Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 67

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000501

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 67

REF: A) Colombo 492 B) Colombo 484 C) Colombo 477 D) Colombo 470 E)
Colombo 469 F) Colombo 464 G) Colombo 459 H) Colombo 456 I) Colombo
454 J) Colombo 448 K) Colombo 435 and previous


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: On May 5, President Mahinda Rajapaksa invited UN
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to visit the country. The
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) expects the "Green
Ocean" ferry to depart Trincomalee on the evening of May 6 and
offload food in the conflict zone on May 7. UN Resident
Representative Neil Buhne wrote to Minister of Disaster Management
and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe to defend the use of
commercially-available satellite imagery to analyze humanitarian
needs. END SUMMARY.

PRESIDENT INVITES UN SYG
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2. (U) In a phone conversation on the night of May 5, President
Mahinda Rajapaksa invited UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to visit
Sri Lanka for the purpose of viewing the Government's response to
civilian outflow from the conflict zone. Rajapaksa said he welcomed
the opportunity for Ban to personally evaluate the accommodation and
treatment of internally-displaced civilians who have entered
Government-controlled territory in recent months.

ICRC FERRY DEPARTING TONIGHT
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3. (U) On May 5 Charge emphasized to President Rajapaksa and Special
Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa that ICRC boat runs to the safe
zone must continue to evacuate sick and wounded civilians and to
bring in critically needed food and medicine. On May 6, ICRC Acting
Head of Delegation Tony Dalziel reported to Charge that security
assurances had been received from the military and LTTE for the
"Green Ocean" to offload food and load evacuees on May 7. The issue
was discussed at a May 6 meeting of the National Security Council
and assurances were conveyed to Dalziel by the Chief of Defense
Staff. The "Green Ocean" was loaded on May 6 in Trincomalee with
approximately 30 metric tons of food and is expected to depart at
1800 local and arrive the morning of May 7. It is not yet known if
medicine has been loaded, which, if it happens, typically takes
place at the last minute. Dalziel told Charge at 1700 that the
landing point had subsequently been changed to a new location and
that heavy fighting was occurring at that location. Charge has
calls in to Basil Rajapaksa and Chief of Defense Staff Perera to
urge that forces hold fire to permit the landing. Dalziel expects
continued negotiations with military and LTTE commanders on the
ground to produce accommodation of the landing tomorrow. He
anticipates back-to-back landings of the "Green Ocean" on May 7, 8,
and 9. Civilians evacuated by ICRC will be offloaded in
Pulmoddai.

UN DEFENDS USE OF SATELLITE IMAGERY
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4. (U) UN Resident Representative Neil Buhne wrote to Minister of
Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe in defense
of the UN's use of satellite imagery. This correspondence follows

COLOMBO 00000501 002 OF 002


the unintended leak of the report on a UNOSAT website on April 28
and subsequent accusations from the Foreign Secretary that the UN is
"spying" on a member state. Buhne's letter to Samarasinghe
reportedly states that the UN shared both the imagery and UNOSAT
analysis with Sri Lankan Government officials prior to the
unintended leak of the report, including with the President's Chief
of Staff in March and with the Foreign Minister in April. Buhne
states that the images permitted the UN to estimate the number of
trapped civilians. Buhne asserts that his office did not approve
the report's public release.

GSL TELLS AGENCIES TO EXPECT ARRIVALS
--------------


5. (SBU) The Government's Competent Authority, Major General G.A.
Chandrasiri, has told relief organizations in Vavuniya to prepare
for an additional 50,000 to 75,000 internally-displaced persons
(IDPs) to arrive at the camps over the next four to five days.
(Note: President Rajapaksa and other senior GSL officials told
Charge and Co-Chair Ambassadors on May 5 that there are few or no
IDPs still in transit between Puthukkudiyiruppu and Omanthai;
therefore the Government is likely referring to expected outflow
from the conflict zone. This would call into serious question the
Government's own estimate of maximum 15,000 civilians still
trapped.) The number of IDPs residing in Jaffna and Pulmoddai
camps, who could potentially be transferred by the Government to
Vavuniya sites, is approximately 16,000. Any large influx of IDPs
to Vavuniya would strain the capacity of already overcrowded
displacement camps.

LTTE EARTH BERMS SLOW SLA
ADVANCE; NO NEW CIVILIAN ESCAPES
--------------


6. (SBU) According to Sri Lankan Army sources, 53 and 58 Divisions
advanced approximately 300 meters in the last 24 hours (May 5-6),
with the front lines about 800-900 meters south of the A35 junction.
The LTTE has reportedly ordered rationing of mortar and machine gun
ammunition, but when the LTTE uses them, the fires are heavy and
concentrated. Resistance is still tough. Army sources assess that
the LTTE could hold out another two weeks at most. The Sri Lankan
Army believes LTTE leadership including Prabhakaran is still in the
civilian "safe zone", though there has been no positive confirmation
of Prabhakaran's presence for some time. The Army believes that
LTTE leaders Pottu Amman and Soosai are definitely in the cease-fire
zone.


7. (SBU) Sri Lankan Navy sources say there has been a general lull
in Sea Tiger activity. No civilians have escaped by sea in recent
days. Sri Lankan Air Force source says civilians are still being
used to build a second LTTE ditch-cum-bund complex. These sources
say burning objects on the night of May 4-5 were shelters, which the
LTTE set on fire to force civilians to move south. No civilians
escaped by sea or land.

MOORE