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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000306 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR S/ES, INR/MR, PA 
SCA/INS (CAMP, SIM, GOWER) SCA/PD (SCENSNY, ROGERS, 
PALLADINO); SCA/PAS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: PHUM KPAO PTER EAID OIIP PREL CE
 
SUBJECT:  Special Media Reaction: Conclusion of Ceasefire 
Agreement Talks in Geneva between GOSL and LTTE 
 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: The Sri Lankan media, in an avalanche of 
commentary on the just concluded ceasefire talks in Geneva, 
spun the outcome in different directions according to their 
traditional political tendencies. Comment in state-owned 
media chided the local independent media and international 
wire services for allegedly predicting a negative outcome to 
the discussions, and lauded the "strength" and "flexibility" 
of the government delegation in reaching a consensus with 
the LTTE on reinforcing the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA).  The 
independent media noted disagreements among Sinhala and 
Tamil parties, and pro-LTTE media praised the outcome as a 
victory for the Tigers, forestalling international pressure 
against them.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Following the conclusion of talks between the Sri 
Lankan government (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil 
Eelam (LTTE) on strengthening the Ceasefire Agreement in 
Geneva February 22 - 23,  government-owned newspapers ran 
positive, celebratory headlines such as "Truce talks end on 
a successful note" (English Daily News, 2/24), "Army to 
fully support peace process" (Tamil Thinakaran, 2/25) and 
""All Sri Lankans commend the success of peace talks. 
People in North and East happy about the decrease of 
violence" (Sinhala Dinamina, 2/25).  The government-run 
Sunday Observer (2/26) emphasized the approval of "a cross 
section of society" -- including members of the pro-LTTE 
Tamil National Alliance (TNA), and anti-LTTE People's 
Liberation Front of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) and Tamil United 
Liberation Front (TULF)-- for the efforts of both parties to 
reach a consensus on the CFA.  A cartoon in the Sunday 
Observer (2/26) depicted an "overzealous publisher" trashing 
an edition of a newspaper headlining "Talks Fail."  News 
programs on government-owned television stations Rupavahini 
and ITN (2/24-2/27) positively highlighted results of the 
CFA talks with statements such as "Switzerland welcomes the 
positive out come of the Geneva talks between the government 
and the LTTE," and "Scholars and the people in the North and 
East hail the success of the Geneva talks." 
 
¶3. (U) State editorialists praised the government's 
victories and emphasized alleged retreats on the part 
of the LTTE.  The Sunday Observer's comment headlines 
(2/26) included, "What, no distress signal from 
Celigny?" and "Balasingham retreats in Geneva." (Anton 
Balasingham was the LTTE's chief negotiator.)  Ajith 
Samaranayake's weekly Sunday Essay column chastised the 
independent media for expecting to watch the government 
"eat humble pie." 
 
¶4. (U) Mainstream independent media -- including independent 
Maharaja Television (MTV), the Daily Mirror and its sister 
Sinhala paper Lankadeepa, and the Sunday Leader -- painted a 
less rosy picture of the talks than did government media. 
Although headlines such as "Geneva CFA talks above 
expectations: Norway," (Daily Mirror, 2/25) initially 
expressed relief at the outcome of the talks, independent 
media quickly highlighted remaining points of contention 
between the government and the JHU, the break-away LTTE 
Karuna faction, and the Tigers themselves.  The Daily Mirror 
(2/27), in four below-the-fold front-page stories, 
headlined, "JHU rejects Geneva agreement, wants CFA 
amended," "Karuna refuses to give up arms," "Tigers put 
government on notice after Geneva talks," and "Government 
says Ceasefire Agreement amended in Geneva."  Sinhala daily 
Lankadeepa (2/27), in a second lead story, bannered, "If the 
government doesn't fulfill promises, we will resume the war 
path, Tamilselvan tells AFP."  Another prominent headline in 
the same paper read, "Government did not bow its head like 
during the UNP regime; but we condemn the structure of the 
joint statement, says JVP." 
 
¶5. (U)  Editorialists in the mainstream independent media 
noted the Rajapaksa government's seeming new support for and 
praise of the CFA, despite its earlier criticism of the 
document. Independent MTV, often criticized for bias towards 
the opposition United National Party and India, noted 
 
COLOMBO 00000306  002 OF 003 
 
 
(2/24), "The opposition leader says those who called the 
ceasefire agreement a breach of the constitution have now 
agreed to safeguard it."  Independent Sinhala Sunday Iru 
Dina, sister paper of the Sunday Leader, argued, "Those who 
vehemently criticized Ranil Wickremesinghe's Ceasefire 
Agreement have suddenly endorsed it, withdrawing all their 
so-called `patriotic' objections.  While we express relief 
that Sri Lanka has not returned to war as the `Red brothers' 
pledged, we are forced to ridicule their hypocrisy." 
 
