Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 53

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000418 SENSITIVE STATE FOR SCA (BOUCHER),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: PREF MOPS PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC CE SUBJECT: Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 53 Ref: A) Colombo 414 B) Colombo 413 C) Colombo 412 D) Colombo 411 E) Colombo 402 F) Colombo 401 G) Colombo 400 H) Colombo 396 I) Colombo 393 J) Colombo 384 K) Colombo 374 L) Colombo 368 M) Colombo 361 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Ambassador pressed Defense Secretary Rajapaksa to exercise restraint to ensure civilian casualties are minimized in the safe zone. Rajapaksa repeated the GSL offer of amnesty to all LTTE fighters, except LTTE leader Prabakharan and Intelligence Chief Pottu Amman. The government restarted operations at the close of the 48 hour ceasefire last night (April 14). Reports indicated heavy shelling and Tamil sources reported numerous casualties this morning. UNSYG CoS Nambiar arrives tonight (April 15) for meetings on April 16-17 to work to end the conflict in "orderly and peaceful way." ICRC evacuated 514 persons on April 14. WFP is planning a 1000MT food shipment to the safe zone on April 20. End summary. Ambassador Presses Defense Secretary to Exercise Restraint -------------- ¶2. (SBU) In a meeting with Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Ambassador pressed Rajapaksa to have the military exercise restraint and not enter the safe zone by force. The Defense Secretary again assured Ambassador that the military would not take the safe zone by force "ceasefire or no ceasefire." Rajapaksa did outline a strategy in which the Sri Lanka forces would attempt to take territory to get closer to the safe zone so that they could better broadcast messages to the civilian population urging them to flee. Rajapaksa indicated that the military was attempting to divide the safe zone in three parts but didn't specify how it would do so while maintaining his pledge not to enter the area forcibly. Rajapaksa stated that had the LTTE released some number of civilians the pressure would have been on the GSL to extend the 48 hour ceasefire. Because the LTTE continued operations against the GSL the ceasefire expired. Gotabhaya Repeats Amnesty Offer -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The Defense Secretary also repeated that the GSL would be willing to offer amnesty to all LTTE fighters, save Prabakharan and Intelligence Chief Pottu Amman. Ambassador asked whether this message had been widely communicated to LTTE fighters at the front. Rajapaksa said that such offers had been quiet and implied that Sinhalese nationalist parties (JHU, NFF and JVP) would react loudly if such offers were publicized too widely. Ambassador noted that without a more public effort to communicate the offer of amnesty, the effectiveness of such a move would be muted. Ambassador also raised potential USG assistance tracking Prabakharan if he manages to flee Sri Lanka. 48 Hour Ceasefire Ends; Shelling Begins -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Media and private reports confirmed that the military has recommenced operations following the end of the 48 hour ceasefire declared by President Rajapaksa on April 12 (Ref B). The UN reports that the shelling started around 9pm on April 14 (before the 48 hour period ended) and Tamil sources indicated hundreds of casualties by mid-day April 15. (Note: Such reports from Tamil sources cannot be confirmed and are frequently exaggerated.) Nambiar Visit -------------- ¶5. (SBU) UN ResRep Neil Buhne reported to Ambassador that UNSYG'S Chief of Staff Vijay Nambiar would arrive tonight (April 15) for meetings on April 16-17. Ambassador plans to meet Nambiar and Buhne on April 17. Buhne reported that Nambiar, a former deputy Indian National Security Advisor, comes to Colombo to explore ways on ending the conflict up north in an "orderly and peaceful way." ICRC Evacuates 514 -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed they evacuated 514 wounded and family members on April 14. Food Shipment Planned for April 20 -------------- ¶7. (SBU) The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that they will likely begin loading a cargo ship with approximately 1,000 MTs of mixed food commodities. WFP hopes to depart Trincomalee with the food on April 20. The GSL has yet to give clearance for medicine to be included in the shipment. Military Reports 239 Arrivals -------------- ¶8. (U) The military reports that 239 civilians including 96 children fled from LTTE-controlled territory on April 14. Sea Tiger Attack Thwarted -------------- ¶9. (U) The Navy reported they successfully stopped an LTTE sea infiltration bid off the coast of Mullaitivu this morning (April 15). According to the reports two LTTE suicide boats launched the attack. One boat was destroyed and one was captured. The Navy believes that at least 10 LTTE cadres were killed in the clash and the captured boat had been fitted with C4 explosives to carry out the suicide mission. BLAKE