DUTCH AMBASSADOR REGISTERS LOCAL EU CONCERN WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000805 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2016 TAGS: PTER PREL CE EU SUBJECT: DUTCH AMBASSADOR REGISTERS LOCAL EU CONCERN WITH PDAS CAMP COMMENTS ON LTTE LISTING Classified By: Charge' d'Affaires, a.i. James F. Entwistle for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Dutch Ambassador Reynout Van Dijk called on Charge' May 17 in his capacity as the representative of the EU Presidency to complain about SCA PDAS Donald Camp's May 16 statement during a television interview in Colombo that the U.S. encouraged the European Union to list the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist organization (full text of PDAS Camp comments on the EU below). Van Dijk told Charge' that local EU chiefs of mission felt it was inappropriate for a "diplomatic position between the U.S. and the EU to be revealed publicly." Moreover, Van Dijk continued, the timing was particularly unfortunate since the EU is meeting in Brussels today to discuss LTTE listing. If the EU lists the Tigers or imposes sanctions, Van Dijk stated, the public impression will now be that the EU is acting in response to a U.S. request rather than formulating its own position. Van Dijk commented that he has worked hard in Colombo to convince local EU chiefs of mission that the Tigers should be listed ("which they richly deserve") and has undertaken similar efforts with "skeptics in Brussels." He now fears that those efforts may founder since some EU members may vote against listing to avoid the impression that the EU "does what the U.S. tells it to do." ¶2. (C) Charge' told Van Dijk that PDAS Camp's comments on the EU (prominently featured in the local English-language media on May 17) reflected a long-held U.S. position that should not be a surprise to anyone. Of course, the remarks had not been intended to complicate the EU effort to list the LTTE, a process that the U.S. fully supports. Charge' underlined that, in his view, U.S.-EU cooperation in Sri Lanka on the LTTE and all other issues was excellent and would continue to be. Charge' undertook to convey Van Dijk's concerns to Washington. ¶3. (U) Relevant portion of transcript of PDAS Camp's May 16 interviews with two local TV stations follows: Begin text ¶Q. What is your government's position on attempts by the EU to list the LTTE as a terrorist group? ¶A. We have encouraged the EU to list the LTTE. We think the LTTE is very deserving of that label. We think it will help cut off financial supplies and weapons procurement and the like. End text ENTWISTLE