Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 66

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000492 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 66 REF: A) Colombo 484 B) Colombo 477 C) Colombo 470 D) Colombo 469 E) Colombo 464 F) Colombo 459 G) Colombo 456 H) Colombo 454 I) Colombo 448 J) Colombo 435 K) Colombo 432 and previous ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Charge attended a meeting of Co-Chair Ambassadors with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 5. The UN appealed for 50 million USD in urgent humanitarian needs. The Sri Lankan Army advanced further south within the Government-designated safe zone. ICRC reports delay in food shipments to the conflict zone and medical evacuations, pending security assurances for the Green Ocean ferry to sail. OCHA reports 188,445 people have crossed into Government-controlled areas since late October. END SUMMARY. CO-CHAIRS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Co-Chair Ambassadors were invited to meet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 5. Charge participated, and in a pull-aside meeting, delivered satellite images and points emailed by the Department. Embassy will report septel on both meetings. UN, GOVERNMENT ASKS FOR URGENT HELP -------------- ¶3. (U) On May 4 the USAID Mission Director attended a meeting in Colombo at which the UN presented an Emergency Priorities document to donors and the humanitarian community. The UN seeks 50 million USD to cover urgent humanitarian needs for up to 250,000 people over the next three months. The USG is the largest contributor to the 2009 UN Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP - of which the 50 million USD request is a part) thus far. Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinge presented the document along with the United Nations, taking the opportunity to highlight Government contributions, ask for further funding (including bilateral) and remonstrate the humanitarian community for not meeting international standards. Donors posed questions about visas for NGO staff, access for themselves, greater freedom of movement, returns, and what plans there were to assist those still inside the conflict zone. USAID Mission Director inquired about non-camp options and better screening mechanisms. Samarasinghe agreed with the principle of upholding freedom of movement but reminded of the need to be cautious. The Government has thus far released 1,800 elderly; Samarasinghe promised gradual improvement in freedom of movement as identification cards are issued and the Government undertakes screening. ARMY ADVANCES FURTHER -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Sri Lankan army source reports that elements of the 53 Division have entered the Government-designated "safe zone." 53 Division is advancing south on an axis west of the A35 road and east of the Nanthi Kadal Lagoon, while 58 Division is moving south on an axis east of the A35 and west of the coast. The Army advanced approximately 300 meters south of Iranamullivaikal last night, May ¶4. Source said that it has become clear that civilians in the so-called "safe zone" will not be able to flee the LTTE until the Army creates an avenue of escape. Regarding a May 1 article in the COLOMBO 00000492 002 OF 003 Daily Mirror about the possibility that Prabakharan and senior LTTE leaders may escape security forces by exfiltrating via the Nanthi Kadal lagoon, source said Task 4 and 59 Division are tasked with preventing that from happening. CANADIAN, BRITISH DELEGATIONS -------------- ¶5. (U) Canadian International Cooperation Minister Beverly Oda arrived in Sri Lanka and announced on May 4 a 3 million Canadian dollar pledge to support internally-displaced persons in the North. She urged both sides of the conflict to reach a ceasefire out of concern for the trpped civilians. ¶6. (U) The British delegationled by MP and former Defense Secretary Des Brown met with NGOs and UN agencies on May 4, and condcted a roundtable with the press. The five Parliamentarians met with the President and Foreign Minister and visited IDP camps in Vavuniya on May 5. ICRC FERRY DELAYED DUE TO LACK OF SECURITY GUARANTEES -------------- ¶7. (SBU) ICRC reports that they had not yet received security assurances for the Green Ocean ferry to return to the safe zone this week. There have been no trips to deliver food or evacuated wounded and sick civilians this week. ICRC reports that the next opportunity will be tomorrow, May 6 at the earliest. ICRC expects to deliver 30 tons of food, the maximum capacity for the Green Ocean. Medical supplies may be provided by the Government for this shipment, but ICRC will not know specifics until it is approved and loaded onto the ferry. Charge stressed during today's Co-Chair meeting with the President and key advisors, including Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa and Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, that supplies of food and medicine are critically low in the safe zone. They responded that the LTTE, not the Navy or the Government, are at fault for the ICRC's failure to obtain satisfactory security guarantees. UPDATE ON HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES -------------- ¶8. (U) OCHA reports the total number of persons who have crossed into Government-controlled territory since late October has reached 188,445. OCHA attributes the increase in recent days not to a new outflow but to improved registration underway in the camps. ¶9. (SBU) Despite an earlier report that the Government was considering decongesting Vavuniya IDP sites by transferring tens of thousands of civilians to Jaffna and Pulmoddai IDP camps, the Ministry of Defense has reportedly reconsidered. The UN was supportive of a move to ease overcrowding in Vavuniya sites. The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) received a report on May 4 that the Ministry of Defense may not support the transfer plan. ¶10. (SBU) Post received no new reports of shelling within the safe zone on May 4. A Tamil website claimed 12 civilians died of COLOMBO 00000492 003 OF 003 starvation in the conflict zone (These reports cannot be confirmed and are frequently exaggerated.) MOORE