Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09COLOMBO893
2009-09-18 11:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Colombo
Cable title:
PRESIDENT BEWILDERED, FRUSTRATED WITH U.S. SRI
how-toVZCZCXRO8974 OO RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHLM #0893/01 2611114 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 181114Z SEP 09 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0539 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 1905 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 8934 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 7172 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 5129 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3311 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 5085 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 1362 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 0620 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 4195 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 9499 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 6800 RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 1291 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3736 RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000893
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT BEWILDERED, FRUSTRATED WITH U.S. SRI
LANKA POLICY
COLOMBO 00000893 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: AMBASSADOR PATRICIA BUTENIS. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000893
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT BEWILDERED, FRUSTRATED WITH U.S. SRI
LANKA POLICY
COLOMBO 00000893 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: AMBASSADOR PATRICIA BUTENIS. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D).
1. (C) SUMMARY: In a private meeting following ambassador's
credentialing ceremony, President Rajapaksa expressed
bewilderment and frustration at U.S. policy for encouraging
him to fight terrorism and then criticizing him when he did.
Rajapaksa claimed that 70 percent of the IDPs locked in camps
would be returned by the end of January and complained that
the UN was at fault for the poor condition of IDP camps now
because they had refused to build the kind of permanent
structures the GSL originally wanted. Ambassador underscored
the value of the larger bilateral relationship and its great
potential for expansion but stressed that the IDP issue will
not go away and needs to be resolved. END SUMMARY.
AMBASSADOR CREDENTIALED
--------------
2. (C) On September 17, Ambassador Patricia Butenis presented
her credentials to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in
a ceremony with six other ambassadors. Foreign Minister (FM)
Bogollagama made the point that ambassador had been
credentialed very quickly after her arrival in country,
hinting that this signaled the importance the GSL placed on
the relationship with the U.S. and their desire to get it
back on track. After the ceremony, the U.S. and Egyptian
ambassadors were asked to stay behind for private meetings.
Following a few minutes with the Egyptian, President
Rajapaksa invited ambassador to speak with him, the FM, and
Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga
PRESIDENT: TERROR FIGHT CONTINUES
--------------
3. (C) Expressing a combination of bewilderment and
frustration, the president pointed out that while President
Bush personally had encouraged him to pursue defeat of the
LTTE, we were now criticizing Sri Lanka for the conduct of
its fight against terrorism. The president raised the issue
of the war crimes report, which is being prepared by
Department. Ambassador explained the origins of the report
as congressionally mandated, noted that Assistant Secretary
Blake had discussed the report with FM Bogollagama and with
the Sri Lankan ambassador in Washington, and informed the
president that its release to Congress had been delayed by a
month. On the question of freedom of movement for IDPs, the
president held to his standard paternalistic line that the
GSL could not release them from the camps until de-mining was
finished and infrastructure was restored. He promised that
70 percent of the IDPs would be returned by the end of
January. Asked to clarify whether they would be allowed to
return to their own homes or resettled in new closed camps,
FM Bogollagama interjected that they would go to their own
homes.
4. (C) Turning to the NGOs engaged in relief efforts, the
president said that after the 2004 tsunami, 3,000 NGOs came
to Sri Lanka, but some of them began working with the LTTE.
Nevertheless, the GSL was now allowing over 50 NGOs to work
in the IDP camps along with the UN. Rajapaksa then
criticized the UN for -- against GSL advice -- building poor
temporary shelters for the IDPs, who were now suffering.
(NOTE: This is a standard GSL criticism. In fact, the UN
from the start had warned the GSL of the dangers of flooding
in the camps and had refused to build the permanent
structures to house IDPs that the GSL wanted because the UN
did not want to assist in building internment camps. END
NOTE.) Finally, the president said that the GSL's fight
against terrorism was not over and that extremist networks
continued working abroad and even now had no problem raising
COLOMBO 00000893 002.2 OF 002
money. He noted that Tamil activist Rudrakumaran was still
in the U.S. and claimed he was still working to support the
LTTE. On the rest of the Tamil diaspora, the president
complained that while they were quick with their criticisms
of the GSL, most of them had not set foot in Sri Lanka in
years.
5. (C) Ambassador underscored the value of the larger
bilateral relationship and noted the great potential that
existed for expanding our cooperation in many areas. She
stressed, however, that the IDP issue had to be resolved and
that until it was, U.S.-Sri Lankan relations would be
affected.
