SRI LANKA: JAFFNA HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE ENDS CONTACT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001078 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS AND PM MCC FOR D NASSIRY AND E BURKE E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/01/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: JAFFNA HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE ENDS CONTACT WITH U.S. EMBASSY REF: COLOMBO 1036 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires James R. Moore, for reasons 1.4(b,d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Long-time Embassy interlocutors in Jaffna, including those who met with Assistant Secretary Boucher in May 2007, report that they continue to feel pressure from the government, particularly the Jaffna military commander. Contacts have told us that in addition to the GSL curtailing their responsibilities, they have received specific instructions prohibiting contact with the Embassy. These restrictions come at a time when human rights abuses in Jaffna are increasing. The spike in extrajudicial killings carried out by armed groups continues. END SUMMARY. CONTACT WITH U.S. EMBASSY "STRICTLY PROHIBITED" -------------- -- ¶2. (C) On July 31, locally-hired Political Specialist Padmini Raajadurrai received a call from Field Officer for the Human Rights Commission (HRC) in Jaffna Thambithurai Rajeev (strictly protect),a long-time Embassy contact. Rajeev informed us that his boss, newly appointed Jaffna HRC Coordinator Sampanthar Sivarajasingham, has received instructions from Colombo HRC Commissioner Justice D. Jayawickrema that talking to the U.S. Embassy is strictly prohibited. Rajeev worried that his life could be in danger given the recent spike in extra-judicial killings in Jaffna and the increased pressure put on Embassy contacts who met A/S Boucher and Ambassador in Jaffna in May, 2007 (reftel). Rajeev further stated that "military contacts" had planted a story with reporters of the Jaffna Tamil-language newspaper Uthayan to the effect that Raajadurrai is a CIA intelligence agent working to undermine the Government. REMADIOUS' RESPONSIBILITIES ARE CURTAILED -------------- ¶3. (C) Also on July 31, long-time Embassy contact and Jaffna human rights lawyer M. Remadious told Raajadurrai that Sivarajasingham has limited the number of hours Remadious can spend at the HRC offices. He is specifically prohibited from filing missing persons reports, he said. Likewise, Remadious cannot contact Jaffna military commander Major General Chandrasiri's office or any police officials, nor is he allowed to investigate killings or disappearances. HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES CONTINUE -------------- ¶4. (C) A 25 year-old journalism student at the University of Jaffna was killed in his home at 3:00 a.m. August 1, during curfew hours, by unknown gunmen wearing civilian clothes. Three other men were shot hours earlier on July 31, killing two and leaving one in critical condition at Jaffna Teaching Hospital. On August 2, a 25-year-old Jaffna Techincal College student was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle outside of Jaffna town. The recent spike in extrajudicial killings in Jaffna continues; there were nearly as many in the month of July as in April, May and June combined. ¶5. (C) Embassy has had received numerous reports from our contacts in Jaffna since the May 2007 visit by Assistant Secretary Boucher that the Sri Lankan military was conducting SIPDIS a systematic investigation to determine exactly who Boucher met during that visit. As reftel reports, most of those contacts have been forced to leave Jaffna, or are planning to leave in the near future. COLOMBO 00001078 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C) COMMENT: It has long been the policy of the Colombo Human Rights Commission that its regional branches should not share information with us. Those who have been doing have been acting against these instructions, and have been an invaluable source of objective information about human rights abuses in the conflict-affected areas. There is no doubt that the effort to restrict our access to information from Jaffna is taking place at the direction of General Chandrasiri. However, we do not know whether this effort has the blessing of Army Commander Fonseka or Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa. Army intelligence units and anti-LTTE militias like the EDPD that cooperate with them are clearly intent on pursuing their counterinsurgency campaign to root out Tiger supporters in Jaffna, possibly before an anticipated uptick in military activity in the North. Charge is seeking an appointment with the Defense Secretary and will raise our concerns about the situation in Jaffna, particularly the wave of extrajudicial killings that continue to occur. MOORE