SWISS RESPONSE ON SRI LANKA CONTACT GROUP MEETING,

C O N F I D E N T I A L BERN 001710 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/15/2016 TAGS: PTER PHUM PINS PREL MARR CE SZ SUBJECT: SWISS RESPONSE ON SRI LANKA CONTACT GROUP MEETING, SEPTEMBER 27 REF: A. SECSTATE 149054 ¶B. BERN 1626 Classified By: Poloff Eric Lundberg, Reasons 1.4 b/d 1.(C) Per ref A request, Poloff spoke again to Swiss DFA South Asia desk officer Boris Richard concerning Swiss plans for the September 27 contact group meeting in Washington. Richard responded to the description of the planned agenda with a suggestion that the meeting lay out participants' intentions regarding the frequency and level of future meetings. The Swiss have not yet identified the level or focus of their delegation; these decisions would be made based on what officials other countries planned to send. Poloff offered to contact SCA to find out. 2.(C) The Swiss understand that the contact group will focus on the financing and arms smuggling to the Tamil Tigers, Richard assured. The Swiss are not looking for this particular contact group to serve as a forum for human rights or the peace process. However, Richard left open the possibility that at some point the Swiss might propose the creation of a group to deal with the "human security" issues. Comment -------------- 3.(C) As noted in ref B, the Swiss bottom line has been to maintain their ability to engage both sides of the conflict. We are encouraged that Swiss officials understand the financing/arms-smuggling focus of the contact group, but anticipate some push by the Swiss to promote "human security" issues -- in this or another forum. In order to harness Switzerland -- with its banks and significant Tamil refugee community -- to the process, some gesture on our part in their direction could be fruitful. URBAN