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