By Colombo Telegraph –

“The Ambassador told Palihakkara that the US is inviting fifteen other governments to form overlapping contact groups to address Tiger financing and weapons procurement. Palihakkara agreed to reinforce Sri Lanka’s interest in working with the international community to bring an end to the conflict by reaching out to these nations’ foreign offices after the US has made initial proposals, but to ‘be economical’ in discussing the initiative until the USG wishes to make it known.”  the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.

LTTE Leader

A Leaked ‘Confidential’ US diplomatic cable, dated June 13, 2006, updated the Secretary of State regarding and a meeting Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead had with Foreign Secretary H. M. G. S. Palihakkara. The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable is signed by the US Ambassador to Colombo Jeffrey J. Lunstead.

The ambassador wrote; “Ambassador impressed upon Palihakkara the importance and uniqueness of this initiative, since the LTTE does not pose a world-wide threat or a terrorist threat to the US. As the move represents a big step outside of the vital national interests of the US, the GSL must do everything in its power, the Ambassador stressed, to make sure that the GSL’s human rights record is clean. Palihakkara said he understood and would use the Ambassador’s message to influence others in the GSL.”

“Palihakkara was visibly pleased with the US’s contact group initiative, saying ‘We value your commitment to do peacemaking in a practical way.’ The Ambassador stressed the need not to announce or leak this initiative, and Palihakkara said he would keep the news in close-hold.” he further wrote.

Related posts to this cable;

WikiLeaks: LTTE’s Motives For Playing A ‘Surprise Card’ In Oslo Were Two Fold – GoSL To US

Read the relevant part of the cable below for further details;

VZCZCXRO6947
OO RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #0998/01 1641136
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 131136Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3660
INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9715
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6144
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4179
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 9250
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 3133
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2210
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3044
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0254
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 6695
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 4578
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1209

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000998 

SIPDIS 

SIPDIS 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: FOREIGN SECRETARY DISCUSSES OSLO,
POSITIVELY RECEIVES AMBASSADOR'S DEMARCHE ON TERRORISM
WORKING GROUPS 

REF: A. COLOMBO 990 AND PREVIOUS 

     ¶B. STATE 94541 

Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead.  1.4(b,d) 

¶1. (C) Summary:  Ambassador met Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary
Palihakkara and Peace Secretariat Chief and head of the Oslo
delegation Kohona on June 13 in the wake of the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam's (LTTE) refusal to enter talks with
the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) in Oslo on June 8-9 on the
status of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). (Ref A)
Palihakkara and Kohona stated they believed the LTTE's
surprise card at Oslo was meant to assure the Tamil diaspora
that the EU ban of May 30 had not deterred the LTTE, and that
the LTTE wanted a forum to release their Oslo Communiqu that
reaffirmed Tamil rights to self determination and possibly
alluded to military action.  The Ambassador briefed both on
the U.S.'s initiative to engage fifteen countries to stem
LTTE financing and weapons procurement, which both GSL
officials accepted with genuine thanks and promise of
cooperation. 

---------------
The Tiger Card
--------------- 

¶2. (C) Ambassador met with Foreign Secretary Palihakkara on
June 13 to discuss the situation after the LTTE scuttling of
talks with the GSL in Oslo.  Palihakkara said he had opted
out of accompanying Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera to
Oslo to meet with the Norwegians June 12 in order to wait for
Oslo delegation head and Peace Secretariat chief Palitha
Kohona's debrief upon the latter's return to Sri Lanka. 

¶3. (C) Taking an evenhanded tone, Palihakkara stated that he
surmised the LTTE's motives for playing a "surprise card" in
Oslo were two fold.  First, they wanted to demonstrate to the
Tamil diaspora, which in large part funds the terrorist
organization either willingly or unwillingly, that the E.U.
ban had neither affected their fundraising and recruitment
abilities nor their resolve.  Second, Palihakkara contended,
the LTTE wanted a well-publicized platform from which to
release their clearly premeditated "Oslo Communiqu" of June
9: the document may have presaged LTTE military or other
violent action against the GSL. 

------------
Gut Feeling
------------ 

¶4. (C) While Palihakkara admitted the possibility of "nasty"
Tiger violence, he said, "My gut feeling is that the LTTE is
more posturing than substance.  I don't think there will be a
major security problem."  On the issue of LTTE refusal to
accept EU nationals as members of the SLMM, Palihakkara
recommended patience.  "The LTTE needs the SLMM as much as
anyone else."  Similarly, Norway is "correctly facing a lot
of criticism by trying to accommodate the LTTE" but "Norway
must be given some space" to facilitate. 

----------------------
Devolution Think Tank
---------------------- 

¶5. (C) Palihakkara noted that President Rajapaksa is taking a
proactive approach to the peace process following the failure
of the Oslo talks.  Three initiatives include: the
appointment of a bipartisan committee or "think tank" of Sri
Lankan academics to draft a proposal for maximum devolution
of power to the North and East; "humanitarian focal points"
to deal with displaced persons in the East; and increased
political dialog with the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance
(TNA) and other Tamil groups.  "The TNA," Palihakkara added,
"is also in an impossible situation.  They are afraid."
(Presumably Palihakkara meant that the TNA has little choice 

COLOMBO 00000998  002 OF 003 

but to toe the LTTE line.) 

--------------------------------------------- -
Demarche Delivered on Sri Lanka Contact Groups
--------------------------------------------- - 

¶6. (C) The Ambassador told Palihakkara that the US is
inviting fifteen other governments  to form overlapping
contact groups to address Tiger financing and weapons
procurement. Palihakkara agreed to reinforce Sri Lanka's
interest in working with the international community to bring
an end to the conflict by reaching out to these nations'
foreign offices after the US has made initial proposals, but
to "be economical" in discussing the initiative until the USG
wishes to make it known. 

¶7. (C) Ambassador impressed upon Palihakkara the importance
and uniqueness of this initiative, since the LTTE does not
pose a world-wide threat or a terrorist threat to the US.  As
the move represents a big step outside of the vital national
interests of the US, the GSL must do everything in its power,
the Ambassador stressed, to make sure that the GSL's human
rights record is clean. Palihakkara said he understood and
would use the Ambassador's message to influence others in the
GSL. 

¶8. (C) Palihakkara was visibly pleased with the US's contact
group initiative, saying "We value your commitment to do
peacemaking in a practical way."  The Ambassador stressed the
need not to announce or leak this initiative, and Palihakkara
said he would keep the news in close-hold.

LUNSTEAD