Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 60

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000459

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 60

REF: A) Colombo 456 B) Colombo 454 C) Colombo 448 D) Colombo 435
E) Colombo 432 F) Colombo 425 G) Colombo 418 H) Colombo 414 I)
Colombo 413 J) Colombo 412 K) Colombo 411 L) Colombo 402 and
previous


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Charge called the Foreign Minister to support the
UN Secretary General's request to allow a working-level UN team
access into the "no-fire zone" (NFZ) to negotiate an LTTE surrender.
The Minister was non-committal. The Sri Lankan military pressed on
in its pursuit of remaining LTTE fighters in the NFZ, stating it
expected to complete the operation within several days or maximum
1-2 weeks. Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and National
Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan arrived in Colombo to discuss the
situation with the GSL, after a strong statement from Indian Foreign
Minister Mukherjee calling for an immediate halt to all hostilities.
The ICRC continued its sea evacuations of wounded civilians and
family members from NFZ on April 24. The ICRC plans the next
medevac for April 27. The WFP food shipment has still not gone in
because of concerns about security. An unofficial UN document
estimating about 6,500 killed and 14,000 wounded in the NFZ from
January 20 - April 20 was leaked to the Associated Press. The UN
told us the population of IDP camps would soon reach 225,000 IDPs,
far outstripping capacity. End summary.

FM BOGOLLAGAMA/CHARGE
--------------


2. (SBU) Charge called Foreign Minister Bogollagama April 24 to
convey strong Co-Chair interest in working with the GSL to obtain an
LTTE surrender through laying down arms to a third party (UN or
ICRC),amnesty for cadres, and custody with international monitoring
of the remaining LTTE leadership. Bogollagama was non-committal,
saying that the GSL is looking at these options. Charge reiterated
support for a UN mission into the safe zone to talk to the LTTE
leadership about surrender, as discussed during the recent visit of
UNSYG Chief of Staff Nambiar. Bogollagama said the government was
considering this possibility and the logistics that would be
required, such as the team going in and out on an ICRC-flagged ship,
but again was non-committal. He said the GSL wanted to see what the
visit of Indian National Security Adviser Narayanan and Foreign
Secretary Menon, in Colombo April 24, produced.


3. (SBU) Charge noted U.S. commitment to continuing to offer
humanitarian aid and our willingness to consider providing medical
assistance for IDPs coming out of the safe zone. He reminded
Bogollagama of the Embassy's April 2 letter requesting that the GSL
put its requirements for medical assistance in writing and confirm
that the request had the support of President Rajapaksa.
Bogollagama said that whereas the GSL was initially interested in an
addition to the hospital at Padawiya, the current priority, given
tremendous short-term demands, was a field hospital. Charge
suggested that mobile medical teams might be another way to meet
current needs rapidly. Bogollagama undertook to provide a written
request for U.S. medical assistance promptly.

INDIA SENDS HIGH LEVEL PAIR TO COLOMBO
--------------


4. (SBU) Following the release of a strong statement from Foreign

Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the Indian Government sent Foreign
Secretary Shivshankar Menon and National Security Advisor M. K.
Narayanan to Colombo on April 24 for talks with GSL, presumably
including the President. The statement by the Indian Foreign
Minister, released on April 23, was as follows:


5. (SBU) "The Government of India has been monitoring with deep
concern and anxiety the evolving situation in Sri Lanka, in
particular the conditions of the Tamil civilians in the conflict
zones. We understand that over 100,000 civilians have emerged from
the No Fire Zone into areas under Government control in the past
three days but the lives of several thousands of innocent civilians
remain threatened. We are very unhappy at the continued killing in
Sri Lanka. All killing must stop. There must be an immediate
cessation of all hostilities."


6. (SBU) The Canadian High Commission told us that Foreign Minister
Cannon had called Foreign Minister Bogollagama on April 23 to
express concern about the humanitarian situation. The EU delegation
reported that EU External Relations Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner's
conversation with Bogollagama following the Co-Chairs conference
call had been tough.

