VZCZCXRO5380
OO RUEHBI RUEHLMC
DE RUEHLM #1261 2551247
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 121247Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6802
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0541
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 0406
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 7394
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 5517
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 4024
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1359
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 4091
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 3177
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 7990
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 5631
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 0400
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 2318
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION PRIORITY

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001261 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: PRESIDENT SHARES HIS VIEWS ON THE 
CONFLICT 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY: In an early September interview with Indian 
author and journalist Inderjit Badhwar (full text at 
www.tamilunitedfront.com/articles/rajapakse.h tml), President 
Mahinda Rajapaksa emphasized his desire for a political 
solution that addresses the aspirations of the Tamil people. 
He also acknowledged certain constraints to achieving a 
political solution, including his election promise that any 
political solution would be based on the idea of a unitary 
state, and spoke of his desire to see a larger role for India 
in resolving Sri Lanka's conflict.  The President's 
well-spoken, detailed answers showed a clear understanding of 
the international community's concerns and expectations with 
regard to resolving the conflict.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  In an early September interview with Indian author and 
journalist Inderjit Badhwar, President Mahinda Rajapaksa 
emphasized his desire for a political solution that addresses 
the aspirations of the Tamil people.  "I recognize the 
legitimate historic grievances of our Tamil people," he said. 
"They are Sri Lankans -- proud Sri Lankans.  And any 
organized repression of the rights of any Sri Lankan is a 
blot on all Sri Lankans."  He noted his career as a lawyer 
and human rights activist and insisted that, "as a human 
rights activist, I simply cannot be a Sinhala chauvinist.  On 
the contrary I would like to call myself a Sri Lankan 
nationalist. I have Tamil relatives and heaps of Tamil 
friends." 
 
¶3.  He also, however, acknowledged certain constraints to 
achieving a political solution.  "The only question that is 
non-negotiable is a divided Sri Lanka," he said, noting that 
the international community, and even Sri Lanka's Tamils, did 
not support a divided Sri Lanka.  "Federalism is a negative 
word in Sri Lanka because people think it synonymous with 
dividing the country...You must remember my political legacy 
and constraints... I was elected by a Sinhala constituency on 
an election manifesto which made it clear that an ultimate 
solution to the ethnic crisis could be evolved only on the 
basis of a unitary state."  He noted that, "in any peace 
settlement, I have to carry the Sinhala voters with 
me...That's why the first step I took was to try and forge 
what I call a Southern Consensus." 
 
¶4.  Rajapaksa reiterated his intention to hold elections in 
the Eastern Province by the end of the year.  "We will 
demonstrate the viability of a Tamil-Sinhala-Muslim 
partnership...It will be an example to the North where the 
LTTE's efforts have been to isolate the Tamil community from 
the rest of the Sri Lankan people." 
 
¶5.  In a nod to his Indian audience, he also spoke of his 
desire to see a larger role for India in resolving Sri 
Lanka's conflict.  He noted that the "U.S. looks to India 
today as a responsible nuclear power that can keep the Indian 
Ocean as a zone of peace and stability...We too look to India 
to help us protect our democracy from the threat of 
terrorism."  He added that the "whole world is looking to 
India to provide the initiative that would move the peace 
process forward." 
 
¶6.  COMMENT: President's well-spoken, detailed answers to 
Badhwar's questions, calibrated to appeal to an Indian 
public, show a clear understanding of the international 
community's concerns and expectations with regard to 
resolving the conflict.  Rajapaksa's emphasis on the Tamil 
community's legitimate aspirations and acknowledgment of its 
justified grievances is encouraging, especially in light of 
his reputation as a hard-liner. 
BLAKE