CO-CHAIRS MEET WITH FOREIGN MINISTER TO ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000985 SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA, USPACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/29/2018 TAGS: PREL PREF PGOV CE SUBJECT: CO-CHAIRS MEET WITH FOREIGN MINISTER TO ON HUMANITARIAN ISSUES AND POLITICAL SOLUTION REF: COLOMBO 976 Classified By: Classified by: Ambassador Robert O. Blake, Jr. for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: At the request of Co-Chair Ambassadors, Foreign Minister Bogollagama met with the Co-Chair Ambassadors on October 29 to discuss the humanitarian situation in the north and progress towards a political solution to Sri Lanka's conflict. The Co-Chairs urged continued humanitarian access, protection of civilians from the fighting, and a political solution now to the conflict. Commissioner General for Essential Services Divaratne responded that supplies of food and medicine for IDPs in the north is adequate, and that the fourth of the weekly UN/GSL food convoys will leave on October 31. The Norwegian Ambassador urged the GSL not to target LTTE peace secretariat members or others involved in humanitarian operations. Foreign Secretary Kohona reported that the Sri Lankan military had dropped leaflets the previous week inviting IDPs to come to Government-controlled areas where all facilities would be made available to help them. Divaratne reported there are already indications that IDPs are moving south to Oddusuddan rather than east to Mullaitivu. Bogollagama confirmed press reports that President Rajapaksa plans to take a more direct role in the APRC process to address what additional powers could be devolved under the 13th Amendment, once the budget is passed in December. End Summary Ensure Humanitarian Access and Protect Civilians -------------- --- ¶2. (C) Ambassador opened by noting that he was speaking for the Co-Chairs since the U.S. had hosted the last Co-Chair meeting in New York. On behalf of the Co-Chairs he commended the Government of Sri Lanka for their efforts thus far to work with the UN and ICRC to ensure that sufficient food and other supplies are delivered to internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by fighting in northern Sri Lanka. He urged the GSL to continue to provide access so the UN and Government Agents can deliver food and other humanitarian supplies to the IDPs wherever they are. The Ambassador also urged the Government to take all necessary actions to protect the civilian population in the conflict areas. In that regard, he welcomed the public assurances that Presidential envoy Basil Rajapaksa had conveyed to the Government of India on October 26. Lastly, Ambassador urged the GSL to prepare a credible proposal now for a lasting political solution to the conflict. ¶3. (C) Bogollagama welcomed the Co-Chair initiative to meet and said Sri Lanka shares the Co-Chair concerns in all of the areas mentioned by the Ambassador. He noted that the Co-Chair process predates the cease-fire agreement and expressed appreciation for the Co-Chairs' engagement. At the Minister's request Commissioner General for Essential Services Divaratne briefed on GSL humanitarian efforts. He indicated that the Government Agents of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu had briefed the Government on October 23 that there was sufficient quantities of food in the north and that the supply and distribution of the food is good. He said that the GSL and UN thus far had delivered 37,000 metric tons of food to Kilinochchi and 35,000 MTs of food to Mullaitivu. ¶4. (C) Divaratne stated the Government aims to continue to send weekly convoys of 50 trucks to the north with the fourth convoy expected to leave on October 31. The Government was supplementing these convoys with its own deliveries. He assessed that the supply of medicine also is adequate, noting that both districts in the north had received their fourth quarter entitlements that all provinces are allocated. He also said a temporary shortage of anti-venom and anti-malaria medicine had been resolved. Ambassador asked about reports that some portion of the food may have been diverted by the LTTE. Divaratne responded that the Government had no precise estimates, but reasoned that at least some of the Government-or UN-supplied food had to be going to the LTTE since they had no other sources. Don't Target Those Trying to Help -------------- ¶5. (C) Norwegian Ambassador Hattrem noted the importance of the Government maintaining communications with the LTTE to facilitate humanitarian operations and discuss other issues. He explained that Norway tries to be of assistance in this regard. He urged that the Sri Lankan military not target members of the LTTE peace secretariat and others involved in coordinating humanitarian actions. (Note: the GSL recently bombed the LTTE Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi, but no one was apparently killed or