THE LTTE: WHAT WE ARE SAYING AND WHO WE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000954

CINCPAC FOR FPA
LONDON FOR JOHNSON/PARIS FOR ALLEGRONE
KARACHI FOR LAWTON

E.O. 12356:DECL:OADR
TAGS: PREL PTER PINS UNHRC CE
SUBJECT: THE LTTE: WHAT WE ARE SAYING AND WHO WE
ARE SAYING IT TO

REFS: A) 93 STATE 107728 B) 93 COLOMBO 1850


1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST--PLEASE SEE PARA 9.


2. (C) SUMMARY. POST IS WORKING THROUGH
INTERMEDIARIES TO SEND THE MESSAGE THAT THE
LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE) SHOULD
BECOME CONSTRUCTIVELY ENGAGED IN FINDING A PEACEFUL
SOLUTION TO SRI LANKA'S ETHNIC CONFLICT. WE ARE
CALLING ON THE LTTE AS WELL AS THE GOVERNMENT TO
FOCUS INITIALLY ON MODEST CONFIDENCE-BUILDING
MEASURES, RATHER THAN BROAD POLITICAL ISSUES. USG
POLICY CONTINUES TO FAVOR A PEACEFUL POLITICAL
SETTLEMENT WHICH PRESERVES SRI LANKA'S TERRITORIAL
INTEGRITY AND PROVIDES APPROPRIATE GUARANTEES FOR
MINORITY RIGHTS. END SUMMARY.


3. (C) WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH INTERMEDIARIES
TO GET THE TALKING POINTS CONTAINED REF A (REPEATED
PARA 8) ACROSS TO THE LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL
EELAM (LTTE). WE HAVE GIVEN THE MESSAGE TO A NUMBER
OF PROMINENT CITIZENS OF THE LTTE-CONTROLLED JAFFNA
PENINSULA WHO HAVE PASSED THROUGH COLOMBO IN RECENT
MONTHS. THEY INCLUDE ACADEMICIANS FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF JAFFNA, PROMINENT MEMBERS OF THE
CHRISTIAN CLERGY AND A LEADING DOCTOR FROM JAFFNA
HOSPITAL. MOST RECENTLY, THE AMBASSADOR MET THE
GOVERNMENT AGENT FROM JAFFNA, A TAMIL PUBLIC SERVANT
WHO MAINTAINS A CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
TIGERS. WE ALSO DELIVERED OUR POINTS TO A
JAFFNA-BOUND DELEGATION FROM THE UK-BASED "QUAKER
PEACE AND SERVICE" NGO.


4. (C) THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INTERMEDIARIES IS
LIMITED BY THE RECLUSIVE NATURE OF THE LTTE
LEADERSHIP AND THE UNDERSTANDABLE RELUCTANCE OF
JAFFNA RESIDENTS TO MAKE WAVES WITH THE TIGERS.
NEVERTHELESS, WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT IN THE
ABSENCE OF DIRECT USG CONTACT WITH THE TIGERS, THIS
IS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE FOR GETTING OUR MESSAGE
ACROSS. WE PLAN TO INTENSIFY THESE EFFORTS BY
SEEKING OUT SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY HAVE ACCESS
TO (AND PERHAPS INFLUENCE WITH) THE LTTE. THESE
INCLUDE THE CATHOLIC BISHOP OF JAFFNA AND THE VICE
CHANCELLOR OF JAFFNA UNIVERSITY.


5. (C) IN ADDITION TO THE TALKING POINTS CONTAINED
REF A, WE ARE EMPHASIZING THE NEED TO BUILD
CREDIBILITY PRIOR TO ANY SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION OF
LARGER POLITICAL ISSUES. IN OUR VIEW, THERE IS
CURRENTLY SUCH A LARGE RESERVOIR OF SUSPICION AND
MISTRUST BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE LTTE THAT
HASTY NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES COULD
ACTUALLY SET THE PEACE PROCESS BACK. PUBLIC
POSTURING ASIDE, NEITHER THE GOVERNMENT NOR THE LTTE
IS INTERESTED IN TALKS RIGHT NOW, UNLESS IT IS TO
DISCUSS THE TERMS OF THE OTHER SIDE'S CAPITULATION.


