Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09EFTOLONDON2468
2009-11-02 16:37:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy London
Cable title:
TAMIL EXPATRIATES CALL FOR RESETTLEMENT OF IDPS
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHLO #2468/01 3061637 ZNY EEEEE ZZH R 021637Z NOV 09 FM AMEMBASSY LONDON TO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0175 RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3863 INFO RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0959
UNCLAS E F T O LONDON 002468
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM XD CE UK PREF
SUBJECT: TAMIL EXPATRIATES CALL FOR RESETTLEMENT OF IDPS
REF: A. APRIL 7 AND 8 LONDON DAILY REPORTS (NOTAL)
B. APRIL 28 AND 30 LONDON DAILY REPORTS (NOTAL)
Classified By: Political Counselor Robin Quinville, reasons 1.4 (b/d)
UNCLAS E F T O LONDON 002468
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM XD CE UK PREF
SUBJECT: TAMIL EXPATRIATES CALL FOR RESETTLEMENT OF IDPS
REF: A. APRIL 7 AND 8 LONDON DAILY REPORTS (NOTAL)
B. APRIL 28 AND 30 LONDON DAILY REPORTS (NOTAL)
Classified By: Political Counselor Robin Quinville, reasons 1.4 (b/d)
1. (SBU/NF) Summary. In an October 21 meeting with four UK
citizen Tamils from
"Expatriate Tamils," a UK-based diaspora advocacy group,
requested that the USG
"prevail upon the Sri Lankan government" to allow for timely
resettlement of
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs),including 250,000 plus
being "illegally"
held in government camps. The representatives cited numerous
human rights
violations in these camps and noted that with the approaching
monsoon season, a
humanitarian aid crisis is looming. They opposed calls for
reconciliation before
the issue of resettlement is resolved. They further noted
that since the end of
violence in May, expatriates are being prevented from
returning to Sri Lanka and are
unable to render assistance to family members. End Summary.
The Tamil Expat View
--------------
2. (SBU/NF) During an October 21 meeting with Poloff, four UK
citizen Tamils from
"Expatriate Tamils," a UK-based diaspora advocacy group,
outlined a number of concerns
regarding human rights violations in Sri Lanka. While many
occured during the final
weeks of the Sri Lankan military campaign, others have
occured more recently in IDP
camps, they said. They noted that conditions in these camps,
which hold over 250,000
people, are in breach of international law and UN agreements.
They claimed that aid
agencies have been prevented from performing their work and
that media are not allowed
into the region without government accompaniment. They
asserted that the Sri Lankan
government has restricted Tamil expatriates from returning to
the region and prevented
them from rendering assistance or locating family members,
adding that there
is no freedom of movement between camps, and that families
have been separated without
means of communication. The representatives also suggested
that as many as 11,000
persons have disappeared since being interned in the camps.
The representatives
stressed that if resettlement does not occur within weeks,
not months, the monsoon
season will bring humanitarian disaster to the make-shift
camps. Representatives were
also concerned that calls by the international community for
political reconciliation
drew attention away from addressing the relocation of IDPs.
They argued that the only
way reconciliation would occur was after the relocation issue
had been settled. The representatives requested that the USG
"prevail upon the Sri
Lankan government" to allow for timely resettlement of IDPs,
including nearly 250,000
plus being "illegally" held in camps. They argued that this
issue will only be
resolved with US leadership.
.
Sri Lankan UK Profile
--------------
3. (SBU) 2001 census data show nearly 70,000 Sri Lanka-born
people live in the UK,
while the Tamil community puts that number at closer to
200,000. UK Tamil diaspora
groups vary in size and purpose but are active participants
in the political process,
presenting their case to HMG and Parliament and initiating
sit-ins and protests at
major junctures. At the height of the fighting in April,
Tamil groups conducted
large protests for two weeks, which disrupted traffic and
resulted in
numerous arrests (Ref A).
