SRI LANKA: LTTE SOMBER IN LATEST TALKS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000978 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/INS, USPACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2017 TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: LTTE SOMBER IN LATEST TALKS WITH NORWEGIAN FACILITATORS REF: COLOMBO 971 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. James R. Moore for reasons 1.4 (a) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Norwegian Ambassador Brattskar met with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leadership in Kilinochchi July 11. In a briefing for Co-Chair Ambassadors, he described their mood as serious, somber, and determined. No new ground was broken. Political wing head Thamilselvan was skeptical of the APRC process, which he believes the President is using to buy time. He criticized the Co-Chairs and international community for supporting the Government Sri Lanka (GSL) and not pressing it to adhere to the Ceasefire Agreement. He dismissed as a farce the GSL's call for elections in the East following their military victory in Thoppigala this week and expects the military to NOW set its sights on the North. Food stocks are in better shape NOW in the Vanni, but fuel and medical care are in short supply. End Summary -------------- LTTE Security Presence Beefed Up -------------- ¶2. (C) Ambassador Brattskar briefed Co-Chair Ambassadors July 13 on his meeting with LTTE leaders in Kilinochchi on July 11. This was the Norwegian peace facilitators' first visit to Kilinochchi since March; two planned subsequent visits were cancelled when the GSL claimed the Norwegians' security could not be guaranteed. Brattskar noted that the number of LTTE security personnel on the road in LTTE-controlled territory was significantly larger than on previous visits, with several hundred Tiger soldiers lining the route from the Omanthai checkpoint to Kilinochchi. -------------- Brattskar Briefs on Oslo Meeting; LTTE Skeptical of a Political Way Forward -------------- ¶3. (C) Brattskar met with LTTE political wing head S. P. Thamilselvan, who was joined by media spokesman S. Pulidevan, military spokesman Rasiah Illentheriyan, and police service head P. Nadesan. The Norwegian Ambassador characterized their mood as serious, somber, and determined. Brattskar briefed the delegation on the Co-Chairs' meeting in Olso and conveyed the messages to the LTTE on which the Co-Chairs had agreed. In response, Thamilselvan argued that the Co-Chairs and other members of the international community are providing too much support to the GSL and are not pressing it hard enough to adhere to the Ceasefire Agreement. Thamilselvan was highly skeptical of the All Parties Representative Committee (APRC),saying that similar efforts had been undertaken in the past without success. He argued that the Rajapaksa Administration is using the APRC process to buy time. Brattskar countered that the international community has high expectations of the APRC and is hopeful that it will produce a political way forward. -------------- Attacks on Civilians Unacceptable -------------- ¶4. (C) Thamilselvan asked how the LTTE could improve its relations with the international community. Brattskar returned to the APRC, explaining that we expect the LTTE to show it is serious about reaching a political solution to the conflict and the best way to do so would be by supporting a credible proposal from the APRC. ¶5. (C) Brattskar continued, telling Thamilselvan that COLOMBO 00000978 002 OF 003 civilian attacks by the LTTE are unacceptable and will worsen its relations with the international community. Although in their meeting Thamilselvan did not threaten further LTTE violence against civilian targets, he told Reuters later the same day that "our targets would be in the future major military and economic structures of the government of Sri Lanka." (Note: It has been widely anticipated that in the event of the fall of Thoppigala, which occurred this week (reftel),LTTE retaliation against economic, military, or political targets in the South would be likely. End Note) -------------- Thamilselvan: We Are Patient -------------- ¶6. (C) Thamilselvan was stoic about the loss of Thoppigala, which occurred the same day as Brattskar met with the LTTE. He said: "We are patient. Things will change again." Thamilselvan described recent friction in the East between the Karuna faction and the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) as what normally happens when parties are preparing to "divide the bounty." Thamilselvan said that local elections in the East, which the GSL has called for before the end of the year, would be a "farce" due to the Supreme Court's demerger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces. ¶7. (C) Thamilselvan told Brattskar he was certain that the military would step up its efforts in the North, following its victory in the East. As proof he cited the President's remarks on July 10 to garment workers in Trincomalee that "the government is dedicated to chase out the terrorists from the Northern Province soon, like they were chased out from the Eastern Province." -------------- Prospects Dim for a Return to Negotiations -------------- ¶8. (C) Although Thamilselvan did not explicitly rule out the possibility of the LTTE returning to negotiations, Brattskar assessed that the LTTE has virtually no trust in the President. Brattskar asked Thamilselvan if he saw a way out of the "downward spiral" away from a negotiated settlement. He replied that the international community would first have to hold both sides to adhering to the Ceasefire Agreement. Failing that, he added rhetorically, the LTTE must protect the destiny of the Tamil people. -------------- Leave the NGOs Alone -------------- ¶9. (C) Brattskar complained to Thamilselvan that the LTTE's forced recruitment of Sri Lankan employees of Norwegian and other foreign NGOs working in LTTE-controlled areas was unacceptable. Thamilselvan acknowledged that the LTTE requires one member of every family to serve in the Tiger militia, but said the LTTE would consider exempting local employees of foreign NGOs. -------------- NGOs: More Food, But No Fuel -------------- ¶10. (C) While in Kilinochchi, Ambassador Brattskar also met with representatives of the U.N., Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission, and NGOs, as well as with the Government Agent. They reported that food stocks were better than before, with one to two months worth of food in place. Lack of medical personnel remains a problem, although three members of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) are currently working in Kilinochchi. Fuel shortages are widespread, and the NGO COLOMBO 00000978 003 OF 003 workers complained of a lack of new generators and spare parts for existing generators. ¶11. (C) The LTTE leadership told Brattskar they want to resume face-to-face meetings on a regular basis with the Norwegians but fear that their access to Kilinochchi for future visits will again be cut off. Although this will likely be Ambassador Brattskar's last trip to Kilinochchi as he departs the country next month at the end of his assignment, the GSL has not given him any indication that authorization will be withheld for future visits by Norwegian facilitators. ¶12. (C) Comment: Thamilselvan broke no new ground in this meeting. It is difficult to imagine the government and LTTE resuming negotiations any time soon. If the prospect of a political settlement emerges from the current APRC process, it will be despite the LTTE, which almost surely will reject any proposal. Although Thamilselvan tried to put a brave face on the loss of Thoppigala, it is a major, although not unexpected, defeat for the LTTE and could produce significant retaliation by the Tigers in the South. MOORE