PSI: Sri Lanka continues to review "Statement

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001666

SIPDIS

NOFORN

DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, NP, T, S/CT

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09-25-13
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER MNUC PARM CE MV
SUBJECT: PSI: Sri Lanka continues to review "Statement
of Interdiction Principles" document

Refs: (A) State 272470 (C) State 262197

- (B) Colombo 1543 (D) State 254587

(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead.
Reasons 1.5 (b, d).


1. (C) Per Ref A, Mission followed up on September 25
with the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
regarding its reaction to the Proliferation Security
Initiative (PSI) "Statement of Interdiction Principles"
document. Rohan Perera, the MFA's Legal Adviser, told
us that the GSL continues to review the document. The
GSL is examining the initiative in a "favorable" manner,
he said, though it understands that its focus is on WMD,
and not conventional weapons of the sort smuggled by the
Tamil Tigers. Perera added that there is a bit of a
"vacuum" at the MFA at this time with the former foreign
secretary just departing and the new one not yet in

SIPDIS
place. This might hold up the GSL's development of
substantive points regarding PSI.



2. (SBU) The Ambassador has also been in touch with
British High Commissioner Stephen Evans on this matter.
Evans, acting on instructions from London, is
coordinating with other PSI participant embassies to
arrange a joint demarche to the Sri Lankan government on
this subject soon.


3. (SBU) Mission has not received any reaction from the
Maldivian government regarding PSI.


4. (C/NF) COMMENT: As alluded to by Perera, the focus
of the GSL regarding sea interdiction is on the
conventional arms resupply activities of the terrorist
Tamil Tigers. PSI's focus on WMD and the GSL's focus on
countering Tamil Tiger activities are not mutually
exclusive, of course, and our guess is that the GSL will
be willing to support PSI. The GSL, for example, has
proven to be very helpful to the USG regarding the issue
of suspect vessels in the past. We are working together
with the UK to develop a representative group of PSI
members, as we think such an approach would be useful.
END COMMENT.


5. (U) Minimize considered.

LUNSTEAD