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.

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