SCANDINAVIANS CONTINUE TO PRESS TIGERS ON EU

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001183

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SA/INS, USPACOM FOR FPA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/05/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL CE NO
SUBJECT: SCANDINAVIANS CONTINUE TO PRESS TIGERS ON EU
MONITOR ISSUE


Classified By: Charge' d'Affaires James F. Entwistle for reasons
1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary. The Scandinavians continue to try to get
the Tigers to back down from their insistence that SLMM
members from EU countries leave by September 1. After an
unsuccessful trip to Kilinochchi by the Norwegian Charge' at
the end of last week, a Swedish diplomat arrives today from
Stockholm. After that, Norwegian facilitator John
Hanssen-Bauer will take up the issue if necessary in early
August, with the possibility of a Solheim visit before
September 1. End Summary

EU Must Go
--------------


2. (C) Norwegian Charge' Oddvar Laagreid told Charge' and
British DCM July 19 that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) continue to insist that all members of the
Nordic-staffed Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) from EU
member countries must cease their duties by September 1 but
that efforts are under way to get the Tigers to reconsider.
Laagreid went to Kilinochchi July 14 to "outline the
consequences" of the Tiger ultimatum to LTTE political chief
Tamilchelvan. Laagreid said he had stressed that if Norway
were left alone to staff the SLMM it would mean a reduction
in force by at least half. District offices would have to be
closed and the SLMM's ability to adequately monitor the
cease-fire agreement (CFA) would decrease correspondingly.
Before monitors from non-Scandinavian countries could be
brought on board, the CFA itself would have to be
renegotiated between the Tigers and the government since the
current agreement specifies that SLMM monitors will be from
Nordic countries. Tamilchelvan listened politely" but made
clear that the Central Committee had made a decision which
was final, Laagreid said.


3. (C) Laagreid advised Charge' that the next step will be a
senior Swedish diplomat who arrives from Stockholm July 19 to
go to Kilinochchi and, over the next few days, try again to
make the Tigers see reason. Assuming that attempt does not
yield results, the issue will be high on the agenda when
Norwegian envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer arrives in Sri Lanka August
2 for his next effort on the peace process. Laagreid
commented that if Hanssen-Bauer is unable to "get the Tigers
to budge" on the EU issue it is likely that Erik Solheim will
come himself before the September 1 deadline. The advantage
there, Laagreid pointed out, is that Solheim would likely see
LTTE supremo Prabhakaran.

No New Ideas Coming From Oslo
--------------


4. (C) Beyond the EU/SLMM conundrum, Hanssen-Bauer will be
ready to "do the usual back and forth on peace," Laagreid
noted. In his trip north last week, however, Laagreid had,
on instructions from Oslo, made clear to the LTTE that
Hanssen-Bauer "will not be bringing any new ideas." "It is
up the parties to come up with new ideas," Laagreid said. He
has passed an identical message to the government. There is
no indication of such "new thinking" on either side, Laagreid
commented. He assessed that the Tigers are being a bit more
intransigent than the government at the moment, citing as an
example the government's stated willingness to go into
LTTE-controlled territory for the next round of talks so that
the Tigers do not have to travel overseas (so far the Tigers
response via the Norwegians has been that "the time is not
right.").

Tigers Never Agreed to Release Cop

COLOMBO 00001183 002 OF 002


--------------


5. (C) Laagreid noted that he had appealed in strong terms
to the Tigers to release the one government policeman who is
still in Tiger custody after being detained with several
colleagues ten months ago after pursuing a suspected foreign
pedophile into Tiger-controlled territory. Tamilchelvan had
been initially positive about "seeing what could be done."
After consultations, however, Tamilchelvan had shown Laagreid
a letter which the LTTE official said had been sent by the
Tigers to the government four months ago in which it had
proposed to trade the policeman for five LTTE cadres detained
by the government last year. The Tigers told Laagreid no
response had ever been received but that the offer stood.
Laagreid said he had carried this back to the government.


6. (C) The next day newspaper headlines heralded an LTTE
agreement to release the policeman on humanitarian grounds.
Laagreid said he suspects the government had planted this
erroneous story in order to create the public impression that
the Tigers had reneged on an agreed release. "They never
agreed to release him so they couldn't have reneged!" The
Norwegian noted that he had subsequently urged
(unsuccessfully) the Tigers to release the policeman in
connection with the government's agreement to let LTTE
spokesman Dayamaster come to Colombo for cardiac treatment.
Again, however, the Tigers had not agreed to or reneged on
anything. "It was an appeal, not a deal."

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


7. (C) Once again, high marks to the Norwegians for patience
and persistence. Our sense is that the Tigers realize
gutting the SLMM is not in their interest but will hold out
into August to see if anything can be gained in exchange for
agreeing to drop the issue. The Norwegians are right to put
the onus for new ideas on the parties but we fear
Hanssen-Bauer will find fresh thinking in short supply when
he shows up the week after next. End Comment.
ENTWISTLE