ICRC CONTINUES MEDICAL EVAC BY SEA
--------------


7. (SBU) ICRC's medical evacuation ferry, the Green Ocean, was back
at the loading point in the NFZ the morning of April 24. 530
wounded and family members were evacuated by this ferry on April 23,
and the April 24 trip was expected to evacuate approximately 500
more, with the next trip planned for April 27. The logistics and
security arrangements for these three most recent medical
evacuations had proven most difficult, the ICRC reported, and it had
recommended against sending in the WFP food supply ship, which is
much larger and therefore harder to secure. As a result, the food
shipment continues to wait at Trincomalee. As of April 23, the
Government Agent of Mullaitivu was still in the NFZ assisting with
the logistics of the evacuations and prior food shipments. (The
April 23 SitRep reported he was allegedly trying to leave the NFZ.)
The last shipment of medicines into the NFZ was on April 8, leaving
a critical shortage.

MILITARY EXPECTS END SOON
--------------


8. (SBU) Sri Lankan military sources told Defense Attache they
expected to complete operations within a few days, or at most a week
or two. They estimated 10,000 to 15,000 ciilians were still held
by the LTTE in the NFZ. (Note: UN estimates are much higher.) The
sources said they did not foresee a significant US military role in
humanitarian assistance.


9. (SBU) Contacts in the military said they estimated that 300-400
hardcore LTTE and Sea Tigers remained inside the NFZ, including LTTE
police and political operatives, and that an additional 700 recent
forced recruits also remained. The LTTE controlled about 10 square
kilometers. SLA forces were moving south from Putumattalan, and
they estimated about 20,000 civilians remaining in the NFZ.
(Comment: The Sri Lankan military has consistently tended to

underestimate remaining LTTE forces.)

STATUS OF POSSIBLE UN TEAM GOING TO NFZ
--------------


10. (SBU) UN Resident Coordinator Buhne reported to Charge the
results of his meeting with Foreign Minister Bogollagama on April

23. Buhne pressed the written request for a UN security assessment
team to enter the NFZ to prepare for a possible working-level
mission to negotiate an LTTE surrender. Bogollagama replied "they
could go in tomorrow." Buhne pointed out there would need to be a
brief hiatus in the firing for that to take place; Bogollagama said
he could not comment on that.


11. (SBU) Buhne told Charge that, contrary to press reports, there
was no UN team en route to the NFZ; If an initial working-level
mission goes in, the team would consist of Colombo-based UN security
officers. However, he noted no indications that the GSL was
preparing to accommodate even the security assessment mission at
this time.

AP CITES PRIVATE UN CASUALTY REPORT
--------------


12. (SBU) AP broke a story citing the private UN casualty estimates
reported in April 23 SitRep (from January 20 to April 20, 6,432
killed in the fighting, mostly civilians, and another 13,946
wounded.) Embassy considers these the most reliable figures
available, but believes it important that USG sources not confirm
them since they are UN numbers.

EVACUATED IDP SITUATION NEAR OVERWHELMING
--------------


13. (SBU) UNHCR reported they expected a total caseload in camps of
225,000 IDPs. As of the morning of April 24, there were
approximately 115,000 IDPs housed in camps, with an additional
108,000 recent escapees from the NFZ en route and expected to reach
camps soon. This would not include tens of thousands of civilians
still remaining inside the NFZ.


14. (SBU) Various sources reported GSL was struggling to keep up
with the influx, both in initial processing and in providing
shelter, food, water, clothing and medical care. USAID Mission
Country Director and OFDA Representative visiting the primary site
at Manik Farm on April 24 reported many busloads of new arrivals
there. Tents had been erected for shelter, but very few food
supplies were available, with no specific provisions for children or
infants. Clothing was also scarce and water supplies were not yet
sufficient.

MOORE