injured.) Hattrem also indicated he had spoken to the LTTE earlier in the day to express concern about their unwillingness to allow free movement of IDPs. He also urged the LTTE not to attack civilian convoys. GSL Drops More Leaflets to Urge IDPs to Move South -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) With respect to the safety and freedom of movement of IDPs, Ambassador recalled that he had raised in a previous meeting of the Coordinating Committee on Humanitarian Affairs the need for the Government to find a way to reassure the IDPs that if they moved south into Government-controlled areas, they would receive shelter, food, and other necessities and that they would not be mistreated or be subjected to HUMAN RIGHTS abuses as many IDPs apparently fear. The Ambassador said the Defense Secretary had promised to drop leaflets to reassure the IDPs. Had this been done yet? Foreign Secretary Kohona responded that leaflets had indeed been dropped the previous week inviting IDPs to come to Government-controlled areas where all facilities would be made available to help them. Divaratne reported there are already indications that IDPs are moving south to Oddusuddan rather than east to Mullaitivu. Kohona added that the Government hopes the bulk of the IDPs will move south along the A9 into Government-controlled areas. GSL Says Few Civilian Casualties -------------- ¶7. (C) On the question of civilian casualties Kohona stressed that the Government is monitoring this closely on a daily basis. There had been no reports thus far of "excessive" casualties since TamilNet certainly would have reported these. He categorically rejected reports of genocide adding that one reason for the military's slow progress in the north was precisely to avoid civilian casualties. ¶8. (C) Ambassador welcomed the Government's assurances, but also urged the Government not to target civilian infrastructure such as roads and bridges being used by humanitarian convoys and agricultural irrigation anicuts. He cited TamilNet reports, but acknowledged that may well be unreliable. Kohona confirmed there was no basis for such reports and suggested there might be some confusion with the large earthen bund that the LTTE had constructed across the Vanni to impede the progress of Sri Lankan armored vehicles. He clarified that the GSL had targeted the bund, but not civilian infrastructure. President to Become More Active on Political Solution -------------- -------------- ¶9. (C) Turning to the political issues raised by the Co-Chairs, Bogollagama said such issues have been under discussion since 1987. He argued that the current Government has taken the most significant political steps of any government since 1987 by creating an Eastern Provincial Council and operationalizing it and by taking steps to implement the 13th Amendment. He stated that the Government did not have the 2/3 Parliamentary majority needed to amend the Constitution and thus was focusing on devolution within the existing Constitutional authority of the 13th Amendment. Ambassador recalled that President Rajapaksa in his interview with the Hindu newspaper published earlier in the day had indicated that he would set up a committee to "benchmark" the devolution process in the east. Bogollagama confirmed that the President intended to ensure that the eastern province would have devolved to it all the powers that the western and other provinces have. He said the President also plans to take a more direct role in the APRC process to address what additional powers could be devolved under the 13th Amendment, once the budget is passed in December. Japanese Ambassador Araki welcomed the President's more personal involvement. He said Co-Chairs agree that implementing the 13th Amendment is a good start. However, winning the hearts and minds of Tamils is increasingly necessary. He therefore urged the GSL to expedite the APRC process. Bogollagama responded that the GSL knows that if it does not treat Tamils well now, it can not gain their confidence. He said he had conveyed that message in a dialogue with Tamils during his recent trip to Australia. Comment -------------- ¶10. (C) This was a refreshingly useful exchange that helped underline Co-Chair consensus on key humanitarian and political issues. Indian pressure has been helpful in energizing promised movement on the APRC. But the Minister was careful to explain that the APRC would only explore what more could be done to devolve power under the 13th amendment, rather than take on more comprehensive constitutional reforms that the GSL does not have the majority in Parliament to pass. We should be wary of GSL promises of progress on a political solution. As explained reftel, with Parliamentary elections coming in 2010 or earlier, and the hardline JHU and JVP steadfastly opposed to any political solution, it is unlikely the President will be willing to endorse any solution that could diminish the ruling party's electoral prospects. Blake