HMG's View
--------------
4. (SBU) In an October 13 statement to the House of Commons,
Foreign Secretary
David Miliband outlined HMG's position, focusing on three
areas: "Urge the
(Sri Lankan) government to improve conditions for IDPs; call
for the strengthening
of the rule of law and address human rights concerns; and
encourage urgent action
on setting out a political process to address the grievances
of minorities." UK
policy has consistently maintained that in order for lasting
peace to prevail in
Sri Lanka a political settlement must be achieved which takes
into account the
grievances of the Tamil minority. FM Miliband has been
outspoken regarding the
subject and has made numerous references to the region in his
press briefings. He
responded quickly to the diaspora outcry in April and made a
high-profile visit to
the region shortly thereafter (Ref B).
Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom
LeBaron
NOFORN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM XD CE UK PREF
SUBJECT: TAMIL EXPATRIATES CALL FOR RESETTLEMENT OF IDPS
REF: A. APRIL 7 AND 8 LONDON DAILY REPORTS (NOTAL)
B. APRIL 28 AND 30 LONDON DAILY REPORTS (NOTAL)
Classified By: Political Counselor Robin Quinville, reasons 1.4 (b/d)
1. (SBU/NF) Summary. In an October 21 meeting with four UK
citizen Tamils from
"Expatriate Tamils," a UK-based diaspora advocacy group,
requested that the USG
"prevail upon the Sri Lankan government" to allow for timely
resettlement of
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs),including 250,000 plus
being "illegally"
held in government camps. The representatives cited numerous
human rights
violations in these camps and noted that with the approaching
monsoon season, a
humanitarian aid crisis is looming. They opposed calls for
reconciliation before
the issue of resettlement is resolved. They further noted
that since the end of
violence in May, expatriates are being prevented from
returning to Sri Lanka and are
unable to render assistance to family members. End Summary.
The Tamil Expat View
--------------
2. (SBU/NF) During an October 21 meeting with Poloff, four UK
citizen Tamils from
"Expatriate Tamils," a UK-based diaspora advocacy group,
outlined a number of concerns
regarding human rights violations in Sri Lanka. While many
occured during the final
weeks of the Sri Lankan military campaign, others have
occured more recently in IDP
camps, they said. They noted that conditions in these camps,
which hold over 250,000
people, are in breach of international law and UN agreements.
They claimed that aid
agencies have been prevented from performing their work and
that media are not allowed
into the region without government accompaniment. They
asserted that the Sri Lankan
government has restricted Tamil expatriates from returning to
the region and prevented
them from rendering assistance or locating family members,
adding that there
is no freedom of movement between camps, and that families
have been separated without
means of communication. The representatives also suggested
that as many as 11,000
persons have disappeared since being interned in the camps.
The representatives
stressed that if resettlement does not occur within weeks,
not months, the monsoon
season will bring humanitarian disaster to the make-shift
camps. Representatives were
also concerned that calls by the international community for
political reconciliation
drew attention away from addressing the relocation of IDPs.
They argued that the only
way reconciliation would occur was after the relocation issue
had been settled. The representatives requested that the USG
"prevail upon the Sri
Lankan government" to allow for timely resettlement of IDPs,
including nearly 250,000
plus being "illegally" held in camps. They argued that this
issue will only be
resolved with US leadership.
.
Sri Lankan UK Profile
--------------
3. (SBU) 2001 census data show nearly 70,000 Sri Lanka-born
people live in the UK,
while the Tamil community puts that number at closer to
200,000. UK Tamil diaspora
groups vary in size and purpose but are active participants
in the political process,
presenting their case to HMG and Parliament and initiating
sit-ins and protests at
major junctures. At the height of the fighting in April,
Tamil groups conducted
large protests for two weeks, which disrupted traffic and
resulted in
numerous arrests (Ref A).
HMG's View
--------------
4. (SBU) In an October 13 statement to the House of Commons,
Foreign Secretary
David Miliband outlined HMG's position, focusing on three
areas: "Urge the
(Sri Lankan) government to improve conditions for IDPs; call
for the strengthening
of the rule of law and address human rights concerns; and
encourage urgent action
on setting out a political process to address the grievances
of minorities." UK
policy has consistently maintained that in order for lasting
peace to prevail in
Sri Lanka a political settlement must be achieved which takes
into account the
grievances of the Tamil minority. FM Miliband has been
outspoken regarding the
subject and has made numerous references to the region in his
press briefings. He
responded quickly to the diaspora outcry in April and made a
high-profile visit to
the region shortly thereafter (Ref B).
Visit London's Classified Website:
http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom
LeBaron