INDIA TSUNAMI SITREP: JANUARY 6

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000139

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USDA/FAS/FAA/CALEXANDER/MCONLON

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/05/2015
TAGS: PREL CASC AEMR EAID MASS SOCI EAGR ID CE MV IN
SUBJECT: INDIA TSUNAMI SITREP: JANUARY 6

Classified By: PolCouns Geoff Pyatt. Reasons 1.4 (B,D).


1. (C) Summary: The Ambassador met with Defense Secretary
Singh on January 6 to request that New Delhi send liaison
officers to Utapao and Honolulu. In a sign of the GOI's
strong commitment to our tsunami partnership, the Foreign
Secretary on January 5 held a rare joint briefing with the

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chief of the integrated military command to refute media
reports that India was disturbed by the US presence in the
region, particularly Sri Lanka. USAID furthered cooperation
on tsunami relief during a coordination meeting chaired by
the UN in which US officials agreed to share information and
assessments. As Indian casualty figures continue to
increase, press reports indicate the Prime Minister will
travel to the hard-hit Andaman and Nicobar Islands. End
Summary.

Ambassador Meets Defense Secretary
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2. (C) The Ambassador met with Defense Secretary Ajai Vikram
Singh, and spoke with acting National Security Adviser MK
Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran on January 6 to
propose Indian military participation in the combined
Multi-National Planning and Augmentation Team (MPAT). The
Ambassador and DATT requested that MOD designate two MPAT
planners along with an Indian liaison officer to the Combined
Support Force in Utapao, Thailand, and also one to PACOM
headquarters. Details of the meeting will follow septel.

Foreign Secretary: No Stress with the US in Sri Lanka
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3. (U) Reflecting the GOI's resolve to maintain a positive
tone around US-India collaboration on tsunami relief, Foreign
Secretary Shyam Saran called in the press corps on January 5.

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Press reports emphasized that the GOI is not concerned about
US presence "in the neighborhood." Saran reportedly
underlined that while India was "spearheading" relief in Sri
Lanka and the Maldives, US assistance was significant and
welcome.

Foreign Minister in Jakarta
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4. (U) In a January 6 briefing on the Foreign Minister's
participation in the Jakarta Summit, the MEA spokesman
reported that the FM emphasized to Kofi Annan that "India as
well as other countries present there supported the UN in its
efforts to bring relief to the affected people in the
region." The MEA noted that the Minister and Annan "also
discussed regional issues, including Iraq."

USAID: Increasing Multilateral Cooperation
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5. (U) On January 6, representatives of the USAID/DART team
and USAID/India attended a coordination meeting in New Delhi
chaired by the UN. USAID agreed to share information on
assessments and activities with the UN, the UK's Department
for International Development (DIFD) and the European
Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO). On January 5 and 6,
USAID/DART conducted assessments of villages near Pondicherry
in Tamil Nadu. The USAID/DART team reports that
water/sanitation is not an emergency need but the restoration
of livelihoods is emerging as a key concern. In some
villages, residents have begun repairing their homes.

Indian Casualties
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6. (U) The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reported on
January 6 that the tsunami was responsible for 9,862 deaths
in India, compared to 9,575 through January 4. The MHA still
considers approximately 6,000 individuals missing, although
they have indicated the likelihood that the unaccounted for
figure will be added to death total. According the January 6
MHA report, seven Indian nationals died in Sri Lanka, one in
the Maldives, three in Thailand, and two in Indonesia.

PM to Visit Andaman and Nicobar
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7. (U) Amid press complaints that the GOI is not doing
enough for the isolated archipelago, Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh will reportedly travel to the Andaman and Nicobar
Islands on January 8. After the PM's trip, an all-party
meeting to discuss the disaster will be held on January 9,
two days later than originally scheduled.
MULFORD