OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 016 (02/03/04)

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000191

SIPDIS

OFFICIAL INFORMAL

FOR SA/INS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/03/14
TAGS: AMGT CE MALDIVES'>MV
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 016 (02/03/04)

Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead for reasons 1.5
(b) and (d).

CONTENTS: MALDIVES POLITICAL SITUATION
- SA/RA JOHN SCHLOSSER VISIT
- SRI LANKA NATIONAL DAY

MALDIVES POLITICAL SITUATION
--------------


1. (C) FYI. Ambassador Lunstead met Feb. 3 with Minh
Pham (Amcit -- strictly protect),the head of the UNDP
in the MALDIVES and a long-standing Mission contact.
The wide-ranging discussion touched on a number of
issues, including the newly created Human Rights
Commission (as mentioned in Colombo 181, the UN is
providing some funding for the commission) and the
latest on the LDC matter, which we reviewed in Colombo

186.


2. (C) Of particular import, however, were Pham's
remarks on the political situation. As discussed by the
Ambassador and Maldivian Deputy Foreign Minister Shihab
in their February 2 meeting (see yesterday's o/i note),
Pham confirmed that the report into the September 2003
prison violence had just been published. (Pham actually
said two reports had been published, one on the death in
custody of the first prisoner and the other on the
prison violence that followed in which other prisoners
were killed. We are trying to find an English-language
translation of the reports.) He said the reports made
clear that the initial prisoner death had been by
torture and that the prison guards had overreacted to
the subsequent prisoner unrest by shooting some
prisoners in the back. Pham said the GoRM had cleverly
issued the reports just before the week-long Eid holiday
to defuse things, but he expected Maldivians to be
buzzing about the report when the holiday ends. Pham
also noted that the name of an NSS official implicated
in one of the reports, but then redacted out by the
GoRM, had leaked out. This individual, he said, had
been beaten up last week. Pham added that there was a
disturbance in Male' recently when a man, possibly
related to Gayoom, began yelling anti-Gayoom slogans
outside the presidential palace. This individual
apparently garnered quite a crowd. Overall, Pham felt
that tensions in the MALDIVES were on the rise and it
was not clear whether or not the GoRM was showing the
ability to manage the situation, but it did not look
promising. Pham's remarks confirmed our sense of the
problems in the MALDIVES reviewed in Colombo 164.


3. (SBU) The Ambassador will host a U.S. National Day
recetion in the MALDIVES on Feb. 26. He will use that
visit to check on the political temperature of the
country. (POL)

SA/RA JOHN SCHLOSSER VISIT
--------------


4. (U) We are sending out country clearance for John
Schlosser's Feb. 25-28 visit to Sri Lanka, per State
22435 request. As noted above, the Ambassador will be
away in Male' for at least some of John's visit, but DCM
Jim Entwistle will be here. Poloff Andrea Tomaszewicz
will serve as control. We will send out a notional
schedule soon and avidly look forward to the visit.
(POL)

SRI LANKA NATIONAL DAY
--------------


5. (U) Tomorrow, Feb. 4, is Sri Lankan National Day and
Mission will be closed. The Ambassador, who enjoys the
hot Equatorial sun, will enjoy the day off after
attending the 3-4 hour national day ceremony and parade!
(Both the PM and the President will be present -- it
will be interesting to see their body language. Of
course the Ambassador also gets to go to the President's
reception that same evening.

LUNSTEAD