Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06COLOMBO1650
2006-10-06 09:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
SRI LANKA: RESETTLEMENT MINISTER VOWS NO REPEAT OF
how-toVZCZCXRO1984 PP RUEHBI DE RUEHLM #1650 2790955 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 060955Z OCT 06 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4431 INFO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 9487 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6391 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4438 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3236 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0042 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 3327 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 0396 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2406 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 6946 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 4787 RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1411
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001650
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM PREF MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: RESETTLEMENT MINISTER VOWS NO REPEAT OF
MUSLIM DISPLACEMENT FROM LTTE-DOMINATED AREAS
REF: A) COLOMBO 1601 B) COLOMBO 1399 (AND PREVIOUS)
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake for reasons 1.4(b,d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001650
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM PREF MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: RESETTLEMENT MINISTER VOWS NO REPEAT OF
MUSLIM DISPLACEMENT FROM LTTE-DOMINATED AREAS
REF: A) COLOMBO 1601 B) COLOMBO 1399 (AND PREVIOUS)
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake for reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (C) Ambassador Blake met with Minister of Resettlement A.
Rishad Bathihudeen October 4 to discuss Sri Lanka's critical
internally displaced persons (IDP) problem. The Resettlement
Ministry is responsible for 300,000 pre-ceasefire conflict
displaced persons and an additional 180,000-240,000 since
hostilities between the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) and the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) escalated in April.
Bathihudeen said his ministry has already assisted 40,000 of
the latest IDPs to return to their homes in the east, denying
public criticism that the GSL pressured civilians to return
before they felt safe doing so. Of the 300,000 (source:
UNHCR) so-called "permanent" IDPs - those the Minister
describes as displaced to IDP camps since 1990 - 95%,
predominantly Muslim, were evicted from the north and east by
an LTTE ultimatum. (Note: In 2002, the UNHCR estimated there
were 800,000 conflict IDPs in Sri Lanka.) Many fled to the
northwest coastal area of Puttalam where they have lived in
141 camps for the past 16 years. A $32 million grant by the
World Bank will support a housing scheme in Puttalam for
these IDPs.
2. (C) Minister Bathhudeen explained that because the LTTE
evicted Muslims in the early 1990s from Mannar, Mullaitivu,
Kilinochchi and Jaffna, he would not allow Muslims to be
forced out of Muttur indefinitely. He lamented, "One
minority has evicted another minority. The Muslims are not a
party to this war." He praised President Rajapaksa's
leadership in "resettling the Muttur IDPs (ref B) within a
month." The Minister described an informal working
relationship and "rapport" with the LTTE through the
Government Agents (GA) in Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Vavuniya,
Mannar and Jaffna districts, noting: "Without the permission
of the LTTE, people can't resettle."
3. (C) Minister Bathihudeen expressed enthusiastic
appreciation for USAID's role in assisting IDPs in Puttalam
and the east, and asked that the United States continue to
make this issue a priority for aid funding. He noted that
IDP Muslim youths are "restless, educated, and may take up
arms if their economic problems are not solved." The
Ambassador said that he would like to travel to
GSL-administered IDP camps to see the ground situation and
how the U.S. might help to address the problem.
BLAKE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2016
TAGS: PREL PTER PHUM PREF MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: RESETTLEMENT MINISTER VOWS NO REPEAT OF
MUSLIM DISPLACEMENT FROM LTTE-DOMINATED AREAS
REF: A) COLOMBO 1601 B) COLOMBO 1399 (AND PREVIOUS)
Classified By: Ambassador Robert O. Blake for reasons 1.4(b,d).
1. (C) Ambassador Blake met with Minister of Resettlement A.
Rishad Bathihudeen October 4 to discuss Sri Lanka's critical
internally displaced persons (IDP) problem. The Resettlement
Ministry is responsible for 300,000 pre-ceasefire conflict
displaced persons and an additional 180,000-240,000 since
hostilities between the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) and the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) escalated in April.
Bathihudeen said his ministry has already assisted 40,000 of
the latest IDPs to return to their homes in the east, denying
public criticism that the GSL pressured civilians to return
before they felt safe doing so. Of the 300,000 (source:
UNHCR) so-called "permanent" IDPs - those the Minister
describes as displaced to IDP camps since 1990 - 95%,
predominantly Muslim, were evicted from the north and east by
an LTTE ultimatum. (Note: In 2002, the UNHCR estimated there
were 800,000 conflict IDPs in Sri Lanka.) Many fled to the
northwest coastal area of Puttalam where they have lived in
141 camps for the past 16 years. A $32 million grant by the
World Bank will support a housing scheme in Puttalam for
these IDPs.
2. (C) Minister Bathhudeen explained that because the LTTE
evicted Muslims in the early 1990s from Mannar, Mullaitivu,
Kilinochchi and Jaffna, he would not allow Muslims to be
forced out of Muttur indefinitely. He lamented, "One
minority has evicted another minority. The Muslims are not a
party to this war." He praised President Rajapaksa's
leadership in "resettling the Muttur IDPs (ref B) within a
month." The Minister described an informal working
relationship and "rapport" with the LTTE through the
Government Agents (GA) in Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Vavuniya,
Mannar and Jaffna districts, noting: "Without the permission
of the LTTE, people can't resettle."
3. (C) Minister Bathihudeen expressed enthusiastic
appreciation for USAID's role in assisting IDPs in Puttalam
and the east, and asked that the United States continue to
make this issue a priority for aid funding. He noted that
IDP Muslim youths are "restless, educated, and may take up
arms if their economic problems are not solved." The
Ambassador said that he would like to travel to
GSL-administered IDP camps to see the ground situation and
how the U.S. might help to address the problem.
BLAKE