NORWEGIANS RECEIVE ANSWERS FROM SRI LANKA, TIGERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000820 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2016 TAGS: PREL MARR PINS PTER CE NO SUBJECT: NORWEGIANS RECEIVE ANSWERS FROM SRI LANKA, TIGERS REF: OSLO 807 Classified By: Acting Pol/Econ Counselor Doug Apostol, Reasons 1.4(b) a nd (d) ¶1. (U) On June 22, the Norwegian government issued a press release on Minster of International Development Eric Solheim's June 8 letters to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the government of Sri Lanka (GSL). (Post will fax a copy of the press release to the SCA/INS). The press release addressed the five common points raised in the letters (reftel). According to the press release, the GSL "responded affirmatively to all five questions," while the LTTE responded "positively" to questions 1, 3 and 4. With respect to the remaining questions, the release states that "the LTTE has repeated its demand that Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) monitors from EU countries (Denmark, Finland and Sweden) be replaced." The press release explains that the LTTE believes the "European Union ban on the LTTE has seriously disturbed the neutrality of these countries, and they will have to be replaced." The release concludes with a statement from Minister Solheim: "The LTTE's demand that SLMM monitors from EU countries be replaced is deeply regrettable and will weaken the SLMM in a critical period." ¶2. (C) On June 23, we met with Tomas Stangeland, Adviser on Sri Lanka matters in the MFA's Peace and Reconciliation Section, who provided some reactions to the LTTE's and GRL's responses. Solheim asked in the June 8 letters whether the parties would agree to a six-month transition phase until a solution regarding the SLLM' composition could be implemented. The LTTE has demanded a one-month transition phase. Stangeland noted that he was "not terribly optimistic" that new monitors could join the SLMM within the LTTE's timeframe. According to Stangeland, the Norwegians did not specifically refer in the press release to the LTTE's proposed one-month transition period for new members of the SLMM in hopes that the LTTE would consider extending it. But the LTTE is apparently sticking to its initial position. When pressed about who could replace SLMM monitors from Denmark, Sweden and Finland, he said that aside from Switzerland, the pool of non-EU countries that could donate troops was not very large (although New Zealand could be a potential source). Visit Oslo's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/oslo/index.cf m WHITNEY