Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 63

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000470

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

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 63

REF: A) Colombo 469 B) Colombo 464 C) Colombo 459 D) Colombo 456 E)
Colombo 454 F) Colombo 448 G) Colombo 435 H) Colombo 432 I) Colombo
425 J) Colombo 418 K) Colombo 414 and previous


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Despite the Government's April 27 promise to end
use of heavy weapons in the conflict, post continues to receive
reports from multiple reliable Embassy sources with access to
first-hand information of firing causing civilian deaths and
injuries in the Government-designated "safe zone." Some indicated
that since April 28 much of this may have been "indirect fire" from
battlefield mortars, which would be consistent with President
Rajapaksa's April 27 announcement, but would still cause numerous
casualties if used in proximity to civilian concentrations. Charge
expressed grave concern in an April 29 meeting with Presidential
Advisor Basil Rajapaksa. The British Foreign Minister and French
Foreign Secretary arrived in Sri Lanka on April 29 and will travel
to IDP sites in Vavuniya. The UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports over 160,000 civilians are now
in camps in Government-controlled territory. END SUMMARY.

"END TO COMBAT OPERATIONS"?
--------------


2. (SBU) While the Government of Sri Lanka declared the end of major
combat operations on April 27, reports of firing into the
Government-declared "safe zone" have continued. The International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),which has local staff within the
conflict zone, confirmed ongoing "intense combat," causing numerous
civilian casualties with shrapnel wounds from mortar fire.
According to one source, some of the mortars may have been fired
from offshore boats. The ICRC boat which evacuated some of the
injured on April 28 observed some of the firing directly. (ICRC
abides by a policy of neutrality under which they cannot comment on
the source of fire.) Post is still seeking confirmation of one
report of an aerial bombing in the "safe zone" on April 28.

CHARGE EXPRESSES CONCERN
--------------

3. (SBU) Charge met with Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa on
April 29 to discuss a range of issues. Charge noted grave concern
at the multiple reliable reports of continued shelling and again
urged the Government to adhere to its April 27 promise. Rajapaksa,
who had just returned to the Island hours earlier from the United
States, asserted that no aerial bombing was being conducted and
agreed that civilian casualties must be avoided.

ARRIVAL OF BRITISH AND FRENCH DELEGATION
--------------


4. (SBU) British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and French Foreign
Minister Bernard Kouchner arrived in Sri Lanka on April 29 for a
one-day visit. They were scheduled to meet with the President,
government officials, opposition leaders, and the UN and visit IDP
transit sites in Vavuniya. They were flown to Embilipitiya in the
South to meet with the President. Post will provide a readout of
the visit tomorrow.


5. (U) Local and international press closely covered the

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Government's decision not to grant a visa to Swedish Foreign
Minister Carl Bildt, who intended to join the British and French
delegation. Sri Lankan Government officials cite the strain on
resources caused by multiple high-level visitors to sites in the
North, and insist he was not actually denied a visa, just asked to
postpone the trip to a more convenient time. BBC and other press
outlets played coverage of Bildt exiting an EU Foreign Ministers'
meeting in Luxembourg and commenting on the Sri Lankan Government's
"exceedingly strange behavior."

UPDATE ON HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES
--------------


6. (U) According the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA),161,765 persons have crossed into
Government-controlled territory since late October, including over
1,900 still receiving treatment in hospitals. UNICEF reports the
Government has just released water bowsers and pipes held by
authorities at the Medawachchiya checkpoint. (Note: All aid
materials destined for the Vavuniya IDP camps must pass through this
Government checkpoint. End note.)

RETURNS TO BEGIN IN THE NORTH
--------------


7. (SBU) Press accounts report the first returns of internally
displaced persons (IDPs) to their home villages in the Northern
Province will begin on April 30. Basil Rajapaksa told Charge that
an initial 125 displaced families will be returned in the Musalli
area of Mannar District on April 30 and another 600 families will
follow on May 2. The Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) notes that
returns to this area were delayed by the need for demining efforts.
(Comment: Most of the villages were eventually found to have no mine
contamination, but there were repeated delays in getting MoD
clearance for the mine surveys to be done. Nevertheless, these
returns are a small but welcome step forward. UNHCR separately
reported that several thousand civilians recently trapped in the
conflict zone in Mullaitivu were originally displaced from Mannar
Province over a year ago and successively pushed northward by
combat. End comment.)

PROTESTS AT US, UK EMBASSIES
--------------


8. (SBU) Two groups of pro-Government Buddhist monks attempted to
protest in front of the U.S. Embassy and British High Commission on
April 29. Sri Lankan authorities blocked the U.S. Embassy-bound
group approximately two blocks away, and permitted several leaders
to continue on to the Embassy compound to deliver a petition. The
letter, addressed to President Obama from a small nationalist group
allied with the extremist JHU party and the National Patriotic
Movement (NPM),decries abuses perpetrated by the LTTE and protests
the international community's interference in Sri Lanka's internal
affairs. According to RSO sources, some of the monks were actually
prominent businessmen anxious to show their support for the
President's positions. The demonstration in front of the UK High
Commission was much longer and persisted into the afternoon.


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9. (SBU) Separately, "wanted" posters have appeared in Colombo
depicting photos of British Foreign Minister Miliband, Secretary of
State Clinton, and Norwegian International Development Minister Eric
Sondheim. The posters accuse the three of aiding and abetting the
LTTE.


MOORE