Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 38

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000321 SENSITIVE STATE FOR SCA (BOUCHER, CAMP),SCA/INS AND PRM STATE ALSO PASS USAID AID/W FOR ANE/SCA, DCHA/FFP (DWORKEN, KSHEIN) AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA (MORRISP, ACONVERY, RTHAYER, RKERR) ATHENS FOR PCARTER BANGKOK FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA (WBERGER) KATHMANDU FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA AND POL (SBERRY) GENEVA FOR RMA (NKYLOH, NHILGERT, MPITOTTI) USUN NEW YORK FOR ECOSOC (D MERCADO) SECDEF FOR OSD - POLICY PACOM ALSO FOR J-5 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: MOPS PREF PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC CE SUBJECT: Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 38 Ref: A) Colombo 320 B) Colombo 316 C) Colombo 310 D) Colombo 307 E) Colombo 304 F) Colombo 299 G) Colombo 294 H) Colombo 287 I) Colombo 282 J) Colombo 279 K) Colombo 277 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Local contacts report LTTE abuses against civilians trapped in the conflict zone. World Food Programme plans next shipment to conflict zone will depart the weekend of March 28-29. The Government's delivery of medical supplies on March 22 lacked some supplies necessary to treat victims of conflict. The Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare promises improvements in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Vavuniya. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay raises Sri Lanka issues during a visit to India. End Summary. Reports from Conflict Area -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Humanitarian agencies with local staff still trapped in the conflict zone provided some details on communications from the Government-designated "safe zone". The accounts detailed continued shelling on March 23, killing 102 and injuring some 140 civilians. Civilians are also reportedly dying in crossfire as the front lines get closer to the safe zone. Contacts report the LTTE continues to prohibit flight, forcibly recruits from among young and old, and is killing those who resist orders. They note that for the LTTE, "age is not an issue anymore for recruitment/ building defenses." Rumors again circulated that the LTTE punched holes in boats along the shore to prevent people from escaping. Workers report that they want to leave, but are scared to cross the front line. After the March 17 civilian retaliation against the LTTE, local workers report the LTTE used arms against civilians, causing many injuries. A worker sent a message that on March 17-18, "36 [civilian] deaths by LTTE rifle fire. I saw some bodies. But can't take photos. This will affect me. This is increasing. Can't live here. Highly risky now." Next Food Shipment Planned -------------- ¶3. (U) The World Food Programme plans to start loading another food aid shipment as early as this weekend (March 28-29) destined for the conflict area in Mullaitivu. Depending on the availability of vessels, as much as 1030 MTs could be shipped, including 30 MTs of corn-soya blend. This fortified product will be used to supplement the nutrition content of the ration. The remainder of the shipment will include rice, wheat flour, lentils, oil, and sugar. WFP's Country Director reports that the total number of IDPs who have left the conflict area since January is 44,220. Of these, 38,082 are in transit sites in Vavuniya District, 4,861 in Jaffna, 856 in Mannar, 464 in Trincomalee, and 957 in Pulmodai (site of India's makeshift hospital). Details on Medical Shipment -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Post received additional details on the 2-ton medical shipment received in the conflict area on March 22 (Ref A). In terms of treatment of chronic medical conditions, the supplies were adequate for one to two weeks and included vaccines (mumps, rubella, measles) and a lot of antibiotics. However, tetanus was not among the vaccines, though it is the classic vaccine needed for war wounds. There were also some supplies for trauma patients (IV fluids and dressing materials),but an inadequate amount given the numbers of wounded (50 - 150 new patients per day at the Puthumathalan facility). There were no blood bags or anesthetics sent, and now no surgeries are being performed in the conflict zone; only temporary measures to stem bleeding. Minister's Promises to Camp Residents -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Government-owned newspaper "Daily News" reports on the visit to two IDP camps in Vavuniya of the Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare and Chairman of the Special Task Committee of the Northern Province Douglas Devananda. The Minister met with camp residents on March 16, when he pledged to locate missing persons and reunite people with their family members, and to permit those with disabilities to be housed in separate facilities. The minister pledged that residents of the camps in Vavuniya would receive firewood for cooking, and educational and writing material for schoolchildren. (Comment: Devananda's Eelam People's Democratic Party has negligible popular support, but also functions as a highly feared paramilitary force responsible for many human rights abuses.) Human Rights Commissioner Comments on Sri Lanka -------------- -- ¶6. (U) According to press accounts, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay discussed Sri Lankan issues during her meeting in Delhi with Government of India's External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on March 23. She noted to reporters that she has asked Colombo to allow human rights monitors to visit the country and assess the situation in the North; "I have asked the Sri Lanka government to allow human rights monitors there. I have not got any response." She commented further on Sri Lanka's military push to eradicate the LTTE: "Our view is that you can never succeed through military solution. The problem can be solved politically." Her comments came in the wake of reports that a 60-year old grandfather committed suicide by self-immolation in India's Tamil Nadu state on March 23 in protest over the situation of civilians trapped in the conflict zone, becoming the tenth such suicide among Tamils living in India. Reported Civilian Casualties -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Tamil sources from within the LTTE-controlled area report 102 civilians were killed and 140 injured on March 23. These sources report 139 arrivals into Government-controlled territory on March 23. (Note: Such reports from Tamil sources cannot be confirmed and are frequently exaggerated.) BLAKE