SRI LANKA: JAFFNA BISHOP CALLS FOR TOUGH MESSAGE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 002060 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/13/2016 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: JAFFNA BISHOP CALLS FOR TOUGH MESSAGE ON HUMAN RIGHTS REF: COLOMBO 2056 AND PREVIOUS Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr., for reasons 1.4(b,d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Ambassador Blake met the Catholic Bishop of Jaffna on December 7 during his day trip to the northern peninsula. An outspoken Tamil rights advocate, the Bishop told the Ambassador that the international community will have to use "stick diplomacy" to persuade the Government of Sri Lanka to address human rights abuses and pursue a peaceful political solution to the ethnic conflict because authorities seem impervious to verbal representations or statements issued by Western embassies. End summary. Liberation Theology in Jaffna -------------- ¶2. (C) Although the majority of LTTE cadres are Hindu -- including the LTTE leadership -- the Catholic clergy in Jaffna have been advocates for the Tamil human rights struggle to the point that some consider them pro-LTTE. The Bishop told the Ambassador: "The LTTE are only freedom fighters. They aren't bent on violence." The Bishop added: "There are faults on both sides. The LTTE are not saints... but they have legitimately stood for the Tamil people." ¶3. (C) Rev. Thomas Savundranayagam (protect throughout) has served as Bishop of predominantly-Tamil Jaffna since 1992. Since his tenure as the Bishop of Mannar in 1981, he has lobbied the GSL and successive Presidents to address matters of human suffering and human rights along with other clergymen. One Catholic priest, Father Jim Brown of Jaffna, disappeared after being stopped by security forces at an army checkpoint in Jaffna in August. Two other Jaffna priests -- Fr. X. Jejasegaram and Fr. J.J. Bernard of the Center for Peace and Reconciliation -- were arrested and briefly detained on November 24 for sponsoring a post card campaign against alleged security forces' human rights violations. "Easterners Say Yes When They Mean No" -------------- ¶4. (C) Since August 11, when a "Tamil Tiger" attack on the crossing point forced the closure of the A9 highway, the Bishop has demanded the reopening of the road to provide food and freedom of movement to Jaffna's 660,000 civilians. The Bishop lamented to the Ambassador that Sinhalese government authorities do not come in person in Jaffna to see the situation. He criticized India for "only watching" civilians' hunger and the peace process flounder. ¶5. (C) According to the Bishop, the GSL authorities that liaise with the international community will nod to diplomats' talking points on human rights. However, he said they have no intention of pursuing their advice to cease military offensives and investigate compelling human rights cases. They are confident of receiving aid from the international community, he said, and believe that the U.S. will support a military campaign to defeat the Tigers. This "mixed message" of support for a military campaign against terrorism emboldens the security forces, he argued. "Stick" Diplomacy -------------- ¶6. (C) "The parties have reached a political impasse," the Bishop contended to the Ambassador. "Foreign missions have a very important role to play." The Bishop called for a secular political solution, because GSL leaders "have the idea of a Buddhist Sinhalese hegemony always in the back of their minds, yet they also have a minority complex that there are millions of Tamils in India, but Sinhalese live only in Sri Lanka. We are not Indians, though; we're Sri Lankan." The Bishop cited the 1956 law that reduced the use of English, the link language between Tamils and Sinhalese, in schools and public administration as the beginning of the communication gap between the two populations. The heavy presence of security forces -- many of them involved in human rights abuses, he claimed -- has created a climate of fear among Jaffna civilians. ¶7. (C) The Bishop thought the international community should COLOMBO 00002060 002 OF 002 reconceptualize the way it approaches the GSL regarding the conflict: "When Easterners say 'yes,' they don't mean yes, and 'no' doesn't mean 'no.' Your straightforward way doesn't work. They'll only respond to 'stick' diplomacy. So many (diplomats and international observers) have told them they are blatantly violating human rights, but they don't shape up. The state is acting like a terrorist organization." Parties Need to Be Proactive -------------- ¶8. (C) The Ambassador praised the Bishop for his commitment to speak out for human rights, and expressed the Co-Chairs' hope that an agreement between the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and opposition United National Party (UNP) would bear fruit for power sharing. He told the Bishop: "We've been talking about more 'stick' diplomacy among ourselves, but we can't impose a solution on the government and the LTTE. We need a return to direct talks between both sides." ¶9. (C) COMMENT: Bishop Savundranayagam does run the risk of sometimes sounding like an apologist for the LTTE. Despite this, he is a keen observer of the plight of civilians in Jaffna and an advocate for them. As a senior clergyman, he is well placed to argue for the rights of the people from the relative safety of his respected position. However, other clergy-cum-human rights activists have encountered government intimidation. We will continue to seek his insights on the conflict in which civilians are increasingly at risk. BLAKE