Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06COLOMBO342
2006-03-03 06:46:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

SRI LANKA: DEMINING RETURNING TO FULL SPEED

Tags:  PGOV PHUM EAID CASC MOPS KHDP CE 
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PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLM #0342/01 0620646
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 030646Z MAR 06
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2763
INFO RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 0156
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 8998
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 5885
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 3921
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 2870
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9355
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 2965
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2038
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
UNCLAS COLOMBO 000342 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SA/INS AND PM/WRA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM EAID CASC MOPS KHDP CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: DEMINING RETURNING TO FULL SPEED
DESPITE SOME BUMPS

REF: 2005 COLOMBO 2167

SUMMARY
--------
UNCLAS COLOMBO 000342

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR SA/INS AND PM/WRA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM EAID CASC MOPS KHDP CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: DEMINING RETURNING TO FULL SPEED
DESPITE SOME BUMPS

REF: 2005 COLOMBO 2167

SUMMARY
--------------

1. (U) NGOs continued humanitarian demining while Sri Lankan
Army (SLA) deminers were still hunkered down following the
December and January surge in attacks on security forces by
the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). While remaining
on operational stand down, Department-funded demining
contractor RONCO maintained an ambitious training schedule.
The Commander of the Army has approved the transfer of 400
soldiers under the authority of the Ministry of Nation
Building and Development. SLA worries about the control of
the explosives have required NGOs to draw a small amount of
explosives daily to clear mines and have hindered NGO
demining operations. Even at the height of recent
hostilities, the LTTE humanitarian demining unit operated at
full capacity. The Halo Trust (HT) and the Danish Demining
Group (DDG) remain fully engaged in Jaffna despite a high
rate of employee absenteeism, meanwhile on February 22
unknown gunmen threatened the Mine Action Group office in
Batticaloa to stop demining in LTTE territory. END SUMMARY.

STANDDOWN
--------------

2. (U) Following their end of year stand-down (Reftel),Halo
Trust (HT) and Danish Demining Group (DDG) resumed a full
schedule of demining operations in the Jaffna peninsula as of
January 9. Although the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) carried out an aggressive campaign against the Sri
Lankan Army (SLA) in December and January, neither demining
NGO suffered any interruptions in operations. Due to the
intensity of LTTE attacks in Jaffna, SLA humanitarian
demining operations were suspended in December 2005 and the
soldiers assigned to security duty. As the violence spread,
the Mine Detecting Dog (MDD) detachment was airlifted from
Jaffna to Vavuniya (Reftel),and SLA demining was also
suspended in Vavuniya for two weeks in mid-January.

HITTING THE BOOKS
--------------

3. (SBU) On January 16, the final technical working group
was convened regarding the SLA Standard Operating Procedures

(SOP) in Colombo. The key personnel from each of the three
Military Mine Action Offices (MMAO) were present along with
Department-funded technical advisors from RONCO, the U.S.
contractor and BGEN Ananda Chandrasiri, commander of the SLA
demining squadrons. According to RONCO, two years of training
combined with hands-on experience in demining operations have
enabled SLA personnel to contribute valuable and practical
changes to the SOP. Designated soldiers also completed
Advanced Trauma Life Saving courses. While conducting site
visits, the RONCO Technical Advisors continue working toward
increasing the initiative and leadership skills of the
section leaders (Corporals and Sergeants). The importance of
strong mid-level management in demining operations is
becoming apparent to the section leaders, as many of the
officers have withdrawn from daily on-site operations to
focus on the role of the Mine Action Office.

MAKING PROGRESS
--------------

4. (SBU) Although RONCO was unable to work with and observe
the SLA during demining operations during the stand down,
important training and technical improvements continued. Ten
students completed a three week para-vet course in January
adding further capacity to care for the Mine Detecting Dogs
(MDDs). At the same time, four soldiers started training on
the basic operation, maintenance and safety of a variety of
mechanical mine clearance systems.

CHANGE OF COMMAND AND CONTROL
--------------


6. (SBU) BGEN Deepal Alwis will assume command of the SLA
Engineering brigade in March from retiring BGEN Chandrasiri.

Army Commander LGEN Sarath Fonseka has approved the transfer
of 400 soldiers to the Ministry of Nation Building and
Development. This transfer to civilian control will allow
other foreign governments and humanitarian agencies, who were
sometimes skittish about funding the military, to contribute
to the government demining effort.



7. (SBU) Although the Commander of Security Forces Jaffna
set no firm date on when the SLA could return to the
clearance sites, he took the important first step of
endorsing the technical survey of minefields contained within
the High Security Zones. This move will help speed the
return of HSZs to civilians when -- and if -- the Government
decides to do so. The SLA remains concerned about the
security of the monthly allotment of explosives issued to
INGOs to destroy mines in place. Current procedures place a
burden on the NGO deminers and are not uniformly adhered to.
(Note: Demining NGOs are allotted 10Kg of plastic explosives
a month. This is half the amount found in an LTTE claymore.
No explosives have ever been stolen from deminers. End Note.)
Since demining INGOs do not have access to Army authorities
inside the HSZ, a temporary building has been allocated
inside of the main gate at the Palali camp. At the first
meeting between security forces and demining INGOs, held on
the January 31, INGOs complained about a lack of liaison
regarding mine clearance issues. It was agreed that the main
conduit for this liaison will be the MMAO Coordinator and
problems should try to be solved at the local level rather
than in Colombo.


FEAR OR TIGER FLU
--------------

8. (SBU) Although their demining operations have not been
affected, both Halo Trust and DDG have had high rates of long
term absenteeism in the recent months. There are several
possible reasons, including harassment of Tamil deminers by
security forces, abduction of the deminers by either pro or
anti-government forces, the possibility that the absentees
were actually LTTE cadres recalled to active duty, or the
missing men were "obliged" to attend LTTE home guard
training. The LTTE humanitarian demining units maintained a
full workload, even during the height of recent hostilities.
To the east in Batticaloa district, two armed men entered the
office of the INGO Mine Action Group (MAG) on February 22,
waving pistols and demanding that MAG stop operations in
LTTE-held territory. (Note: MAG, DDG and Norwegian People's
Aid provide salaries, equipment and technical advice to LTTE
humanitarian demining units. End Note.) While MAG temporarily
closed that office, the program manager told poloff that the
demining tasks in that area were almost complete and that MAG
intended to reopen and finish the job.

COMMENT
--------------

9. (SBU) While the Army has not yet returned to its
demining duties despite the decrease in LTTE attacks over the
last month, overall demining efforts continue apace. Even at
the height of recent hostilities, the LTTE humanitarian
demining unit sent representatives to the National Mine
Action Steering Committee meeting in Colombo to report on
their progress. New SLA commanders are learning that
demining NGOs can be a civil affairs asset and improve the
security of their own troops by removing old and poorly
marked mine lines that pose a hazard to their own troops.
LUNSTEAD