Cablegate: Special Media Reaction: Sri Lankan Media On Ambassador

VZCZCXRO6501
PP RUEHBI RUEHCI
DE RUEHLM #1141/01 1931149
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121149Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3824
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9782
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 6755
RUEHCI/AMCONSUL CALCUTTA 0209
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 4630
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6205
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4240
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 2023
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2250
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 3172

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001141

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR SCA, INR/MR, PA
SCA/PD (SCENSNY, PALLADINO);

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: PHUM KPAO PTER EAID OIIP PREL CE
SUBJECT: Special Media Reaction: Sri Lankan Media on Ambassador
Lunstead's Final Press Conference.

1. (U) Summary: Coverage in the Sri Lankan media of Ambassador
Lunstead's final press conference July 11 was widespread and
positive. All four English language papers provided coverage, two
on the front page below the fold. Three of four Tamil dailies and
two of four Sinhalese broadsheets also covered the event.
Television coverage was thorough with excerpts from the press
conference appearing in English and both vernacular languages. The
complete transcript is available at http://colombo.usembassy.gov/
End Summary.

2. (U) The English dailies divided their focus, with the government
controlled Daily News and the pro-opposition Morning Leader both
reporting that the LTTE needed to give up terrorism while the
conservative Island and liberal Daily Mirror took on unusual
positions with the Island stressing a Sri Lankan solution instead of
their usual flogging of the LTTE as terrorists and the Daily Mirror
advocating an undivided Sri Lanka instead of a federal solution.

3. (U) The following are the headlines and leads that appeared in
government and independent papers the day after the press
conference:

-- LTTE should renounce terrorism - Lunstead -- Daily News
(Government) July 12, 2006

"...The LTTE must renounce terrorism and enter the political path if
a solution is to be reached to Sri Lanka's ethnic problem"

-- "The US does not support the division of Sri Lanka," - Jeffrey
Lunstead -- Daily Mirror (Independent) July 12, 2006

"The outgoing US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Jeffrey Lunstead,
yesterday reaffirmed his government's belief that a solution to the
conflict in Sri Lanka should be within an undivided country."

-- Solution should be home grown - Lunstead -- The Island
(Independent) July 12, 2006

"Outgoing US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Jeffrey J. Lunstead, yesterday
said the solution to Sri Lanka's conflict should be a home grown one
and based on how power should be shared to ultimately benefit all
communities."

-- America would love to see LTTE off of the terrorist list --
Lakbima - (Independent) Sinhala July 12, 2006

"Addressing his final press conference, US Ambassador Jeffrey
Lunstead said LTTE terrorism has been witnessed over many years and
that now the LTTE should take steps to renounce terrorism and enter
the democratic political stream."

-- Seeing Sri Lanka as a undivided country is US hope: Lunstead
states bidding farewell-- Lankadeepa - (Independent) Sinhala July
12, 2006

"At the press conference organized to be addressed by the outgoing
Ambassador, he said that it has always been America's wish to see
Sri Lanka as an undivided state."

4. (U) Typically Virakesari and Thinakkural, two independent Tamil
newspapers, led with the Ambassador's warning that security forces
must respect human rights and hard line Sinhalese parties must be
flexible to achieve peace on their front pages. Excerpts of the two
articles follow as well and the government Tamil paper follow:

-- The stance of hardcore parties should change regarding the ethnic
affair - Former U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead -- Thinakkural
(Independent) Tamil, July 12, 2006

"Parties that have a hardcore approach should change that stance and
the security forces should stop violations and start to respect
human rights."

-- Government forces should stop its violations and respect human
rights - U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead-- Virakesari(Independent)
Tamil, July 12, 2006

"U.S. Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead said that the security forces

COLOMBO 00001141 002 OF 002

should stop all violations and respect human rights in all aspects
of their duties. A military solution will not solve the ethnic
problem. The President and the Defense Ministry should guarantee
that the soldiers behave themselves with the public and respect
human rights.

-- Outsiders cannot decide the solution for the ethnic problem -
Former U.S. Ambassador Lunstead -- Thinakaran (Government) Tamil,
July 12, 2006

"Outsiders cannot decide on a solution for Sri Lanka. This country
should decide on a solution. The ethnic problem of two decades
cannot be solved militarily. This was stated by former U.S.
Ambassador Jeffrey Lunstead in his final press conference held
yesterday."

4. (U) English and vernacular newscasts showed excerpts of the press
conference on evening newscasts and morning news magazines the
following day.

ENTWISTLE

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