¶6. (U)  In an often repeated misconception by the 
independent media, Daily Mirror political analyst Dharisha 
Bastians (2/25) claimed United States Under Secretary of 
State Nicholas Burns had sent a secret message via Norwegian 
envoy Erik Solhiem to the LTTE in Kilinochchi threatening 
the Tigers with increased U.S. military aid to Sri Lanka 
should they opt to return to war, and speculated: 
"Balasingham and his team were only in Geneva as a result of 
intense international pressure."  The editor of the 
prestigious independent Sunday Times newspaper offered 
measured praise for the outcome of the talks, noting: 
     "No doubt the Norwegians and the Co-Chairs flexed 
     their muscles and exerted pressure just in order 
     to make their presence felt, especially when the 
     LTTE delegation made noises about walk outs... 
     The LTTE seemed prepared to be reasonable, whether 
     [or not] this was due to international pressure." 
 
 
¶7.   (U) The nationalist media in both English and Sinhala 
praised the government's alleged hard line against the 
Tigers.  Independent Sinhala Divaina, sister paper to the 
Island, (2/25) led with, "Tigers agree to end hostilities 
such as assassinations, child abductions, torture, threats; 
positive response from the government, too."  The Sinhala 
nationalist media also speculated, however, that the talks 
had been tense and dramatic, on the verge of failure.  The 
Island (2/25) led with, "Tigers threatened walk out at Swiss 
talks: negotiator," and (2/27) "Joint Declaration an 
amendment to CFA - Government," followed by, "JVP lauds 
Government's handling of talks but condemns joint 
statement."  The Sunday Island (2/26) reiterated Sri Lankan 
diplomats' and political analysts' hopes that the agreements 
reached in Geneva would be implemented in the two months 
before the second stage of talks in April, headlining, 
"Geneva balance sheet even.  LTTE bargained on claymore 
[mines]." 
 
 
¶8.  (U) Independent Tamil and pro-LTTE media predictably 
portrayed the Geneva talks as a victory for the Tamils.  The 
independent papers Virakesari and Thinakural, as well as the 
pro-LTTE Sudar Oli, headlined, respectively: The government 
must implement all points agreed upon before April talks, or 
all else will become invalid - Tamilselvan" (Virakesari, 
2/25), "Geneva talks a diplomatic victory to the Tigers - 
Anton Balasingham," (Thinakkural, 2/25) and "Tigers do not 
surrender to warnings - Anton Balasingham." (Sudar Oli) 
Tamil media also emphasized the influence of the 
international community. Virakesari bannered (2/26), 
"International community would soon approve the liberation 
struggle of the Tigers - P. Nadesan, Chief of LTTE police," 
and "Foreign governments put pressure on the government to 
implement the decisions taken in Geneva."  Thinakkural 
(2/26) headlined, "Tigers did not go to Geneva under 
anybody's pressure or warning - Anton Balasingham," and 
"International pressure will come soon to control the 
paramilitary forces, say Diplomatic sources." 
 
¶9. (U) The pro-LTTE Tamil daily Sudar Oli and website 
TamilNet also praised the talks as a victory for the LTTE, 
but noted discrepancies in the two parties' interpretations 
of the outcome.  In dueling headlines, Sudar Oli (2/25) 
bannered, "CFA amended in Geneva, Government said yesterday" 
and "LTTE emphasizes: No amendments to CFA, we will never 
amend it."  Thinakkural bannered, "Government has wrongly 
 
COLOMBO 00000306  003 OF 003 
 
 
interpreted to the public the agreements made in Geneva - 
Tamilselvan."  Like the mainstream English media, the pro- 
LTTE media reported break-away faction leader Karuna stated 
he would refuse to disarm despite the decisions reached by 
the government and LTTE in Geneva.  It also quoted the JHU 
as saying, "We will never allow the government to disarm the 
paramilitary forces." 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Comment: The government went into these talks 
insisting the Ceasefire Agreement needed to be amended, 
whereas the LTTE repeatedly stated the only thing necessary 
was full implementation of the CFA without any amendments. 
Predictably, the pro-government and pro-LTTE media both spun 
the outcome as reflecting larger concessions on the opposing 
side.  The government claimed the Tigers' allowing mention 
of child recruitment in the final statement amounted to an 
amendment to the CFA.  The GOSL also claimed a small victory 
-- much hailed in government media -- in insisting on 
excluding the term "paramilitary" from the statement (with 
reference to the Karuna faction) since such an inclusion 
would have implied previous governmental violations of the 
agreement.  For its part, the Tigers touted their 
determination to exclude discussion of formal amendments, as 
well as the government's acceptance of their responsibility 
for controlling all armed groups in government-controlled 
territory. Independent English and Tamil media highlighted 
the importance of the influence of the international 
community, even to the point of giving credit where credit 
was not necessarily due.  Tamil media, on the other hand, 
continued to speculate that the world would soon recognize 
the "legitimate struggle" of the LTTE for a separate 
homeland.  End Comment. 
 
 
ENTWISTLE