and that
seems ominous. That said, as mentioned above, the group
does appear interested in resuming peace talks soon, so
one would think the Tigers will work to ensure that
temperatures do not get too hot. Nonetheless, the
Tigers are clearly angry that some of their operatives
in the east have been killed. Most observers believe
these killings probably have nothing to do with the SLA,
but are being carried out by remnants of Karuna's men
who are operating out of deep jungle hideouts. In
blaming the SLA, the Tigers clearly do not want to admit
that they continue to face obstacles within their own
Tamil community. END COMMENT.

============================================= ==
GSL says no separate Muslim delegation in talks
============================================= ==


8. (SBU) In other peace process developments, the GSL
has stated that there will be no separate Muslim
delegation in any future peace negotiations with the
LTTE. The statement, signed by United People's Freedom
Alliance (UPFA) general secretary (and Power and Energy
Minister) Susil Premajayantha, related that "taking into
account political and ground realities concerning the
conduct of the negotiations, it is clear that the two
principal parties at the negotiation table can only be
the government and the LTTE." This statement has been
controversial among Muslims, who say that the UPFA's
political platform agreed to before the recent general
election promised Muslims a special place at any talks.
(In the January 2004 pact that formed the UPFA, the
coalition parties stated that the "political equality
and democratic rights of the Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim
and other communities" would be safeguarded, and that
the UPFA would "agree to enter into a process of
political dialogue with the LTTE and all other relevant
groups and communities.") The UPFA statement follows
comments made by Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar
during a recent visit to India that when the GSL
"resumes the negotiations, the two principal parties at
the table will be the government and the LTTE."


9. (C) COMMENT: Muslim leaders have publicly taken
umbrage at what they perceive to be a turnabout by the
UPFA, which they claim had assured them their own seat
at the negotiating table. Rauf Hakeem, leader of the
Sri Lankan Muslim Congress (SLMC),stated on May 9 that
"talks will not be a success if they go ahead without a
separate Muslim delegation. They will also not have the
support of the SLMC." The notion of a separate Muslim
delegation to the talks had been repeatedly mooted under
the previous government, but never finalized, although
Hakeem regularly participated in the talks as a member
of the GSL team. Due to the negative reaction from the
SLMC and from some Muslims in the UPFA coalition, the
GSL has now backtracked a bit and indicated that it
intends to involve Muslims and other communities in the
talks to the extent possible. This will be tough to do
-- the LTTE has made clear that it only wants to
negotiate with the GSL and not other groups. END
COMMENT.


10. (U) Minimize considered.

LUNSTEAD