SRI LANKA PRESIDENT'S INDIA VISIT CAUSES MILD TURBULENCE IN

UNCLAS CHENNAI 002575 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PTER IN CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA PRESIDENT'S INDIA VISIT CAUSES MILD TURBULENCE IN TAMIL NADU REF: CHENNAI 2555 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Protest demonstrations, quiet in-camera consultations with the Center, and passive indifference -- Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa's visit to India has drawn three types of responses from Tamil Nadu's political parties. Tamil Nadu's smaller pro-LTTE parties such as the MDMK and PMK took to the streets to protest the killings of Tamils in the island and to demand the reopening of the Jaffna Highway; Chief Minister Karunanidhi of the DMK party a chose private exchange of views with the Center on GOI Sri Lanka policy; and the state's principal opposition party, the AIADMK, chose to remain indifferent. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) On November 26, the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK),part of the UPA alliance at the Center, held protest demonstrations in many cities of Tamil Nadu, demanding a halt to Sri Lankan army attacks on Tamils and urging the Center to persuade Sri Lanka to undertake peaceful negotiations with the Tamils. Demonstrators from the Dalit Panthers of India (DPI) demanded the reopening of the A-9 Jaffna Highway. ¶3. (SBU) Meanwhile, Vaiko, leader of the pro-LTTE MDMK party, took the action to New Delhi. According to The Hindu (November 27), Vaiko met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on November 25 and urged him not to agree to undertake joint patrolling with the Sri Lankan Navy and not to provide training to Sri Lankan pilots. Vaiko also reportedly urged PM Singh to ensure that Sri Lanka lifted the economic blockade by permanently opening the A-9 Jaffna Highway. ¶4. (SBU) The ruling DMK and the Union Government opted for quiet consultations. National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan along with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon met Chief Minister Karunanidhi on November 24 in Chennai. After the meeting, Karunanidhi told the press that the state government did not raise new issues or offer new suggestions, while Union IT Minister Maran (also DMK) added that the Tamil Nadu agrees with the views of the Center. The Hindu quoted Narayanan as reiterating GOI's position after the meeting: "We want a solution to the problem in Sri Lanka which takes into considerations the aspirations of all the people of Sri Lanka within the framework of a united Sri Lanka. I think that is the goal that we all are trying to work for. Now, how you do it, at what stage you do it, and what means we use, I think this is something that will evolve with the situation and we are consulting among ourselves." ¶5. (SBU) The six mayors of Tamil Nadu cities (four DMK and two Congress) who were slated to attend the Dehra Dun Asian Mayors Conference at which Rajapaksa is appearing quietly stayed away from the meeting, conveniently citing personal excuses or other commitments. The PMK had called for a boycott of the event. ¶6. (SBU) Much to the relief of the ruling DMK, the main opposition party AIADMK of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa remained passive. A known opponent of the LTTE, she, however, has occasionally raised the issue of the humanitarian situation of Tamils in the island. In December 2005, while she was Chief Minister, she had refused to meet with Rajapaksa on his first official visit to India. ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: Although the protest demonstrations grabbed media attention, post's independent contacts believe that the general public still remains largely apathetic to pro-LTTE propaganda. All parties, however, seem to sense the need for handling the issue cautiously in view of the likely humanitarian fallout. The ruling DMK and the Congress seem to be doing just that. END COMMENT. HOPPER