SRI LANKA: JOINT CHIEF OF STAFF CHAIRMAN CLAIMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001439

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM PREF MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: JOINT CHIEF OF STAFF CHAIRMAN CLAIMS
'BREATHING SPACE' WOULD ALLOW LTTE TO STRENGTHEN

REF: COLOMBO 1433 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: CDA James R. Moore for reasons 1.4(b,d).


1. (C) Summary. Charge' met with Ministry of Defense (MOD)
Chief of Defense Staff General Donald Perera on August 31 to
reiterate that the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) should take
the lead in stopping military action to provide "breathing
space" for the GSL and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) in order to reconsider a political way forward.
Charge' further indicated that U.S. military to military
support would be contingent on the security forces' human
rights record. Perera responded that the GSL would not
pursue a ceasefire unless the LTTE guarantees it will not use
the period to increase the strength of its military forces,
and denied security forces' culpability in a high profile
human rights case (reftels). Perera was optimistic that the
security forces would neutralize the LTTE threat on
Trincomalee Harbor and the troop and supply route to Jaffna
Peninsula. End Summary.


2. (C) During an August 31 meeting with Chief of Defense
Staff General Donald Perera, Charge' reiterated the US call
for a cessation of hostilities between the Government of Sri
Lanka (GSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tami Eelam (LTTE).
Charge' pointed out that the onus is on the GSL as a
legitimate, democratically elected government to make the
first gesture in the path back toward talks, to which Perera
answered: "The security forces can't give up arms. The
terrorists have to give up arms. If we stop, they will
strengthen again." While stressing our initiatives to combat
LTTE terrorism, such as listing the LTTE as an FTO, FBI
arrests, and formation of a counterterrorism contact group
(reftels),Charge' argued: "There is more support for the
LTTE than there should be due to the lack of sufficient
efforts by the GSL to bring Tamils into the political and
economic mainstream." Perera responded that the "LTTE has
never been a genuine party in the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA)"
and that "the GSL has no faith" in what the LTTE says,
adding, "when the enemy is weak, it needs to be put down
hard."


3. (C) Charge' noted that the US and GSL have a healthy
military to military relationship, with important new
projects in the works, including a major maritime
surveillance project. With greater military cooperation,
explained Charge', comes greater scrutiny for the protection
of human rights. Charge' brought up the Sri Lanka Monitoring
Mission's (SLMM) recent assessment (ref A) that security
forces may have been involved in the August 4 murder of 17
local staff members of a French NGO in Muttur, stating that
the US has called for a full and transparent international
investigation into the killings. Perera responded that
nothing in the GSL-led investigation so far points to the
security forces' involvement, and that he could not comment
on the departure of the Australian team invited by the GSL to
participate in the investigation (ref A).


4. (C) General Perera commended the security forces'
"defensive" operation in the Trincomalee-Muttur-Sampur area
in northeastern Sri Lanka, stating the operation would
continue until LTTE artillery guns are neutralized, but that
the military already had a clear advantage. Perera argued,
"The LTTE needs to choke supplies from Trincomalee in order
to take Jaffna." Outgoing SLMM chief Ulf Henricsson agreed
that the LTTE's objective from its Sampur bases is to cut
supply routes to Jaffna and in the long run take it over, but
told co-chairs representatives on August 31 that "the LTTE
has performed better (in the east) if you compare resources
on paper. GSL forces are inefficient and not motivated."


5. (C) Comment: Another appeal to the GSL for breathing
space and human rights accountability seems to have fallen on
deaf ears. Yesterday's meeting with General Perera confirms
our perception that the military is calling the shots
politically and has no clear exit strategy from the current

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escalation of hostilities. End Comment.
MOORE