Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 76

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000543

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 ECON
SUBJECT: Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 76

REF: A) Colombo 539 B) Colombo 535 C) Colombo 533 D) Colombo 529 E)
Colombo 522 F) Colombo 519 G) Colombo 514 H) Colombo 507 I) Colombo
501 J) Colombo 492 K) Colombo 484 and previous


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: President Rajapaksa gave a victory speech to
Parliament on the morning of May 19. While he discussed
redevelopment of the North and political reform in broad terms, the
speech was far from the olive branch to the Tamil people many had
hoped it would be. It was defensively belligerent toward the
international community. The Government released what it purported
to be evidence it had Prabhakaran's body, but doubts swirled about
the official account of his death. An LTTE spokesman claimed
Prabhakaran was still alive, but offered no details or evidence.
The military has essentially finished operations in the former
conflict zone. UN SYG Chief of Staff Nambiar was expected to visit
the zone, but weather delayed the flight until May 20. The ICRC
hoped to accompany him. The GSL denied a request by ICRC to assist
with wounded civilians and identify the dead. Suspected LTTE cadres
were being arrested before the checkpoint at Omanthai. The total
number of IDPs has now reached about 300,000, and there are
disagreements arising between GSL and the UN and other NGOs about
rules on access to camps. No solid information has emerged about
the number of casualties from the last several days of fighting.
"Spontaneous" victory celebrations in Colombo and elsewhere have
been largely peaceful, although some damage was caused at the
British High Commission during a protest there May 18. END
SUMMARY.

RAJAPAKSA'S SPEECH TO PARLIAMENT
--------------


2. (SBU) President Rajapaksa addressed the Sri Lankan Parliament the
morning of May 19. Although he began the speech with a short
statement in Tamil, the speech went on from there to strike a tone
that differed little from the nationalistic approach used by the GSL
over the last weeks of the war, and offering little in the way of a
reconciliatory message to the average Tamil citizen.


3. (SBU) The President said the Tamil community has been reduced to
its lowest ebb by the terrorism of the LTTE, and the Tamil Diaspora
which assisted the LTTE before must no longer do so. He said the
defeat of the LTTE is actually a victory for the Tamils, and that in
fact the Tamil people gained nothing from the LTTE's years of
violence. The President stated that military victory over the LTTE
was not the final victory for Sri Lanka, and that development was
the next step.


4. (SBU) President Rajapaksa acknowledged the recent high level of
scrutiny from the international community, but said Sri Lanka had
listened to others, but had not always done everything they asked.
He criticized foreign countries who called for better treatment of
Tamils, saying that in fact Sri Lanka had been caring for and
sustaining all of its people throughout the many years of LTTE
terrorism. He said Sri Lanka did not need the advice of others on
how to care for its own people, and would not be subject to foreign
"experiments" to solve internal political problems. He called on

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international actors to provide economic aid and cooperation without
any advice attached. He also invited expatriate Sri Lankans with
professional skills to return to help develop the country.


5. (SBU) The President went on to say the GSL was committed to
establishing democratic practices and finding political solutions.
He stated there are no more minorities in Sri Lanka, ethnic or
otherwise, only patriots, and then a few others who do not love
their country. He said this victory had been gained by the brave
troops who sacrificed their life and limb, and the country would not
let that be plundered or sacrificed. This victory was for those who
rally around the national flag.

PRABHAKARAN
--------------


6. (SBU) The Government released what they claimed to be photos of
Prabhakaran's body, and stated they had completed DNA testing which
confirmed the body was his. It was unclear what DNA samples they
were using to compare with the body. There is suspicion among
various sources in Colombo about the Government's account of
Prabhakaran's death, and the condition of the body shown on
television did not seem to follow the account that he had suffered
burns to his face during a final firefight. This does not mean he
is alive, but it may be difficult to pin down the facts surrounding
his reported death.


7. (SBU) S. Pathmanathan, also known as KP, the LTTE's International
Relations Chief, stated on TamilNet that Prabhakaran was safe and
alive, but offered no details of how he knew that. Paza Nedumaran,
a former Congress Party Indian MP now affiliated with a Tamil group
in the Tamil Nadu region of Southern India told the media he has
been in contact with Prabhakaran.

WRAP-UP OF CONFLICT
--------------


8. (SBU) Reports from military sources say all fighting in the
former conflict zone has essentially stopped. There are a handful
of LTTE cadres still remaining in the zone, but with no command and
control structure. The military reports no shots fired since
evening of May 18, and they were now patrolling the area with
loudspeakers telling any remaining LTTE to surrender. These
contacts said they would not be surprised at a revenge terrorist
attack by the LTTE somewhere, but had no specific information about
any such attack.

