Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04COLOMBO864
2004-05-24 11:00:00
SECRET
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 075 (05/24/04)

Tags:  AMGT CE MV 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T COLOMBO 000864 

SIPDIS

OFFICIAL INFORMAL

FOR SA/INS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/24/14
TAGS: AMGT CE MV
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 075 (05/24/04)


Classified by DCM James F. Entwistle for reasons 1.5 (b)
and (d).

CONTENTS: FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER CROSSES THE AISLE
- POSSIBLE PEACEKEEPING ROLE FOR SRI LANKA ARMY
- MALDIVIAN AT GITMO

FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER CROSSES THE AISLE
-----------------------------------------

S E C R E T COLOMBO 000864

SIPDIS

OFFICIAL INFORMAL

FOR SA/INS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 5/24/14
TAGS: AMGT CE MALDIVES'>MV
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 075 (05/24/04)


Classified by DCM James F. Entwistle for reasons 1.5 (b)
and (d).

CONTENTS: FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER CROSSES THE AISLE
- POSSIBLE PEACEKEEPING ROLE FOR SRI LANKA ARMY
- MALDIVIAN AT GITMO

FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER CROSSES THE AISLE
--------------


1. (SBU) FYI. Late May 21, longtime UNP MP and former
Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando formally joined
President Kumaratunga's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).
The probable reason for Fernando's defection is his ire
at the UNP for being left off the UNP's "national list,"
and thus out of Parliament for the first time in years.
As we reported in April, Fernando resigned from the
party and wrote a public letter of complaint to former
PM Wickremesinghe on April. It is not immediately clear
what role Fernando will play in the SLFP. (POL)

POSSIBLE PEACEKEEPING ROLE FOR SRI LANKA ARMY
--------------


2. (C) Please also pass to WHA, IO/PHO, PM/SO/CCP: Post
learned on May 21 that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has been
invited by the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping
Operations to send a battalion to the UN mission in Haiti.
SLA staff officers have been tasked to quietly ascertain
what equipment would be needed, what costs would be
associated and how the mission would be executed. Calls
have been made to army peacekeeping experts in Nepal and
possibly Bangladesh, and queries have been made with our
Defense Attache. While we are not aware of a political
decision to deploy troops outside of Sri Lanka, the SLA has
been building a peacekeeping school at Kukule Ganga that
will officially open in June 2004. Post would appreciate
any additional information available on the veracity of the
invitation or the mission requirements for a battalion to
deploy. (DAO)

MALDIVIAN AT GITMO
--------------


3. (S) FYI - we are preparing a frontchannel on this subject
based on our conversations over there last week. Moreover,
we got a dipnote from the GoRM today advising us that the
left behind family in MALDIVES is "depressed" since they
haven't heard anything about the detainee's welfare for
eight months and asking for an update on his condition.
(DCM)

LUNSTEAD