Special Media Reaction: December 19 Statement by

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 002136 SIPDIS DEPT FOR S/ES, INR/MR, PA SA/INS (CAMP, SIM, GOWER) SA/PD (SCENSNY, ROGERS, PALLADINO); SSA/PAS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: PHUM KPAO PTER EAID OIIP PREL CE LTTE SUBJECT: Special Media Reaction: December 19 Statement by the Tokyo Donors Conference Co-Chairs ¶1. (U) Summary: The statement by the Tokyo Donors Conference Co-chairs after their December 19 meeting in Brussels sparked banner headlines and lead stories of all print and electronic media on December 21. However, only the mainstream independent Daily Mirror and its sister Sinhala paper, Lankadeepa, carried all elements of the statement. Government-owned and Sinhala nationalist media played up condemnation of the LTTE and ignored the portion of the statement asking the government to disarm paramilitary groups. Tamil and pro-LTTE media, by contrast, reported the Co-chairs' condemnation of LTTE violence but emphasized the government's requirement under the terms of the Ceasefire Agreement to disarm paramilitaries threatening the LTTE. State-run and independent TV stations all pushed the statement as the lead or second stories on evening news broadcasts. End Summary. ¶2. (U) All government-owned media carried banner headlines expressing the Co-chairs' condemnation of LTTE violence. Even the state run Tamil paper, Thinakaran, emphasized LTTE atrocities in a lead story titled, "Peace efforts should be accelerated, Co-chairs command the LTTE to stop violence." Like government newspapers, independent Sinhala nationalist media made no mention of the Co-chairs' call for the government to disarm paramilitaries. The nationalist English- language Island and its sister Sinhala paper, Divaina, bannered, "Co-chairs warn LTTE of serious consequences," adding that while these were not specified, they might include the full designation of the LTTE as a terrorist organization in the EU. Independent Sinhala Lakbima bannered, "Co-Chairs emphasize the importance of adhering to the peace process, renouncing violence." ¶3. (U) Only the independent Daily Mirror and its sister Sinhala paper, Lankadeepa (both generally slanted towards the opposition United National Party),briefly mentioned the co-chairs' call for the government to disarm paramilitary groups. In a lead story titled, "Co-chairs growl at Tigers," the article noted two main points of the statement, including LTTE violence and the government's responsibility to handle paramilitaries, both in its subtitle and within the article. Independent Sinhala Lankadeepa led with, "A strong warning from the Tokyo Co-Chairs: Grave consequences if violence does not end, solution should be a united Sri Lanka." ¶4. (U) On the other hand, independent Tamil and pro-LTTE media, while reporting on the co-chairs' condemnation of Tiger violence, emphasized the requirement for the government to disarm paramilitaries. The Tamil media specifically named the Karuna faction and the anti-LTTE Eelam People's Democratic Party as the parties in question. Having carried portions of the Co-chairs' statement first on December 19, pro-LTTE Tamil Net (English) headlined, "GoSL handling of paramilitaries, LTTE violence, key issues for Sri Lanka peace, say Co-Chairs." The article reported the co-chairs "recognized that activities of the paramilitary groups are among the causes for the deteriorating situation and urged `the Government to ensure that such groups cease their paramilitary activities, as a demonstration of its commitment to a peaceful way forward.' They also called on the LTTE `to put an immediate end to their on-going campaign of violence and again urge the LTTE to demonstrate their commitment to the Ceasefire Agreement and the peace process,' and warned, `Failure to demonstrate a willingness to change would not be without serious consequences.'" Independent Thinakkural, generally sympathetic toward the LTTE, led with "Talks should commence immediately without any delay or prevarication - Co-chairs." Pro-LTTE Tamil daily Sudar Oli took an even more slanted approach, leading with: "The activities of the paramilitary forces are also cause for the deterioration of the situation: Co-chairs." More mainstream Tamil flagship paper, Virakesari, led with, "Government and the LTTE should immediately commence talks on the implementation of the CFA - Co-chairs." ¶5. (U) All television stations prominently carried the statement in their December 20 afternoon and evening news programs. National Rupavahini television, in its fifth evening story, reported, "The European Union, the United States and several other countries called on the LTTE to put an immediate end to their ongoing campaign of violence and again urged them to demonstrate their commitment to the peace process," and noted "serious consequences" if the LTTE fail to demonstrate willingness to change. In its third story, state owned ITN television news reported, "The Co- Chairs urge the LTTE to halt hostilities in the North and East," highlighting the LTTE-enforced boycott of the November 17 Presidential election. Independent Maharaja Television (MTV) and its sister vernacular stations led with reports of the tense situation in Jaffna, adding that the co- chairs had condemned recent LTTE-instigated violence. In a second story specifically on the statement, MTV headlined, "Co-Chairs call for settlement based on a united Sri Lanka; welcome Japan's offer to host peace talks," displaying the Embassy's press release of the statement on screen. ¶6. (SBU) Comment: The Government-owned and Sinhala nationalist media predictably focused on the elements of the Co-chairs' statement which found fault with the LTTE. Independent Tamil and pro-LTTE media fairly reported the co- chairs' call for the LTTE to end recent waves of violence, but gave more prominence to the paramilitaries line than did the original co-chairs' statement. We expect editorial comment to follow in the days ahead, and will report accordingly. End Comment. ENTWISTLE