SRI LANKA: MONITORING MISSION ACCUSES GSL AND LTTE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001597 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2016 TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM PREF MOPS CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: MONITORING MISSION ACCUSES GSL AND LTTE OF GROSS CEASEFIRE VIOLATIONS REF: A. COLOMBO 1596 AND PREVIOUS ¶B. COLOMBO CE 1588 ¶C. COLOMBO 1433 Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake for reasons 1.4(b,d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) Head of Mission Major General Lars Solvberg addressed a 26 September report to Dr. Palitha Kohona of the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) Secretariat for Coordination of the Peace Process (SCOPP) and Mr. Pulidevan, Secretary General of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Peace Secretariat (PS). The report discussed the SLMM's rulings on Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) violations committed by both parties in the eastern Trincomalee district, the northern Jaffna district, and the northern LTTE-controlled Vanni between 22 July and 25 September 2006. Solvberg's report accused both parties of major military offensive operations and restricting monitors' access to affected areas in violation of the CFA. End Summary. ¶2. (C) SLMM Chief Major General Lars Solvberg, in a September 26 report to SCOPP Secretary Palitha Kohona and LTTE Peace Secretary Pulidevan, criticized both parties for gross SIPDIS violations of the February 2002 Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) in the Trincomalee and Jaffna districts, and the LTTE-controlled Vanni. The full report is available on the SLMM website at www.slmm.lk. SLMM spokesman Thorfinnur Omarsson told poloff that both parties were given advance copies of the document for which they provided comments, some of which were incorporated into the final documents. Neither the GSL or the LTTE has responded publicly to the report thus far; On September 28, government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella criticized General Solvberg for comments he made in a September 27 interview with Reuters, indicting both parties for blocking a return to peace talks. Rambukwella criticized the SLMM chief for allegedly placing an equal onus on the democratically elected GSL and the terrorist LTTE organization to create a positive atmosphere for talks. ¶3. (C) The September 26 SLMM report noted that following the LTTE's July 11 closure of the Mavilaru sluice gates, which "created a humanitarian crisis" and "provoked" the GSL, the GSL embarked on a "major military offensive operation" in the surrounding areas on July 26. Subsequently, "the LTTE launched a major military offensive against the Jaffna peninsula on August 11." Solvberg criticized the GSL for its August 27 offensive on LTTE-controlled Sampur, south of Trincomalee harbor, marking "the first time a transfer of territory took place via offensive military means, in violation of the CFA." Article 1.2 of the CFA, the report noted, states that neither party shall engage in any offensive military action, including direct or indirect fire, assassinations, abductions, suicide missions, aerial bombardment or offensive naval operations. ¶4. (C) The report further disparaged the parties for restricting the SLMM's freedom of movement to conflict-affected sites, "thus limiting the SLMM's ability to fulfill its mandate." Solvberg noted in particular the GSL's refusal to allow monitors to access Muttur following the August 11 murders of 17 local employees of a French NGO (ref B). He wrote: "At the same time as denying the SLMM entry, the GSL provided escorts for journalists wishing to enter the area. The SLMM has reasons to believe that alternative motives were behind the GSL's decision to deny SLMM entry." ¶5. (C) The report addressed the problem of humanitarian access to the Jaffna peninsula and parts of the LTTE-controlled Vanni, which have been cut off from road access by recent fighting, noting: "According to Article 2.6 of the CFA, the Parties shall open the Kandy-Jaffna road (A9) to non-military traffic of goods and passengers." ¶6. (C) Comment: The SLMM report takes a hard line against both the GSL and the LTTE, reading heavy with Solvberg's COLOMBO 00001597 002 OF 002 frustration that both parties have restricted the monitors' ability to fulfill their mandate by denying them access to areas of reported violations, a sentiment former HOM General Henricsson shared with us in our meeting with him several weeks ago when he accused the parties of "using" the SLMM (ref C). The report highlights the need for both sides to exercise restraint in this critical period running up to what the Co-chairs hope will be renewed peace talks at a time and date still TBD. Ambassador urged such restraint in meetings with Sri Lanka's three senior military commanders on September 27 (ref A and B). End Comment. BLAKE