COMMENT
--------------
6. (C) President Rajapaksa had little new to say on GSL
policies, but his initial meeting with ambassador was
cordial. The FM and others said several times that the speed
of the scheduling of ambassador's credentialing was meant as
a signal of the GSL's desire to put the bilateral
relationship on a new footing. There is, indeed, great
potential for expanding and improving the relationship, but
as ambassador noted to the president, lack of movement by the
GSL on IDP freedom of movement and other issues could
seriously hamper progress.
BUTENIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT BEWILDERED, FRUSTRATED WITH U.S. SRI
LANKA POLICY
COLOMBO 00000893 001.2 OF 002
Classified By: AMBASSADOR PATRICIA BUTENIS. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D).
1. (C) SUMMARY: In a private meeting following ambassador's
credentialing ceremony, President Rajapaksa expressed
bewilderment and frustration at U.S. policy for encouraging
him to fight terrorism and then criticizing him when he did.
Rajapaksa claimed that 70 percent of the IDPs locked in camps
would be returned by the end of January and complained that
the UN was at fault for the poor condition of IDP camps now
because they had refused to build the kind of permanent
structures the GSL originally wanted. Ambassador underscored
the value of the larger bilateral relationship and its great
potential for expansion but stressed that the IDP issue will
not go away and needs to be resolved. END SUMMARY.
AMBASSADOR CREDENTIALED
--------------
2. (C) On September 17, Ambassador Patricia Butenis presented
her credentials to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in
a ceremony with six other ambassadors. Foreign Minister (FM)
Bogollagama made the point that ambassador had been
credentialed very quickly after her arrival in country,
hinting that this signaled the importance the GSL placed on
the relationship with the U.S. and their desire to get it
back on track. After the ceremony, the U.S. and Egyptian
ambassadors were asked to stay behind for private meetings.
Following a few minutes with the Egyptian, President
Rajapaksa invited ambassador to speak with him, the FM, and
Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga
PRESIDENT: TERROR FIGHT CONTINUES
--------------
3. (C) Expressing a combination of bewilderment and
frustration, the president pointed out that while President
Bush personally had encouraged him to pursue defeat of the
LTTE, we were now criticizing Sri Lanka for the conduct of
its fight against terrorism. The president raised the issue
of the war crimes report, which is being prepared by
Department. Ambassador explained the origins of the report
as congressionally mandated, noted that Assistant Secretary
Blake had discussed the report with FM Bogollagama and with
the Sri Lankan ambassador in Washington, and informed the
president that its release to Congress had been delayed by a
month. On the question of freedom of movement for IDPs, the
president held to his standard paternalistic line that the
GSL could not release them from the camps until de-mining was
finished and infrastructure was restored. He promised that
70 percent of the IDPs would be returned by the end of
January. Asked to clarify whether they would be allowed to
return to their own homes or resettled in new closed camps,
FM Bogollagama interjected that they would go to their own
homes.
4. (C) Turning to the NGOs engaged in relief efforts, the
president said that after the 2004 tsunami, 3,000 NGOs came
to Sri Lanka, but some of them began working with the LTTE.
Nevertheless, the GSL was now allowing over 50 NGOs to work
in the IDP camps along with the UN. Rajapaksa then
criticized the UN for -- against GSL advice -- building poor
temporary shelters for the IDPs, who were now suffering.
(NOTE: This is a standard GSL criticism. In fact, the UN
from the start had warned the GSL of the dangers of flooding
in the camps and had refused to build the permanent
structures to house IDPs that the GSL wanted because the UN
did not want to assist in building internment camps. END
NOTE.) Finally, the president said that the GSL's fight
against terrorism was not over and that extremist networks
continued working abroad and even now had no problem raising
COLOMBO 00000893 002.2 OF 002
money. He noted that Tamil activist Rudrakumaran was still
in the U.S. and claimed he was still working to support the
LTTE. On the rest of the Tamil diaspora, the president
complained that while they were quick with their criticisms
of the GSL, most of them had not set foot in Sri Lanka in
years.
5. (C) Ambassador underscored the value of the larger
bilateral relationship and noted the great potential that
existed for expanding our cooperation in many areas. She
stressed, however, that the IDP issue had to be resolved and
that until it was, U.S.-Sri Lankan relations would be
affected.
COMMENT
--------------
6. (C) President Rajapaksa had little new to say on GSL
policies, but his initial meeting with ambassador was
cordial. The FM and others said several times that the speed
of the scheduling of ambassador's credentialing was meant as
a signal of the GSL's desire to put the bilateral
relationship on a new footing. There is, indeed, great
potential for expanding and improving the relationship, but
as ambassador noted to the president, lack of movement by the
GSL on IDP freedom of movement and other issues could
seriously hamper progress.
BUTENIS