MISSION ANNOUNCES RE-DIRECTION OF ASSISTANCE AWAY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001032

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: MISSION ANNOUNCES RE-DIRECTION OF ASSISTANCE AWAY
FROM CLOSED IDP CAMPS

COLOMBO 00001032 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: AMBASSADOR PATRICIA A. BUTENIS. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D)


1. (C) On November 11, Ambassador met with Basil Rajapaksa,
senior advisor to the president and chief of the Sri Lankan
Government's relief and reconstruction efforts, to announce
the U.S. decision to redirect aid from closed camps to
returnees, host families, and open camps by March 2010.
Rajapaksa seemed unsurprised by the information. (NOTE:
Other donor partners have already approached him and other
GSL officials to inform them of the re-direction of their
countries' assistance. END NOTE.) Rajapaksa raised two
points of concern. First, he was worried about an end of aid
to ex-combatants, who he said would certainly remain in
closed camps for the near future. Ambassador assured him
that the U.S. would continue to support their rehabilitation
but reminded him that their legal status still had not been
determined.


2. (C) Rajapaksa's second concern was that there would still
likely be some IDPs remaining in camps by March. He said
some of them did not wish to leave as they had no homes to
return to and cited UN guidance that IDPs should not be
pushed out, must be allowed to leave with dignity and safety,
and that humanitarian aid should not be used to force people
to leave the camps. Ambassador affirmed that the U.S. would
work with the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) as the time for
this redirection of aid approached to examine whether the
remaining camps would still be considered closed. She
assured him that the U.S. did not intend to surprise them
with the redirection of aid.


3. (C) After this conversation with Rajapaksa, Ambassador
notified Neil Buhne, Resident Coordinator of the UN Mission
in Sri Lanka, of the U.S. decision. She also discussed the
issue with a group of third-country partners, who noted their
countries' own decisions to re-direct assistance. Ambassador
was unable to get an appointment with Foreign Minister
Bogollagama to inform him of the new policy but will look for
an opportunity to discuss it with him and other GSL officials
in the near future. Visiting PRM PDAS Sam Whitten also will
be raising the issue in his many meetings with GSL officials
and INGOs over the next several days.

COMMENT
--------------


4. (C) We have announced the U.S. re-direction of assistance
to top Sri Lankan government officials, to the UN, and to
European and other third-country partners. EMBASSY is
planning many more such conversations over the next few weeks
with GSL officials, Sri Lankan NGOs and INGOs, and others
concerned about the IDP issue. EMBASSY has not/not issued a
proactive press statement on redirection of assistance and
would appreciate Department concurrence with this approach.


5. (C) EMBASSY strongly believes that making a public
announcement on re-direction would be counter-productive to
attaining our goal. This was brought home to us by the
Norwegian ambassador who told us the new policy on
redirection -- which the Europeans are also pursuing -- was
particularly effective because it was not done publicly or in
an obviously coordinated fashion. By individual countries
quietly making approaches at high levels, the Rajapaksa
ruling group was impressed with the seriousness of purpose.
Moreover, they appreciated the willingness of the various
countries involved not to try to use the new policy for
political ends or to create an electoral issue out of food
aid. Given our many previous and planned conversations on
assistance re-direction with GSL officials and others, as
well as similar conversations by European partners, we are

COLOMBO 00001032 002.2 OF 002


confident that our message is being clearly received and that
our approach has the greatest chance of success.
BUTENIS