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

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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