UNGA ANTI-ISRAEL RESOLUTIONS: POSITIVE MOVEMENT

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001056 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS, SCA/RA AND IO/UNP (MORRISON) E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL UNGA IS PA CE MV SUBJECT: UNGA ANTI-ISRAEL RESOLUTIONS: POSITIVE MOVEMENT FROM MALDIVES, BUT NOT SRI LANKA REF: SECSTATE 123081 ¶1. (SBU) Maldivian Foreign Minister Shaheed assured Ambassador that Maldives could probably shift "to a more reasonable stance" on the anti-Israel resolutions. He indicated, however, that MFA would have to look at each resolution on a case-by-case basis. He also reported that he had instructed the Maldivian Ambassador in New York to break ranks with the "conservative majority" in the Organization of Islamic Countries and support a resolution banning extrajudicial killings. ¶2. (SBU) Sri Lankan MFA Director General for UN and Multilateral Affairs Wijewardhana reported that Sri Lanka would continue to support the resolutions on Palestine as it has "for decades". Wijewardhana confirmed that Sri Lanka abstained on the recent UNGA Third Committee resolution on DPRK (calling Sri Lanka's "yes" vote last year "unusual.") She also said that Sri Lanka had voted against the Iran and Burma resolutions. Blake