This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 002032 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, S/CT; NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  10-30-12 
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM EAID CE NO TH LTTE
SUBJECT:  Second round of GSL-LTTE talks slated to kick 
off October 31; Technical issues will be main focus 
 
Refs:  (A) State 214611 (Notal) 
 
-      (B) Oslo 2479 (Notal) 
-      (C) Colombo 2003, and previous 
-      (D) Bangkok 6663, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by W. Lewis Amselem, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b, d). 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY:  The Sri Lankan government and the 
Tamil Tigers are scheduled to kick off their second 
round of talks on October 31 in Thailand.  The 
Norwegian-facilitated talks are slated to focus mainly 
on technical issues, including the modalities of forming 
a task force on humanitarian issues and a committee on 
easing the burden of GSL military zones.  Keeping with 
the agenda of process oriented discussions, fireworks 
are not expected.  The fact that the talks are taking 
place on schedule and apparently in a positive 
atmosphere is good news for the peace process.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------- 
Second Round of Talks in Thailand 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The Sri Lankan government and the Liberation 
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) are scheduled to hold their 
second round of talks from October 31 - November 3.  The 
Norwegian government is facilitating the talks.  As with 
the first round of talks, which took place 
September 16-18 (See Refs C-D), the venue for the second 
round will be Thailand.  The meeting site has changed, 
however, with the second round taking place in a hotel 
just outside of Bangkok.  (Note:  The first round took 
place at Sattahip Naval Base near Pattaya.  Per Ref B, 
the venue for the third round of talks scheduled to take 
place December 2-5 has been shifted to Norway.) 
 
¶3.  (C) There have been changes to both sides' 
delegations.  Still led by veteran LTTE negotiator Anton 
Balasingham, the LTTE delegation now also includes 
political chief S.P. Thamilchelvam and eastern military 
commander V. Karuna.  (Note:  Ref C contains bio-data on 
these two LTTE officials.)  In addition to Ministers 
Peiris and Moragoda, the government side now also 
includes Major Gen. Shantha Kottegoda, the Sri Lankan 
Army's Chief of the General Staff.  Despite serious 
infighting in his party over the peace process 
(See Ref C), Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader 
Rauf Hakeem is also expected to participate in the talks 
as a member of the government team.  (Note:  There are 
late reports that Hakeem has delayed his departure for 
Bangkok because of the ongoing problems in his party.) 
 
----------------------------------- 
Focus is Mainly on Technical Issues 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C) As previewed in Reftels, the second round of 
talks is slated to focus mainly on the following 
technical issues: 
 
-- Joint Task Force (JTF):  The two sides are expected 
to spend a significant chunk of time deciding on the 
exact "terms of reference" for the JTF.   Issues that 
need to be resolved include exactly what role the JTF 
will have with respect to the delivery of humanitarian 
and developmental assistance to the north and east (as 
well as to other parts of the country).  In an 
October 29 meeting with the Ambassador and DCM before 
leaving for Thailand, Minister for Economic Reform 
Milinda Moragoda said the government wanted the JTF to 
focus on setting "priorities" for assistance, as opposed 
to being an implementing body.  In reference to the JTF 
and its responsibilities, humanitarian mine action is 
reportedly at the top of the agenda for the talks, as is 
the issue of how to structure assistance to the Muslim 
community in the east.  GSL-LTTE representation on the 
JTF also has to be agreed on.  Moragoda said he wanted 
Bernard Goonetilleke, the head of the GSL Peace 
Secretariat and Ambassador to China, to head up the 
 
SIPDIS 
government side.  Goonetilleke's selection was not 
finally settled, however.  For its part, the LTTE has 
already named V. Balakumaran, a high-ranking Tiger 
official, as its principal representative to the JTF. 
(Note:  Ref C contains bio-data on Balakumaran.) 
 
-- Joint Committee on "High Security Zones":  The two 
sides are also expected to agree on the modalities of 
forming this committee, which will be focused on finding 
ways to ease the burden on the local populace of the 
GSL's "high security zones" in the north and east. 
(Note:  The "high security zones" in question are large- 
scale GSL military positions set up in the north and 
east for defense in depth against possible LTTE attack. 
Through the formation of these positions over the years, 
local Tamils lost use of prime agricultural and other 
land.)  One key issue expected to be discussed re this 
committee are ways to ease the return of displaced 
persons to their points of origin.  (Note:  There has 
been a recent spurt in returns, with over 200,000 
people, most of them Tamils, returning to the north and 
east since the advent of the peace process.)  Moragoda 
told us that he expected that the GSL would name Defense 
Secretary Austin Fernando to head up its representation 
 
SIPDIS 
on this committee. 
 
-- Donor Conferences:  The two sides were also expected 
to discuss the late November donor conference in Oslo 
and the conference planned for next year in Japan. 
 
-- Agendas for Future Rounds:  According to GSL contacts 
(also see Ref B), the two sides will also discuss the 
agenda for the planned third round of talks in early 
December and that of the fourth round scheduled to take 
place January 6-9, 2003. 
 
-- Other Issues:  Moragoda also said his colleague G.L. 
Peiris planned to discuss some human rights-related 
issues with the LTTE.  (Note:  Moragoda was not clear 
what these issues might be, but we guess that they have 
something to do with the Prevention of Terrorism Act -- 
"PTA."  The LTTE and other Tamils have been demanding 
that those held under this act be released from 
detention as soon as possible.  In response, the 
government has publicly committed itself to releasing as 
many PTA detainees as it can.) 
 
--------------------- 
No Fireworks Expected 
--------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Keeping with the agenda of process oriented 
discussions, fireworks are not expected.  Norwegian 
Ambassador Westborg told us that he did not expect the 
second round to lead to the sort of dramatic 
announcement made by LTTE senior negotiator Anton 
Balasingham at the end of the first round.  (Note:  At 
the press conference at the close of the first round, 
Balasingham edged away from the LTTE's long-standing 
demand for a separate "Tamil Eelam" entity.  This 
announcement received widespread publicity.)  That said, 
Moragoda told us that the second round of talks would 
not be wholly technical in nature.  He noted that "core" 
issues of sovereignty were entwined in discussing the 
formation of the JTF, e.g., the GSL wanted the JTF to be 
a quasi-governmental body, whereas the LTTE wanted it to 
be an independent body separate from the Sri Lankan 
government. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Amid the endemic cohabitation stresses and the 
recent widening of fissures in the governing coalition, 
the fact that the talks are taking place on schedule and 
apparently in a positive atmosphere is good news for the 
peace process.  It also works into the government's 
"sloppy solution" strategy of trying to ensnare the 
Tigers into a process of ever-increasing confidence 
building on discrete "quality of life" issues, e.g., the 
opening of roads, humanitarian issues, fishing rights, 
etc.  In concentrating on these issues in the early 
stages of the talks, the GSL would prefer not to grapple 
with the controversial "final status" issues involved in 
the Tigers' demands.  Given calls by the president for 
further definition of its long-term plans (see Ref C), 
the government cannot avoid these larger, more 
conceptual issues forever, but it still has some space 
now.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶7.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
WILLS