Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09COLOMBO861
2009-09-02 12:06:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
TNA TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT RAJAPAKSA
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C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000861
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: TNA TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT RAJAPAKSA
REF: COLOMBO 740
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES JAMES R. MOORE. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000861
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/01/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: TNA TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT RAJAPAKSA
REF: COLOMBO 740
Classified By: CHARGE D'AFFAIRES JAMES R. MOORE. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D)
¶1. (C) On September 2, Media reports indicated that the Tamil
National Alliance (TNA) would meet with President Rajapaksa
on September 7. TNA leader R. Sampanthan, a Member of
Parliament (MP),told PolStaff there were several issues they
wished to discuss with the President. First was the need for
early resettlement of the IDPs, and concerns among Tamils
that the government was engineering a &Sinhalization8 of
the North and East through reconstruction, military
deployment and associated colonization. Sampanthan said they
also planned to discuss the restrictions on travel by Tamil
MPs in the North and East and restrictions on their ability
to visit the IDP camps. The TNA expected to discuss
political reconciliation with the President and to determine
what his plans were. They would also bring up the general
problem of human rights violations.
¶2. (C) Sampanthan claimed that the TNA had always been
willing to engage the President. He thought that this
meeting was coming about now because the President saw that
the TNA had wide support from Tamil voters, following the
results of the Jaffna and especially Vavuniya local
elections, and had realized that he must engage the TNA as a
legitimate voice for Tamil voters.
COMMENT
--------------
¶3. (C) A meeting held by President Rajapaksa with the TNA is
a step forward for him. In the past, many Sinhalese saw the
TNA as little more than the political arm of the LTTE. The
President likely intends this meeting to be seen as an
important conciliatory step and, as such, will expect credit
for this from the international community. It is unclear yet
whether this meeting is simply a one-time event put on by the
President for show, or if it is a harbinger of things to
come. Rajapaksa clearly feels that the TNA has some sway
with Tamil voters in the North and East, but it remains to be
seen if the TNA is able to capitalize on this advantage or on
the upcoming meeting on September 7.
MOORE