NORWEGIANS TIP OFF RESPONSES TO SRI LANKA LETTERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000807

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/20/2016
TAGS: PREL MARR PINS PTER CE NO
SUBJECT: NORWEGIANS TIP OFF RESPONSES TO SRI LANKA LETTERS

REF: OSLO 759

Classified By: Acting Pol/Econ Counselor Doug Apostol, Reasons 1.4(b) a
nd (d)


1. (C) Summary. On June 20 we spoke with Tomas Stangeland,
Adviser on Sri Lanka matters in the MFA's Peace and
Reconciliation Section. As noted in reftel, the Norwegian
government submitted letters to both the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government of Sri Lanka (GSL) on
June 8, raising five common points. Stangeland "informally"
revealed to us the parties' answers in advance of the formal
response deadline (June 21). The LTTE wants to restructure
the composition of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM),
ousting Denmark, Finland and Sweden. The LTTE will guarantee
the SLMM's security and renew its commitment to the 2002
Ceasefire Agreement (CFA). The GSL answered the Norwegian
points affirmatively (although the Norwegians are seeking
some "clarifications"). End Summary.

The LTTE's Responses (and Norway's Reactions)
--------------


2. (C) According to Stangeland, the first LTTE concern is
removing the Nordic countries from the SLMM. This move is
precipitated by their membership in the European Union, which
recently placed the LTTE on its terrorist organization list.
The LTTE wants "absolutely impartial" (translate, non-EU)
members in the SLMM, which means that only Iceland and Norway
would remain. Norway informed the LTTE that it was "likely
possible" to remove the EU SLMM members within one month, but
it would be impossible to replace them with new members
within that period. Norway's June 8 letter proposed a
six-month transition phase, which the LTTE rejected and
proposed the one month period instead. The LTTE will
guaranty the security of the SLMM but emphasizes that the GSL
is solely responsible for actions of the rival Koruna faction.


3. (C) The LTTE claims that it is committed to the CFA and
will remain committed if the GSL supports the CFA "one
hundred percent." This troubles the Norwegians, who, as
Stangeland notes, believe that neither the LTTE (nor the GSL)
have completely followed the CFA. The Norwegians will ask
the LTTE to clarify this point,

The GSL's Response
--------------


4. (C) Stangeland notes that the GSL has answered all the
points in the June 8 letter "positively," but added that some
matters "needed to be clarified." He could not provide any
specifics.

Short-term Norwegian Diplomacy
--------------


5. (C) The LTTE will meet with the Norwegian Ambassador in
Kilinocchi on June 21 to discuss its recent responses. The
Norwegians have agreed to host a meeting at the MFA in Oslo
on June 29, inviting representatives from the Nordic
countries participating in the SLMM to discuss the LTTE's
demands.
Visit Oslo's Classified website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/oslo/index.cf m

WHITNEY