VIJAY NAMBIAR REMAINS IN SRI LANKA;
UN SECRETARY GENERAL ARRIVES MAY 22
--------------


9. (SBU) UN Chief of Staff UN Resident Representative Neil Buhne
reported to DCM that Vijay Nambiar, Chief of Staff to UN Secretary
General Ban Ki Moon, who was scheduled to depart Colombo the evening
of May 19, will now remain until the arrival of the Secretary
General on May 22 to focus on preparations. Nambiar's meetings with

COLOMBO 00000543 003 OF 004


senior GSL officials have focused on the need for inclusiveness and
reconciliation. The Secretary General will arrive the evening of
May 22 and depart the evening of May 23. He will meet with the
President and other senior officials and travel to the safe zone and
Vavuniya. As of now, an overflight of, but not a ground visit to,
the safe zone is planned. Co-Chair Ambassadors plus India will meet
with the Secretary General on May 23.

UN/ICRC FLIGHT TO SAFE ZONE
DELAYED BY WEATHER
--------------

10. (SBU) A military helicopter that was to take Nambiar, an ICRC
health specialist, and GSL officials on an overflight of the safe
zone, with a possible landing, as well as to Vavuniya, did not
depart Colombo on May 19 for weather reasons. The trip is scheduled
to take place May 20.

GSL DENIES ICRC OFFER TO
ASSIST WITH DEAD AND WOUNDED
--------------


11. (SBU) ICRC deputy Tony Dalziel (protect) told DCM that in the
last 36 hours 600-700 wounded civilians have come out of the safe
zone. Some have fresh wound dressings, indicating medical care by
the military somewhere en route. The ICRC believes that there are
still "hundreds" of wounded in the safe zone. ICRC head of party
Paul Castella (protect) reported to DCM that Defense Secretary
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa, and
field commanders have so far refused ICRC offers of assistance in
treating the wounded in the safe zone, insisting the military can
take care of them. Castella has also asked for ICRC access to the
safe zone to oversee the identification of the dead to facilitate
the notification of families. This too has been denied. DCM
attempted to reach the Defense Secretary and Senior Presidential
Advisor Basil Rajapaksa to urge support of both requests, but was
unable to reach them as of 16:00. Ambassador will raise these
points with both officials in his farewell calls on them tomorrow.

ARRESTS OF LTTE SURRENDEES
--------------


12. (SBU) ICRC reported that over the last 10 days, 1800 persons
have been arrested before Omanthai, and in the transit sites. These
are mainly LTTE surrendees, whose status is being determined. ICRC
expects 2000 additional arrests in the coming days.

300,000 TOTAL IDPS, CASUALTIES UNKNOWN
--------------

13. (SBU) The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) reported that the recent influx of IDPs brings the
total of IDPs who have moved from the former conflict zone into
GSL-controlled areas since late October 2007 to nearly 300,000 IDPs.
This figure includes between 76,000 to 96,000 IDPs who have crossed
over since May 14 and who are either still in transit or undergoing
screening and registration at Omanthai.


COLOMBO 00000543 004 OF 004



14. (SBU) OCHA reported that the GSL screened and processed an
estimated 36,000 IDPs over the weekend. According to OCHA, 25,000
of the 36,000 IDPs are moving to Zone 4 of Manik Farms camp site by
May 19. The GSL will move remaining IDPs to the other zones.


15. (SBU) As of May 19, the number of casualties from the final
several days of conflict remains uncertain due to lack of access to
the former conflict area, but a military contact said roughly one in
ten of the newly arriving IDPs seemed to have a bandage of some
sort.

UN SUSPENDS ACTIONS AS GOVERNMENT
RESTRICTS ACCESS
--------------


16. (SBU) As of the evening of May 18, the UN had suspended all aid
operations into the Manek Farm camps due to a dispute with GSL
officials over access rules. Food and water were still getting in
to the IDPs, but UN and NGO personnel were prevented from driving
their vehicles into the camps to oversee distribution and
conditions, and to distribute non-food aid. UN security rules
prevent personnel from walking in, and UN contacts were hoping to
resolve the issue prior to the UN Secretary General's arrival on May

22.

CELEBRATIONS LARGELY PEACEFUL...
--------------


17. (SBU) Spontaneous celebrations have occurred sporadically in
and around Colombo since the morning of May 18, but RSO contacts
have reported very little violence associated with these gatherings,
apart from a few instances of firecrackers thrown at Tamil homes or
businesses. Contacts report a sense of apprehension among many
Tamils in Colombo and in the Southern regions of the country, but
police in these areas have reportedly heightened security to better
respond to any violence that might occur.

...BUT VIOLENT PROTESTS AT UK MISSION
--------------

18. (SBU) Violent protests took place outside the British High
Commission in Colombo on May 18th, just as news was coming in of the
last day of major fighting in the North. Estimates of several
hundred to 2,000 protesters gathered outside the UK's diplomatic
compound, burning posters, spray-painting anti-UK messages on the
compound walls, and throwing eggs and rocks into the compound,
breaking several windows. An effigy of British Foreign Secretary
David Miliband was burned and then tossed over the compound wall.
Media reports stated the JVP, a Sinhalese nationalist party allied
with the government, had organized the protest. Contacts within the
High Commission said extra police did not arrive on the scene until
40 minutes after the protest began. Foreign Secretary Kohona
reportedly stated that the government would not intervene, saying
"This is a criminal activity. It is not the responsibility of the
government to interfere in this situation."

BLAKE