SRI LANKA BROADLY ALIGNED WITH US POSITION ON DRIP

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001020 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2016 TAGS: PHUM CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA BROADLY ALIGNED WITH US POSITION ON DRIP REF: STATE 78740 Classified By: DCM JAMES F. ENTWISTLE FOR REASONS 1.4(b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Poloff joined New Zealand poloff (visiting from New Delhi) and Australian DCM and poloff June 15 in delivering reftel demarche to Sumedha Ekanayake, Assistant of UN and Multilateral Affairs at Sri Lanka's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ekanayake agreed with the points in the demarche and said the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) has concerns with the DRIP text, especially the sections on self-determination. He added that the GSL believes the first meeting of the Human Rights Council should cover only procedural matters, noting the dangers if the Organization of the Islamic Conference succeeds in using a "pressing issues" agenda item to discuss substantive matters or lobby for country-specific resolutions. Ekanayake said the GSL delegation in Geneva has instructions to ensure the discussion stays on procedural issues, and assessed that a consensus is emerging for the Asian Group to take a similar line. LUNSTEAD