6. (C) WE BELIEVE THAT ALL PARTIES--GOVERNMENT,
LTTE, AND NON-LTTE TAMILS--SHOULD FOCUS INITIALLY ON
PRACTICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING, LEAVING ASIDE THE LARGER
POLITICAL ISSUES. (A NOTE OF CAUTION: WHILE WE
RECOGNIZE THAT THE LTTE IS THE ONLY TAMIL PLAYER
THAT MATTERS MILITARILY, WE DO NOT ACCEPT THE LTTE
AS THE SOLE SPOKESMAN OF THE TAMIL PEOPLE; AN
EVENTUAL POLITICAL SOLUTION WILL HAVE TO TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT THE NON-TIGER TAMILS AS WELL AS THE LTTE.)
THESE CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES SHOULD BE
DESIGNED TO DEMONSTRATE A SERIOUS COMMITMENT TO
FINDING A POLITICAL SOLUTION AND UPHOLDING ANY
EVENTUAL AGREEMENT. WE ARE, FOR EXAMPLE,
ENCOURAGING THE GSL TO PUT INTO PRACTICE ITS
COMMITMENT TO DEVOLVE POWER AT THE PROVINCIAL AND
LOCAL LEVELS.


7. (LOU WITH THE ABOVE IN MIND, WE PLAN TO ADD THE
FOLOWING POINTS TO OUR "DIALOGUE" WITH THE LTTE:

0 WE ENCOURAGE THE LTTE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT IT IS
SERIOUS ABOUT FINDING A POLITICAL SOLUTION TO THE
WAR. THIS COULD INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, GOODWILL
GESTURES SUCH AS PRISONER RELEASES, ALLOWING FREE
MOVEMENT OF CIVILIANS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND
LTTE-CONTROLLED AREAS, OR A TEMPORARY, UNILATERAL
CEASEFIRE.

0 WE ENCOURAGE THE LTTE AND THE GOVERNMENT TO
SEARCH FOR AREAS OF POTENTIAL AGREEMENT WHICH COULD
BE NEGOTIATED PRIOR TO ANY DISCUSSION OF LARGER
POLITICAL ISSUES. THESE COULD BE USED TO BUILD THE
CONFIDENCE NECESSARY FOR MORE COMPREHENSIVE FUTURE
AGREEMENTS.


8. (LOLL) THE NEW TALKING POINTS WILL BE
INCORPORATED INTO THE POINTS WE HAVE BEEN USING
SINCE LAST YEAR:

0 THE U.S. SUPPORTS A POLITICAL SOLUTION TO SRI
LANKA'S ETHNIC PROBLEMS WHICH PRESERVES SRI LANKA AS
ONE COUNTRY AND PROVIDES MINORITIES WITH PROTECTION
AND DIGNITY.

0 SRI LANKANS OF ALL ETHNIC GROUPS AND POLITICAL
PERSUASIONS NEED TO WORK OUT AMONG THEMSELVES THE
CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WILL RESOLVE THIS
TRAGIC CONFLICT WHILE PRESERVING THE INTEGRITY OF
SRI LANKA AND THE RIGHT OF ITS PEOPLE TO LIVE IN
POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FREEDOM.

0 BOTH SIDES MUST BE WILLING TO DISCUSS ALL
RELEVANT ISSUES AND SEEK COMPROMISE. NOTHING OF
IMPORTANCE SHOULD BE LEFT OFF THE TABLE.

0 WE HAVE SPOKEN OUT VIGOROUSLY AGAINST GSL HUMAN
RIGHTS ABUSES, AND CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THE
GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE ITS PERFORMANCE.

0 WE ALSO CONDEMN HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES BY OTHERS,
NOTABLY THE LTTE. WE CONDEMN IN THE STRONGEST TERMS
THE LTTE'S ATTACKS ON INNOCENT MUSLIM AND SINHALESE
CIVILIANS.


9. (C) POST RECOMMENDS CONTINUATION OF OUR CURRENT
POLICY OF RESTRICTING SUBSTANTIVE CONTACTS WITH THE
LTTE AND LTTE SYMPATHIZERS TO EMBASSY COLOMBO AND
THE DEPARTMENT. IF OTHER MISSIONS ARE APPROACHED BY
LTTE REPRESENTATIVES OR PERSONS CLAIMING TO SPEAK ON
BEHALF OF THE LTTE, WE ASK THAT THEY SEEK GUIDANCE
FROM THE DEPARTMENT. HOWEVER, SHOULD THE USDEL IN
GENEVA BE APPROACHED IN THE COURSE OF THE ONGOING
UNHRC MEETING BY TAMIL EXPATRIATE GROUPS SEEKING TO
PLEAD THEIR CAUSE, WE WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE
DEPARTMENT AUTHORIZE THE USDEL TO MAKE USE OF THE
ABOVE TALKING POINTS.


SCHAFFER