Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 55

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000432 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 55 Ref: A) Colombo 425 B) Colombo 418 C) Colombo 414 D) Colombo 413 E) Colombo 412 F) Colombo 411 G) Colombo 402 H) Colombo 401 I) Colombo 400 J) Colombo 396 K) Colombo 393 L) Colombo 384 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The visit of the UN Secretary General's Chief of Staff Vijay Nambiar brought limited progress, with some prospect of a working-level UN mission to try to negotiate the release of greater numbers of civilians from the LTTE-controlled "safe zone." The UN resident coordinator in Colombo reported that secretary general Ban Ki-Moon had discussed Sri Lanka on April 16 with both the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Solana and US Perm Rep Susan Rice. A priest who had been serving the population in the LTTE-control area until two weeks ago briefed us on conditions in the safe zone. He noted that nearly all the civilians in the LTTE-controlled area would leave if they could. He said the LTTE had pushed back an attempt by the Army to penetrate into the safe zone and split it. Over 1000 MT of food are being loaded onto a WFP ship bound for the safe zone, but it uncertain whether the military will give permission for medical supplies to be included. The ICRC evacuated 462 wounded on April 17; 400 additional wounded are waiting to be evacuated. UNHCR reports 63,386 IDPs in camps in Vavuniya, Mannar and Jaffna. A delegation of the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance held meetings in Delhi and urged the Indians to pressure the government to cease military operations. End summary. NAMBIAR VISIT BRINGS LIMITED PROGRESS -------------- ¶2. (SBU) UNSYG Chief of Staff Nambiar reported to Co-Chair Ambassadors limited progress with senior Sri Lankan officials on obtaining a lengthier cease fire and time for diplomacy to persuade the LTTE to lay down arms and let civilians go. The President and his brother, Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa, opposed any longer pause on the grounds it would only help the LTTE regroup, forcibly recruit more civilians, and train them to fight the Sri Lankan military. Foreign Ministry officials took a somewhat more nuanced position, holding open the possibility of a UN working-level mission to the safety zone to try to negotiate the release of more civilians via a seaborne evacuation. Embassy will report details on the two meetings septel. ¶3. (SBU) UN resident coordinator Neil Buhne told us that Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon had written to President Rajapaksa asking that the pause be extended. Ban met EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Javier Solana and U.S. PermRep Susan Rice separately on April 16, Buhne noted. Sri Lanka had figured in both meetings, but was not the focus. Buhne added that UN Rapporteur for the Human Rights of Displaced Persons Walter Kaelin had drafted proposals on appropriate treatment of the IDs which he will communicate to the GSL very soon, including points on protection issues and camp conditions. Buhne had not yet seen the proposals. ¶4. (SBU) Buhne informed us that at least 1000 MT of food were being loaded today to go to the safe zone. The intention was that the ship would also carry medical supplies, but it was not yet certain that the Sri Lankan Defense Ministry would grant approval. The ICRC reported that it evacuated 462 wounded on April 17; 400 additional wounded are waiting to be evacuated. Conditions in Safe Zone -------------- ¶5. (SBU) A priest who departed the "safe zone" a couple of weeks ago, and who is in daily contact with his colleagues still there, briefed us on current conditions inside the LTTE-held area. His contacts reported heavy small arms fire in the zone during the 2-day cease fire on April 13-14. The priest also reported the SLA had attempted to push into and split the safe zone on the morning of April 16 (Ref A) but that the LTTE repelled the attack. ¶6. (SBU) The priest explained that with only three villages left under LTTE control, it is now much more difficult for civilians to evade detection by the LTTE when attempting to escape than it was just a few weeks ago. Civilians are largely staying in bunkers at this point, because there is a high danger of being shot by either the LTTE or the SLA if they try to cross over the lines, and high danger of being forcibly recruited by the LTTE if they emerge for any other reason. Sources are now having difficulty getting out among the population and gathering quality information, including precise numbers of killed and wounded civilians. ¶7. (SBU) According to the priest, the residents of the safe zone believe the last big battle will take place there, with the LTTE mixed in with the civilian population. The priest reported that in the last 3-4 months the LTTE have been much harder on the civilians under their control, and with the result that the civilians had now turned against the LTTE. All the civilians in the zone want to get out, according to the priest, but they know there are no escape routes open to them. Multiple sources have confirmed that the LTTE decides which wounded are evacuated, after doctors make their recommendations on who needs the most urgent medical attention. 63,386 IDPs in Government Custody -------------- ¶8. (SBU) UNHCR reports that 63,386 individuals have left LTTE-controlled territory since October 27, 2008 and are being held in IDP camps. The vast majority (57,518) are in 17 different camps in Vavuniya district, with most of the balance in Jaffna district. An additional 1,500 individuals who have left LTTE-territory are undergoing treatment in hospitals in the North and the East. TNA in Delhi -------------- ¶9. (U) R. Sampanthan, the leader of the pro-LTTE Tamil National Alliance (TNA) led a delegation of four TNA MPs to Delhi for meetings April 16-17 with Indian National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon. A member of the delegation, MP Premachandran, stated: "We told the Indian government that the military operations (in Sri Lanka) must be stopped." Explaining what the TNA expected from New Delhi, he added, "India must tell Sri Lanka that if it cannot protect civilians, then it (India) will have a responsibility to do so." INDIAN EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTRY ISSUES STATEMENT -------------- -------------- ¶10. (U) The Indian High Commission made us aware of the following statement issued in New Delhi by the External Affairs Ministry. (Comment: in tone and substance, much tougher than the comparatively rare statements on the Sri Lankan situation we have seen before. End comment.) [begin text] India is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka. The continuing conflict has taken a heavy toll on Tamil civilians and internally displaced persons caught in the cross fire. The Government of India has repeatedly expressed its concern for their security and sought to ensure safe passage to secure zones for the civilian population. We had welcomed the announcement by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse of a cessation of hostilities for the Tamil and Sinhala New Year over the last two days. The Government of Sri Lanka must extend this pause in hostilities to prevent further casualties and enable trapped civilians to leave the area to secure locations. Continuation of precipitate military actions leading to further civilian casualties at this time would be totally unacceptable. While it is incumbent on the LTTE to release all civilians and IDPs under their control, the Government of Sri Lanka cannot be oblivious to the evolving human tragedy and the fate of the Tamil civilian population caught up in the so-called No Fire Zone. There is no reason not to continue with the pause in military actions in the NFZ. The Government of India have extended humanitarian assistance, including medicines, food and other supplies, to the civilian population trapped in the conflict zone. A 62-member emergency medical unit from India has treated more than 1500 serious medical cases among civilians in Pulmoddai in Sri Lanka. We will soon send another consignment of 40,000 family packs to the affected civilians in Northern Sri Lanka. The Government of India expects the Government of Sri Lanka and others concerned to respond positively to this appeal in the interest of the Tamils who are citizens of Sri Lanka. [end text] Civilian Casualties -------------- ¶11. (U) The pro-LTTE TamilNet website reported 57 civilians killed and 300 wounded in April 16 fighting. The website also reported 600 of the 1,500 shells fired by the SLA hit the GSL-designated safe zone on April 16. (Note: Such reports from TamilNet cannot be confirmed and are frequently exaggerated.) BLAKE