SENATOR PERCY'S MEETING WITH PRESIDENT JAYEWARDENE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R000801110025-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 25
• Publication Date: December 28, 1984
• Content Type: CABLE

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S E C R E T COLOMBO 09127
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
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SUBJECT: (S)" 'MEETING WITH PRESIDENT
2. SUMMARY. SENATOR PERCY AND AMBASSADOR MET WITH
PRESIDENT JAYEWARDENE AND NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTER
ATHULATHMUDALI ON DECEMBER 26. PERCY DELIVERED PRESIDENT
REAGAN'S LETTER TO JAYEWARDENE, WHO WAS CLEARLY PLEASED
WITH THE MESSAGE. THE PRESIDENT DESCRIBED THE TROUBLED
TAMIL AREAS AND REVIEWED HIS YEAR-LONG EFFORTS TO FIND
A POLITICAL SOLUTION. HE EXPRESSED HIS DISAPPOINTMENT
THAT THE TULF AND OTHER GROUPS HAD REJECTED THE APC
PROPOSALS AND LEFT HIM WITH NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO
ABANDON THIS APPROACH. JAYEWARDENE IS BY NO MEANS GIVING
UP HIS GOAL FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION. HE MENTIONED THE
POSSIBILITY OF HOLDING ELECTIONS. A MAJOR INITIATIVE
WILL BE AN EARLY ATTEMPT TO MEET WITH INDIAN PRIME
MINISTER GANDHI FOR A FULL AND FRANK DISCUSSION.
JAYEWARDENE WILL FORCEFULLY URGE GANDHI TO HALT ALL
AID AND SUPPORT TO THE SEPARATISTS OPERATING IN TAMIL
NADU. SENATOR PERCY EXPRESSED THE U.S.'S CONTINUED
SUPPORT FOR AN INDEPENDENT, UNITED SRI LANKA AND OUR
VIEW THAT A POLITICAL SOLUTION IS ESSENTIAL. PERCY SAID
THAT HE WAS A LONG-TIME FRIEND OF RAJIV GANDHI AND THAT,
IN HIS UP-COMING MEETING WITH HIM, HE WOULD BE GLAD TO
CONVEY JAYEWARDENE'S DESIRE FOR AN EARLY MEETING.
JAYEWARDENE GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED THE OFFER. THE CAPABILITY
OF THE SECURITY FORCES WAS DISCUSSED AND JAYEWARDENE
EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT AT SOME TIME IT MAY BE POSSIBLE
FOR THE GSL TO PURCHASE SOME MILITARY EQUIPMENT. HE
SAID HE WAS AWARE OF THE USG LIMITATIONS IN THIS REGARD.
END SUMMARY.
3. ON DECEMBER 26, SENATOR PERCY AND I MET WITH PRESI-
DENT JAYEWARDENE. THE SENATOR PRESENTED PRESIDENT
REAGAN'S LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT, WHO READ IT AT ONCE
AND EXPRESSED PLEASURE AND APPRECIATION FOR THE MESSAGE
nmT!
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4. JAYEWARDENE THEN USHERED SENATOR PERCY AND ME TO A
PRIVATE AREA WHERE WE WERE JOINED BY MINISTER OF NATIONAL
SECURITY ATHULATHMUDALI. THE PRESIDENT FIRST TOOK A MAP
AND OUTLINED THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN DISTRICTS. HE
EXPLAINED THE ETHNIC BALANCE IN EACH AND SAID THAT HE
HAD OFFERED THE TULF A REASONABLE PLAN FOR DEVOLUTION
OF POWER TO THE LOCAL LEVEL BUT THAT THE TULF HAD
REJECTED IT, INSISTING THAT THE NORTH AND EAST MUST
HAVE THE RIGHT TO JOIN TOGETHER IN ONE ADMINISTRATIVE
UNIT. THE GSL HAS CONSISTENTLY HELD SUCH A PROPOSAL WAS
TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.
