MEDIA REACTION: REP. SOLARZ INTERVIEW ON SRI LANKA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90M00005R001000080033-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 26, 2012
• Sequence Number: 33
• Publication Date: March 4, 1988
• Content Type: CABLE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/26: CIA-RDP90M00005R001000080033-2
STAT
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
FRP- 5
STATE
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00 RUEAIIB
ZNR UUUUU ZOC STATE ZZH
STU3689
00 RUEHC
DE RUFHCM #1586/01 0641110
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
0 041108Z MAR 88
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHIA/USIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7371
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7397
RUHOHOA/USCINCPAC HONOLULU HI
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 7550
RUEHMR/AMCONSUL MADRAS 5208
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 5044
BT
UNCLAS COLOMBO 01586
USIA FOR NEA, P/PFN, P/M, VOA/BRN, P/G
STATE FOR NEA/INS
E.O. 12356:N/A
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: REP. SOLARZ INTERVIEW ON SRI
LANKA
1. INDEPENDENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE DAILY 'SUN' FEB. 4
CARRIED A FRONT PAGE STORY OF AN INTERVIEW WITH
CONGRESSMAN STEPHEN SOLARZ, FILED BY THE PAPER'S
STRINGER IN WASHINGTON, AZIZ HANIFFA. TITLED "LANKA'S
SOVEREIGNTY NOT COMPROMISED -- SOLARZ", ARTICLE REPORTED
SOLARZ'S STRONG SUPPORT OF THE INDO-LANKAN ACCORD AND
HIS BELIEF THAT WITHDRAWAL OF THE INDIAN PEACE-KEEPING
FORCE (IPKF) WILL BE A MATTER THAT WILL HAVE TO BE
DETERMINED BOTH BY THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA AND THE
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA." ARTICLE ALSO SAID "SOLARZ
PROMISED THAT HE WOULD HOLD HEARINGS ON SRI LANKA
SHORTLY." FOLLOWING IS FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE:
2. (BEGIN TEXT)
-- REPRESENTATIVE STEPHEN J. SOLARZ, A LEADING U.S.
CONGRESSMAN, WHO RECOMMENDED PRESIDENT J.R. JAYEWARDENE
AND PREMIER RAJIV GANDHI FOR THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE, SAID
HE DOES NOT AGREE WITH ALLEGATIONS THAT INDIAN HEGEMONY
HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED OVER SRI LANKA AND THE COUNTRY'S
SOVEREIGNTY COMPROMISED, AS HAD BEEN VOICED BY SOME
LANKAN CABINET OFFICIALS AND MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITION.
.- MR. SOLARZ, WHO CHAIRS THE U.S. HOUSE SUB-COMMITTEE
ON ASIA AND PACIFIC, WHICH HAS JURISDICTION OVER INDIA
AND SRI LANKA, IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH "SUN" SAID
THE IPKF "IS CLEARLY THERE (IN SRI LANKA) AT THE
INVITATION AND WITH THE CONSENT OF THE DULY ELECTED
GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA."
-- HE SAID: "I DON'T BELIEVE THE INDIAN PEACE KEEPING
FORCE THERE IS AN ARMY OF OCCUPATION."
-- "MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT, AT ANY POINT IN THE FUTURE IF
THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA ASKS IT TO LEAVE, IT WILL DO
SO."
UNCLASSIFIED
Oct.'
INCOMING
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-- IN FACT, HE REITERATED THAT HE STRONGLY BELIEVED THAT
GANDHI WOULDN'T NEED MUCH PERSUASION IF THEIR PRESENCE
THERE WAS NOT NEEDED. "I AM SURE HE WILL BE QUITE
PLEASED TO BRING THE FORCE HOME."
-- HOWEVER, HE ACKNOWLEDGED, THAT ULTIMATELY, WHETHER OR
NOT THIS FORCE REMAINS WILL BE A MATTER THAT WILL HAVE
TO BE DETERMINED BOTH BY THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA AND
THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.
- SOLARZ PROMISED THAT HE WOULD HOLD HEARINGS ON SRI
LANKA SHORTLY. "WE DO HAVE A CONTINUING INTEREST IN THE
SITUATION IN SRI LANKA AND A LOT HAS HAPPENED SINCE WE
LAST CONSIDERED WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON THERE," HE SAID.
-- HOWEVER, THE CONGRESSMAN WHO IS A STAUNCH SUPPORTER
OF INDIA AND HAS CONSISTENTLY CAMPAIGNED FOR BETTER
INDO-U.S. RELATIONS, MAINTAINED THAT "I AM SURE THAT IF
SRI LANKA WANTS THE IPKF TO LEAVE IT WILL LEAVE AND I AM
ALSO SURE THAT IF INDIA COMES TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT
NO LONGER SERVES ITS INTERESTS TO HAVE THE FORCE THERE,
IT WILL ALSO LEAVE."
