Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08COLOMBO287
2008-03-19 12:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:  

SRI LANKA: COORDINATING HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY WITH

Tags:  PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE 
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FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
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RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000287 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: COORDINATING HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY WITH
LIKE-MINDED COUNTRIES

REF: GENEVA 0180

Classified By: DCM James R. Moore, for reasons 1.4 (b, d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000287

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: COORDINATING HUMAN RIGHTS STRATEGY WITH
LIKE-MINDED COUNTRIES

REF: GENEVA 0180

Classified By: DCM James R. Moore, for reasons 1.4 (b, d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: On March 18, Ambassador hosted a meeting of
representatives of missions that have contributed to the
International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) to
discuss how to maintain a strategy of continued engagement
with the GSL on human rights following IIGEP's decision to
resign. Ambassador noted that public pressure at this time
was already intense, and suggested private interventions by
several parties might be more effective. Ambassador
confirmed U.S. support for an independent office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights. He noted that like-minded
countries should use any points of leverage available during
the window of opportunity from now until the May 5 to 16
Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the HRC in Geneva.
Ambassador said the U.S. saw an opening to make progress on
child soldiers and would offer to help the GSL demobilize and
reintegrate the children. European representatives agreed it
was in the GSL's own interest to try to maintain access to EU
GSP-Plus trade preferences, but observed that the GSP-plus
review process would continue until the end of the year. The
Deputy Head of the EU Mission said the visit of EU human
rights envoys at the end of May and an upcoming EU-Sri Lanka
Joint Commission meeting on aid and trade would provide
opportunities to push the GSL on human rights. The Japanese
DCM said his government has reinforced its message at every
opportunity that GSL human rights efforts must yield a
tangible, internationally recognizable result. End Summary.


2. (C) Following up on the discussion among the U.S., Swiss,
and several other delegations to the Human Rights Council
session in Geneva (reftel),on March 18, Ambassador met with
heads of mission or their representatives from the IIGEP
donor group (Netherlands, EU, Canada, Japan, Australia, and
the UK),plus Switzerland, to discuss how best to engage with
the GSL on human rights following IIGEP's decision to resign.
Ambassador emphasized U.S. support for an independent office
of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Sri Lanka, given
the failure of Sri Lankan institutions to effectively prevent
or monitor human rights abuses. He noted that like-minded
countries should use whatever points of leverage available
during the window of opportunity from now until the May 5 to
16 Universal Periodic Review (UPR),which will include Sri
Lanka. India, he said, has so far not pushed for a field

presence of the OHCHR, but had not resisted the establishment
of a UN monitoring mission for Nepal. Nepal, along with
Colombia, was a success story for this kind of human rights
operation, he observed. India's concern over Tamil rights
and desire to burnish its own credentials as an early
signatory to the UN Democracy Initiative may increase the
chances of Indian support. Ambassador undertook to ask UN
Resident Representative Neil Buhne to consider hosting a
visit by Nepalese or Colombian officials to explain the
benefits their countries have derived from similar missions.
Ambassador said the U.S. sees an opportunity to have an
impact in the near term on child soldiers and that elements
of the GSL have expressed commitment to addressing that
problem.


3. (C) The European representatives noted the GSL's
self-interest in maintaining EU GSP-Plus status. Dutch
Ambassador Reynout Van Dijk said the Sri Lankan apparel
industry is worried about the impact of the possible
termination of GSL-Plus. He said there was a need to create
pressure from private groups to get at least two priority
human rights cases, the Trinco 5 case and the ACF case,
resolved. He noted that the GSL is starting to realize that
there is a huge cost to courting "new friends" like China and
Iran, and that Sri Lanka will continue to need the West. He
thought concerned countries should also employ "carrots," for
example by telling GSL how much more we could support their
fight against terrorism if they would improve their human

COLOMBO 00000287 002 OF 002


rights record. Deputy Head of the EU Commission Delegation
Peter Maher observed that the withdrawal of GSP-Plus is a
card the EU can only play once, pointing out the review
process would continue through the end of 2008. He said the
visit of EU Human rights envoys at the end of May and an
upcoming EU-Sri Lanka Joint Commission meeting on aid and
trade would provide further opportunities to push the GSL on
human rights. Swiss Human Rights officer noted that donor
countries tend to focus on activities in the Human Rights
Council, but that the reality was that Sri Lanka probably can
round up enough votes to block an resolution in the HRC. She
suggested mobilizing Latin American countries with experience
in "disappearances" from the 1980s to support action on Sri
Lanka, possibly in other UN venues such as the UNGA Third
Committee, the working group on Children and Armed Conflict,
or the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(ICCPR) Committee.


4. (C) Japanese DCM Hiroshi Karube said Japan has
reinforced at every opportunity the message delivered
directly to President Rakapaksa by Japan's Prime Minister:
that there needs to be a tangible, internationally
recognizable result of the GSL's human rights efforts. Japan
is not against the idea of a formal OHCHR presence, he said,
but has not yet come out openly in favor of a monitoring
mission because Sri Lanka's "Southern" political
establishment is firmly against it. Japan will continue to
hold this position for at least another couple of months, he
said. In the meantime, Japan is particularly interested in
seeing a positive result in the "Trinco 5" case.


5. (C) Canadian High Commissioner Angela Bogdan suggested
that IIGEP donor countries develop a set of common messages
in reaction to the resignation of IIGEP members and the
termination of their mission. The group also considered, but
rejected, the idea of holding a joint press conference or
issuing a joint statement on the end of the IIGEP effort.


6. (C) Conclusions: As Ambassador noted, public pressure
on the GSL to improve its human rights record is already
intense, and additional public statements at this time may
not be helpful. Private pressure from a number of friendly
countries may help those in the GSL who support constructive
action. The GSL will need help in responding to criticism
from the JVP and other nationalist forces that the government
is caving in to the West. In the meantime, we should usewhatever points of leverage we have:
-- The end f IIGEP and pressure generated by its final report
-- The window of opportunity between now and theMay
Universal Periodic Review
-- Sri Lanka's capaign for re-election to the HRC
-- The GSP-plusreview process
-- Apparent GSL willingness to adress the problem of child
soldiers.
-- Engagement with India to try to win its support for on
OHCHR mission
-- Cooperation with the UN and countries like Nepal to
explain the benefits of UN monitoring to the Sri Lankan
government and public.
BLAKE

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