Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NEWDELHI1172
2006-02-15 14:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
RECENT SRI LANKAN TAMIL REFUGEE ARRIVALS IN SOUTH
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001172
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREF SL IN
SUBJECT: RECENT SRI LANKAN TAMIL REFUGEE ARRIVALS IN SOUTH
INDIA REACH 400
REF: A. CHENNAI 00103 (NOTAL)
B. COLOMBO 00200
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 001172
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREF SL IN
SUBJECT: RECENT SRI LANKAN TAMIL REFUGEE ARRIVALS IN SOUTH
INDIA REACH 400
REF: A. CHENNAI 00103 (NOTAL)
B. COLOMBO 00200
1. (SBU) Summary: Although the promise of upcoming talks to
strengthen the Cease-Fire Agreement has slowed the flow of
Sri Lankan Tamil refugees coming to South India, there are
now about 400 refugees at the Mandapam refugee transit camp
in Tamil Nadu, near Palk Bay. In recent meetings, UNHCR and
OFFER, a refugee NGO, predicted that the likelihood of
additional mass arrivals is small. Due to continuing
violence in Sri Lanka, UNHCR has stopped all refugee
repatriation until conditions on the island improve. Tamil
Nadu Rehabilitation Commissioner Ambedkar Rajkumar has been
widely praised for his work to oversee
conditions in the government camps and to make life as
positive as possible for the approximately 50,000 total
refugees, some of whom have been living there since the
1980s. One Delhi-based Sri Lanka analyst worried about the
LTTE's history of sneaking in operatives disguised as
refugees, and warned that all of the new wave of refugees are
not necessarily "genuine," but Tamil Nadu intelligence
officials are carefully reviewing the background of all new
arrivals before releasing them to local camps. End Summary.
Refugees Likely to Slow to a Trickle
--------------
2. (SBU) In recent meetings, both V. Bharathy, Associate
Repatriation Officer at UNHCR in Chennai, and S.C.
Chandrahasan, a Sri Lankan Tamil and the leader of
Organization for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OFERR),a
refugee NGO in Tamil Nadu, agreed that the number of refugees
arriving on the Tamil Nadu coast has increased from 77 in
mid-January (Ref A) to 300 by the end of January and 400 in
mid-February. With talks to strengthen the Cease-Fire
Agreement (Ref B) scheduled for February 22-23, the
likelihood of additional mass arrivals is small. The current
trickle is likely to continue but, unless conditions in Sri
Lanka worsen, they do not anticipate a major influx of
refugees.
And UNHCR Repatriation Grinds to a Halt
--------------
3. (SBU) Due to the recent violence in Sri Lanka, UNHCR
suspended all repatriation activities in early January 2006
until the situation on the island improves. UNHCR reported
that before the recent influx of new refugees, there was
great and growing interest among refugees to return to their
homes in Sri Lanka. During 2005, UNHCR processed about 6,000
applications for repatriation from the approximately 50,000
refugees in the government camps.
4. (SBU) Due to the "fourth wave" of refugees, UNHCR
believes that the GOI has temporarily abandoned previous
plans to reduce rice and other subsidies they provide to the
refugee community. The GOI was discussing a possible
reduction, which might have increased repatriation
activities. Camp conditions remain stable but less than
ideal, with deteriorated housing the primary problem. Both
UNHCR and Chandrahasen were lavish in their praise for
NEW DELHI 00001172 002 OF 002
Government of Tamil Nadu Rehabilitation Commissioner Ambedkar
Rajkumar, who is responsible for conditions in the camps.
Both commented that he truly cares about the refugees and
does his best within the limitations of the subsidies
provided by the GOI to make life as positive as possible for
the refugees.
LTTE "Refugee" Concerns
--------------
5. (SBU) M.R. Swamy Narayan, a Delhi-based Indo-Asian News
Service journalist and Prabhakaran biographer, expressed
concern that not all of the refugees are necessarily
"genuine." Since Rajiv Gandhi's LTTE assassin originally
came from Sri Lanka disguised as a refugee, Narayan raised
the possibility that other LTTE members may be using the
opportunity to sneak into India and, in some cases, might be
receiving GOI refugee support, and in others, dissapearing.
Aware of this possibility, state intelligence officials have
established a 30 day "quarantine" period during which
newly-arrived refugees are questioned by intelligence
officials to determine their antecedents and connections.