5. THE PRESIDENT LAMENTED THAT HE AND HIS GOVERNMENT HAD
LABORED DILIGENTLY FOR NEARLY A YEAR TO FIND A POLITICAL
SOLUTION TO THE COMMUNAL PROBLEM, BUT THAT THE TULF WAS
INTRACTABLE. HE SAID TULF LEADER AMIRTHALINGAM WAS IN
CLOSE CONTACT WITH KEY TAMIL SEPARATIST LEADERS AND
PROBABLY COULD NOT AGREE ON ANYTHING SHORT OF EELAM
WITHOUT FEAR FOR HIS LIFE.
6. AS A RESULT OF THE IMPASSE, JAYEWARDENE SAID HE AD-
JOURNED THE ALL-PARTY CONFERENCE AND THAT HE AND HIS
CABINET DECIDED TO DROP THE ROUND-TABLE PROPOSALS. THE
PRESIDENT VOWED TO CONTINUE HIS EFFORTS TO FIND A POLI-
TICAL SOLUTION AND SAID HE WAS CONSIDERING THE POSSIBILITY
OF HOLDING ELECTIONS. HE DID NOT SPECIFY THE TYPES OF
ELECTIONS HE HAD IN MIND, ALTHOUGH REPORTS IN THE DECEMBER
28 PAPERS SEEM TO CONFIRM OUR CONCLUSION THAT THESE WOULD
BE TO FILL SEATS VACATED LAST YEAR BY TULF MP'S FROM THE
NORTHERN AND EASTERN PROVINCES.
7. SENATOR PERCY SAID HE WAS AWARE OF THE GREAT DIFFI-
CULTIES SRI LANKA WAS GOING THROUGH AND SYMPATHIZED WITH
THE PRESIDENT'S STRENUOUS EFFORTS TO FIND AN AMICABLE
SOLUTION. HE SAID PRESIDENT REAGAN AND THE USG STRONGLY
SUPPORTED THE SOVEREIGNTY, INTEGRITY AND INDEPENDENCE
OF A UNITED SRI LANKA. AS OTHERS HAVE DONE BEFORE HIM,
HE URGED THE PRESIDENT TO CONTINUE HIS SEARCH FOR A
POLITICAL ANSWER TO THE IMBROGLIO. THE SENATOR EXPLAINED
THE NATURE OF HIS MISSION AND OFFERED TO BE OF ASSISTANCE
IN CONVEYING ANY MESSAGE FROM JAYEWARDENE TO PRIME MINI-
STER RAJIV GANDHI.
E.O. 12356: DECL: DADR
TAGS: PREL PINS PGOV CE IN US
SUBJECT: (5) SENATOR PERCY'S MEETING WITH PRESIDENT
8. JAYEWARDENE EXPRESSED KEEN INTEREST IN SUCH A PRO-
SPECT. HE SAID ONCE THE INDIAN ELECTIONS WERE OUT OF THE
WAY HE WANTED TO MEET WITH GANDHI AND MAKE AN ALL-OUT
EFFORT TO GET HIM TO CUT OFF ALL ASSISTANCE TO THE SEPARA
TISTS. THE PRESIDENT SAID, "I AM A VERY PEACEFUL MAN,
BUT INDIA'S ROLE IN THIS CRITICAL MATTER IS REPREHENSIBLE
AND THE INDIANS HAVE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR
ACTIONS." HE SAID HE WOULD "LAY IT ON THE LINE" AND IF
RAJIV DID NOT TAKE POSITIVE ACTION, HE WOULD EXPRESS
HIS DISPLEASURE IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS. I HAVE NEVER SEEN
J.R. AS DEEPLY EMOTIONAL OR AGITATED OVER WHAT HE CON-
SIDERS TO BE AN EGREGIOUS ASSAULT BY INDIA IN SRI LANKA'S
INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
9. LALITH ADDED THAT SRI LANKA HAD ALWAYS EXERCISED
EXTREME CARE IN AVOIDING ANY POSITION THAT WOULD IRRITATE
INDIA. HE RUEFULLY COMMENTED THAT SRI LANKA HAD BEEN
INDIA'S MOST FRIENDLY NEIGHBOR BUT THAT DEEP RESENTMENT
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WAS NOW BUILDING UP IN THE COUNTRY BECAUSE OF INDIA'S
DUPLICITIOUS BEHAVIOR. J.R. WENT ON TO SAY, WE HAVE
ALL COME FROM INDIA AND I CONSIDER INDIA AS OUR MOTHER-
LAND." HE CANNOT COMPREHEND HOW INDIA COULD PERPETRATE
SUCH AN INJUSTICE ON A CLOSE FRIEND.
