Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09COLOMBO1017
2009-11-06 12:20:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
SIGNIFICANT IDP RELEASES CONTINUE IN SRI LANKA
how-toVZCZCXRO1152 OO RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHLM #1017 3101220 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 061220Z NOV 09 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0735 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 2021 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 9057 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 7295 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 5204 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3450 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 5156 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0029 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 0691 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 4267 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 9620 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 6914 RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 0003 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3814 RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001017
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SIGNIFICANT IDP RELEASES CONTINUE IN SRI LANKA
Classified By: AMBASSADOR Patricia A. Butenis. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001017
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SIGNIFICANT IDP RELEASES CONTINUE IN SRI LANKA
Classified By: AMBASSADOR Patricia A. Butenis. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D)
1. (C) Significant numbers of IDPs continue to be released
from camps in Manik Farm and elsewhere. Exact figures differ
on just how many have been released, depending on whether the
source of the information is the UN or the Government of Sri
Lanka (GSL). The bottom line is that in dramatic contrast to
the very few releases that occurred in the months leading up
to October, tens of thousands of IDPs have returned home or
to host families in their home districts in the past several
weeks. Challenges are now likely to emerge in the return
areas, as local infrastructure, often badly damaged by years
of conflict, will be taxed beyond its capacity. Demining and
other security-related complications, often cited by the GSL
as reasons not to release IDPs, may now actually become
legitimate issues.
2. (SBU) Accurate accounting of the numbers of returns
occurring has proven difficult, as there has been a shortage
of information given from the GSL to the UN and other groups
working to assist returns. Nevertheless, UNHCR and OCHA have
been attempting to track these returns, according to which
camps they are coming from and to which towns and districts
they are returning. Their data is based on an original total
of 280,938 IDPs displaced since April 2008. Of this number,
188,279 remained in camps on November 1. This figure is
further broken down to show 176,508 IDPs in Vavuniya, of
which 158,000 were in Manik Farm. 2,816 IDPs remained in
camps in and around Jaffna, 1,989 in camps located in Mannar,
and 6,966 in Trincomalee. In contrast to some of the
releases which occurred in September, when IDPs were often
required to remain in closed transit camps in their home
districts for days and even weeks before actually being
freed, UN officials reported anecdotally on November 2 that
these recent returnees were spending two or three days in
transit camps at most.
3. (SBU) Government numbers, given to Post by military
commanders in Vavuniya, stated that 154,483 IDPs remained in
camps as of November 4. Discrepancies in the UN and SLA
figures could arise from differences in who was being counted
or which camps were or were not included. Post does not know
whether UN accounting allows for the possibility of
significant numbers of persons bribing their way out of the
camps in preceding months. There have been unverified
reports of as many as 10,000 to 50,000 persons escaping the
camps by those means.
COMMENT
--------------
4. (C) The government appears to have made a decision a
couple weeks ago that whatever the benefits were to keeping
the IDPs in the camps, they increasingly were outweighed by
the negatives. Accordingly, they abruptly changed course,
releasing as many as possible, as quickly as possible. These
releases likely will continue until the reasons the GSL cited
previously for not releasing the IDPs -- demining, the need
for reconstruction in home villages, and security issues --
become real challenges. At that point, the GSL may have to
slow the returns process again and keep a certain number of
persons in the camps for a longer period of time as they sort
out the situation on the ground in the return destinations.
BUTENIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/05/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SIGNIFICANT IDP RELEASES CONTINUE IN SRI LANKA
Classified By: AMBASSADOR Patricia A. Butenis. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D)
1. (C) Significant numbers of IDPs continue to be released
from camps in Manik Farm and elsewhere. Exact figures differ
on just how many have been released, depending on whether the
source of the information is the UN or the Government of Sri
Lanka (GSL). The bottom line is that in dramatic contrast to
the very few releases that occurred in the months leading up
to October, tens of thousands of IDPs have returned home or
to host families in their home districts in the past several
weeks. Challenges are now likely to emerge in the return
areas, as local infrastructure, often badly damaged by years
of conflict, will be taxed beyond its capacity. Demining and
other security-related complications, often cited by the GSL
as reasons not to release IDPs, may now actually become
legitimate issues.
2. (SBU) Accurate accounting of the numbers of returns
occurring has proven difficult, as there has been a shortage
of information given from the GSL to the UN and other groups
working to assist returns. Nevertheless, UNHCR and OCHA have
been attempting to track these returns, according to which
camps they are coming from and to which towns and districts
they are returning. Their data is based on an original total
of 280,938 IDPs displaced since April 2008. Of this number,
188,279 remained in camps on November 1. This figure is
further broken down to show 176,508 IDPs in Vavuniya, of
which 158,000 were in Manik Farm. 2,816 IDPs remained in
camps in and around Jaffna, 1,989 in camps located in Mannar,
and 6,966 in Trincomalee. In contrast to some of the
releases which occurred in September, when IDPs were often
required to remain in closed transit camps in their home
districts for days and even weeks before actually being
freed, UN officials reported anecdotally on November 2 that
these recent returnees were spending two or three days in
transit camps at most.
3. (SBU) Government numbers, given to Post by military
commanders in Vavuniya, stated that 154,483 IDPs remained in
camps as of November 4. Discrepancies in the UN and SLA
figures could arise from differences in who was being counted
or which camps were or were not included. Post does not know
whether UN accounting allows for the possibility of
significant numbers of persons bribing their way out of the
camps in preceding months. There have been unverified
reports of as many as 10,000 to 50,000 persons escaping the
camps by those means.
COMMENT
--------------
4. (C) The government appears to have made a decision a
couple weeks ago that whatever the benefits were to keeping
the IDPs in the camps, they increasingly were outweighed by
the negatives. Accordingly, they abruptly changed course,
releasing as many as possible, as quickly as possible. These
releases likely will continue until the reasons the GSL cited
previously for not releasing the IDPs -- demining, the need
for reconstruction in home villages, and security issues --
become real challenges. At that point, the GSL may have to
slow the returns process again and keep a certain number of
persons in the camps for a longer period of time as they sort
out the situation on the ground in the return destinations.
BUTENIS