-- AT THE SAME TIME, HE NOTED "MY IMPRESSION IS THAT
PRIME MINISTER GANDHI FELT THAT IN AS MUCH AS A
POLITICAL RESOLUTION OF THE CONFLICT IN SRI LANKA WAS
VERY MUCH IN THE INTEREST OF INDIA, THIS WAS THE ONE AND
ONLY WAY OF BRINGING IT ABOUT AND I COMMEND HIM FOR HIS
COURAGE AND FOR HIS WILLINGNESS TO TAKE THE RISKS
INVOLVED."
-- HOWEVER, SOLARZ ACKNOWLEDGED THAT "AT THE END OF THE
DAY, IF THE EFFORT DOES NOT SUCCEED, THE BITTERNESS, THE
RESENTMENT, THE INTRANSIGENCE, THE EXTREMISM OF THE
VARIOUS FORCES AND FACTIONS INVOLVED IN SRI LANKA
CONFLICT MAY MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT."
-- HE SAID THAT IF THAT WAS THE CASE, "IT WOULD BE A
GREAT TRAGEDY," AND ADDED THAT HE WOULD "NOT WANT TO SEE
A COUNTRY LIKE SRI LANKA, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL AND AT ONE TIME ONE OF THE MOST PEACEFUL AND
UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 02 COLOMBO 01586
USIA FOR NEA, P/PFN, P/M, VOA/BRN, P/G
STATE FOR NEA/INS
E.O. 12356:N/4
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: REP. SOLARZ INTERVIEW ON SRI
PLURALISTIC COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, BECOME A SOUTH ASIAN
VERSION OF NORTHERN IRELAND WITH AN ENDEMIC ETHNIC
CONFLICT WHICH MAKES LIFE A MISERY FOR ALL OF ITS
PEOPLE."
-- HE SAID HE HOPED THAT THE COUNTRY DETERIORATING TO
SUCH A LEVEL, CAN BE AVOIDED.
-- "MAYBE IT CAN'T. BUT IF IT CAN, IT SURELY LIES ALONG
THE PATH WHICH WAS BROKEN BY PRIME MINISTER GANDHI AND
PRESIDENT JAYEWARDENE WHEN THEY HAMMERED OUT THIS
AGREEMENT," HE SAID.
-- ASKED TO COMMENT ON ALLEGED ATROCITIES BY THE IPKF,
WHICH HAS ANGERED ALL COMMUNITIES IN SRI LANKA AND BEEN
CONSTANTLY REFERRED TO BY SRI LANKAN PRIME MINISTER
RANASINGHE PREMADASA, SOLARZ SAID, "CLEARLY, IF
ATROCITIES HAVE TAKEN PLACE, I DEPLORE THEM AND I WOULD
HOPE THAT THOSE WHO ENGAGE IN THEM WOULD BE HELD
UNCLASSIFIED
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RESPONSIBLE."
- HOWVER, HF ADDED THAT THIS SHOULD APPLY, NOT ONLY TO
THE INDIAN PEACE-KEEPING FORCE BUT ALSO TO THE
GOVERNMENT FORCES IN SRI LANKA AS WELL AS THE TAMIL
MILITANTS.
-- "IF THEY HAVE TAKEN PLACE, I HOPE WAYS CAN BE FOUND
TO BRING THE GUILTY PARTY TO JUSTICE," HE SAID.
-- RECALLING HIS MEETING WITH THE LEADER OF THE
LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE) VELUPILLAI
PRABHAKARAN TWO YEARS AGO IN MADRAS, SOLARZ SAID THAT
"I CERTAINLY HAD THE SENSE THAT HE WAS DEEPLY COMMITTED
TO HIS CAUSE AND A WILLINGNESS TO COMPROMISE WAS NOT HIS
MOST PROMINENT CHARACTERISTIC."
-- BUT I CAN'T SAY THAT I WAS ABLE TO PREDICT THE
ULTIMATE COURSE OF EVENTS," HE ADDED.
- SOLARZ SAID THAT HE CAME AWAY FROM HIS MEETING WITH
PRABHAKARAN AT THE TIME, FEELING THAT "IT WAS IMPORTANT
TO CONTINUE THE EFFORT TO SEARCH FOR A POLITICAL
SETTLEMENT BECAUSE I DIDN'T SEE ANY OTHER ACCEPTABLE
SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM."
-- HE EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS "CLEAR THAT ANY POLITICAL
SETTLEMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF
MAINTAINING THE TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF SRI LANKA AS A
WHOLE WHILE GRANTING A MEASURABLE AUTONOMY TO THE TAMIL
AREAS IN THE COUNTRY WITH SOME KIND OF LOOSE LINKAGE AT
THE VERY LEAST BETWEEN THE NORTHERN AND EASTERN
PROVINCES."
-- HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE WASN'T "OVERLY OPTIMISTIC
THAT SUCH AN AGREEMENT COULD BE ACHIEVED, BUT I THOUGHT
THERE WAS SUFFICIENT POSSIBILITY THAT (IT) WAS WORTH
PURSUING."
-- HE SAID THAT HE SAW IN THE INDO-LANKA PEACE ACCORD OF
JULY 29, ONE THAT "MAY TURN OUT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST
SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR TIME."
(END TEXT)
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/26: CIA-RDP90M00005R001000080033-2