Only after this rigorous review are refugees permitted to
join the general population of refugees at the residential
camps in Tamil Naudu.
6. (U) Consulate General Chennai contributed to this message.
7. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website:
(http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/)
MULFORD
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINR PREF SL IN
SUBJECT: RECENT SRI LANKAN TAMIL REFUGEE ARRIVALS IN SOUTH
INDIA REACH 400
REF: A. CHENNAI 00103 (NOTAL)
B. COLOMBO 00200
1. (SBU) Summary: Although the promise of upcoming talks to
strengthen the Cease-Fire Agreement has slowed the flow of
Sri Lankan Tamil refugees coming to South India, there are
now about 400 refugees at the Mandapam refugee transit camp
in Tamil Nadu, near Palk Bay. In recent meetings, UNHCR and
OFFER, a refugee NGO, predicted that the likelihood of
additional mass arrivals is small. Due to continuing
violence in Sri Lanka, UNHCR has stopped all refugee
repatriation until conditions on the island improve. Tamil
Nadu Rehabilitation Commissioner Ambedkar Rajkumar has been
widely praised for his work to oversee
conditions in the government camps and to make life as
positive as possible for the approximately 50,000 total
refugees, some of whom have been living there since the
1980s. One Delhi-based Sri Lanka analyst worried about the
LTTE's history of sneaking in operatives disguised as
refugees, and warned that all of the new wave of refugees are
not necessarily "genuine," but Tamil Nadu intelligence
officials are carefully reviewing the background of all new
arrivals before releasing them to local camps. End Summary.
Refugees Likely to Slow to a Trickle
--------------
2. (SBU) In recent meetings, both V. Bharathy, Associate
Repatriation Officer at UNHCR in Chennai, and S.C.
Chandrahasan, a Sri Lankan Tamil and the leader of
Organization for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OFERR),a
refugee NGO in Tamil Nadu, agreed that the number of refugees
arriving on the Tamil Nadu coast has increased from 77 in
mid-January (Ref A) to 300 by the end of January and 400 in
mid-February. With talks to strengthen the Cease-Fire
Agreement (Ref B) scheduled for February 22-23, the
likelihood of additional mass arrivals is small. The current
trickle is likely to continue but, unless conditions in Sri
Lanka worsen, they do not anticipate a major influx of
refugees.
And UNHCR Repatriation Grinds to a Halt
--------------
3. (SBU) Due to the recent violence in Sri Lanka, UNHCR
suspended all repatriation activities in early January 2006
until the situation on the island improves. UNHCR reported
that before the recent influx of new refugees, there was
great and growing interest among refugees to return to their
homes in Sri Lanka. During 2005, UNHCR processed about 6,000
applications for repatriation from the approximately 50,000
refugees in the government camps.
4. (SBU) Due to the "fourth wave" of refugees, UNHCR
believes that the GOI has temporarily abandoned previous
plans to reduce rice and other subsidies they provide to the
refugee community. The GOI was discussing a possible
reduction, which might have increased repatriation
activities. Camp conditions remain stable but less than
ideal, with deteriorated housing the primary problem. Both
UNHCR and Chandrahasen were lavish in their praise for
NEW DELHI 00001172 002 OF 002
Government of Tamil Nadu Rehabilitation Commissioner Ambedkar
Rajkumar, who is responsible for conditions in the camps.
Both commented that he truly cares about the refugees and
does his best within the limitations of the subsidies
provided by the GOI to make life as positive as possible for
the refugees.
LTTE "Refugee" Concerns
--------------
5. (SBU) M.R. Swamy Narayan, a Delhi-based Indo-Asian News
Service journalist and Prabhakaran biographer, expressed
concern that not all of the refugees are necessarily
"genuine." Since Rajiv Gandhi's LTTE assassin originally
came from Sri Lanka disguised as a refugee, Narayan raised
the possibility that other LTTE members may be using the
opportunity to sneak into India and, in some cases, might be
receiving GOI refugee support, and in others, dissapearing.
Aware of this possibility, state intelligence officials have
established a 30 day "quarantine" period during which
newly-arrived refugees are questioned by intelligence
officials to determine their antecedents and connections.
Only after this rigorous review are refugees permitted to
join the general population of refugees at the residential
camps in Tamil Naudu.
6. (U) Consulate General Chennai contributed to this message.
7. (U) Visit New Delhi's Classified Website:
(http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/sa/newdelhi/)
MULFORD