10. SENATOR PERCY DESCRIBED HIS LONG AND INTIMATE RELA-
TIONSHIP WITH THE GANDHI FAMILY AND EXPRESSED THE HOPE
THAT RAJIV MIGHT BE SYMPATHETIC TO THE GSL'S EXTREMELY
DIFFICULT SITUATION. HE SAID HE WOULD BE GLAD TO RELAY
TO RAJIV PRESIDENT JAYEWARDENE'S SINCERE DESIRE FOR A
FACE-TO-FACE DIALOGUE IN AN EFFORT TO FIND A WAY OUT OF
THE CURRENT IMPASSE. THE PRESIDENT SAID HE WOULD WELCOME
THE SENATOR'S INITIATIVE.
11. JAYEWARDENE ALSO REVIEWED FOR US HIS EFFORTS TO UP-
GRADE THE CAPABILITY AND DISCIPLINE OF THE GSL SECURITY
FORCES. HE BELIEVES PROGRESS IS BEING MADE IN IMPROVING
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE FORCES. HE SAID HE CERTAINLY
DOES NOT EXPECT THE U.S. TO SEND IN TROOPS, BUT WOULD
HOPE THAT THE GSL COULD PURCHASE SOME MILITARY EQUIPMENT.
LALITH POINTED OUT THAT IN HIS FORMER CAPACITY AS
MINISTER OF TRADE AND SHIPPING THE GSL HAD APPROVED THE
TRANS-SHIPMENT OF CARGO BOUND FOR DIEGO GARCIA WITHOUT
RAISING A QUESTION ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF THE SHIPMENTS.
CLEARLY THEY ARE HOPEFUL THAT IN SOME WAY WE CAN BE HELP-
FUL TO THE GSL IN ITS "HOUR OF NEED."
12. SENATOR PERCY REITERATED THE U.S.'S FIRM STANCE IN
SUPPORT OF SRI LANKA AND PLEDGED TO DO HIS BEST IN EX-
PLAINING TO PRIME MINISTER GANDHI PRESIDENT JAYEWARDENE'S
INTENSE DESIRE TO WORK WITH HIM IN RESOLVING THE COMMUNAL
CRISIS. BOTH JAYEWARDENE AND ATHULATHMUDALI EXPRESSED
THEIR APPRECIATION TO PERCY AND THROUGH HIM TO PRESIDENT
REAGAN.
13. COMMENT. THE MEETING TOOK PLACE ONE DAY AFTER
JAYEWARDENE HAD ABANDONED HIS YEAR-LONG ATTEMPT TO FIND
A SOLUTION THROUGH THE APC PROCESS AND HIS SACKING OF
MINISTER CYRIL MATHEW. ALTHOUGH HE IS KEENLY DISAPPOINTE
AT THE RESULTS TO DATE, HE IS BY NO MEANS DISCOURAGED
AND GAVE EVERY IMPRESSION THAT HE IS DETERMINED TO PUSH
FORWARD WITH RENEWED VIGOR TO REACH A SETTLEMENT. LATER
AT DINNER, THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT MATHEW WAS ONE OF HIS
CLOSEST FRIENDS AND IT WAS VERY PAINFUL FOR HIM TO GO
THROUGH WITH THE DISMISSAL, BUT THAT, "IT HAD TO BE DONE.
14. SENATOR PERCY LEFT COLOMBO BEFORE THIS CABLE WAS
PREPARED AND MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS WHEN HE RETURNS
ON JANUARY 2. WE ARE PROVIDING BY SEPTEL OUR COMMENTS
ON WHAT SENATOR PERCY MIGHT USEFULLY SAY IN INDIA ON THE
SRI LANKAN COMMUNAL ISSUE. REED
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