SECRETARY BURNS MEETS FM BOGOLLAGAMA

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 103661

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/05/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF PTER CE
SUBJECT: SECRETARY BURNS MEETS FM BOGOLLAGAMA

Classified By: SCA Assistant Secretary Blake


1. (SBU) Participants:

U.S.
Under Secretary Bill Burns
Assistant Secretary Robert Blake
Special Assistant Matthew Lowe
Elena Soderblom (Notetaker)

SRI LANKA
Foreign Minister Bogollagama
Notetaker


2. (C) SUMMARY: On September 25, Under Secretary Burns told
Foreign Minister Bogollagama that the U.S. wanted to improve
relations with Sri Lanka but sought progress on freedom of
movement for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and the
resettlement and rehabilitation process. He also called for
greater media freedom, questioning the justice of journalist
Tissainayagam,s conviction. The Foreign Minister asked for
a benchmark number for resettlement that would satisfy the
U.S. He also expressed concern that the War Crimes Report
that the State Department would release in late October could
slow the reconciliation process. END SUMMARY.

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FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT FOR IDPS
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3. (C) Under Secretary Burns noted that Sri Lanka had an
opportunity for political reconciliation after a long
struggle. He pressed the Foreign Minister to register and
allow IDPs freedom of movement.


4. (C) The Foreign Minister acknowledged that the first step
toward national reconciliation was resettling those living in
the camps. The government had issued identification cards to
160,000 IDPs. He reported that 40,000 IDPs could go to
Jaffna, now cleared of mines, but the area lacked shelter.
He maintained that the government wanted to avoid using tents
and instead constructed permanent shelter for the returnees.
India has given corrugated sheets, but only enough for 5,000
people. Sri Lanka needs further help with materials for
permanent housing, safe water systems, and the beginnings of
income-generating solutions. He noted that 6,000-7,000 IDPs
have resettled in the eastern province, but of those the
government also found 140 LTTE cadres, of whom 40 came from
the suicide force. "We will strengthen the police further to
combat the possibility of infiltration," he said.


5. (C) He underlined that "it serves no political purpose"
to keep the IDPs in camps. But in order to move the IDPs,
the GSL needed the mines cleared. The USG provided $6
million to four NGOs for demining, but Bogollagama claimed
that they had done little. India had provided 200 mine
clearers who have contributed to the total clearance of
25,000 mines cleared, but the GSL still required ten demining
machines to complete the job on time. Assistant Secretary
Blake stressed that further U.S. assistance depended on the
GSL allowing freedom of movement, which they could
demonstrate by removing the barbed wire from the camps and
allowing the IDPs unimpeded exit and re-entry. Bogollagama
replied that barbed wire surrounds many houses including his
own.


6. (C) Bogollagama questioned where the IDPs would go if the
camps opened up. He reported that 40,000 children in the
camps attend school and 382 sat for the high-level exams. He
noted that the International Organization for Migration (IOM)
has done a "good job." Blake reminded him that the U.S.
supported the IOM,s program in Sri Lanka.


7. (C) Blake underlined that the GSL faced a credibility
problem after too many broken pledges and missed deadlines.
Bogollagama asked what benchmark the U.S. expected the GSL to
meet in order to provide more assistance, and offered "not
10,000 but 50,000 resettled." Blake suggested that the GSL
start by allowing freedom of movement for at least all those
who have been registered. Bogollagama insisted that the
government has "done a lot," and the U.S. had to understand
the "process." Burns responded, "We need to see more from
your side for us to do more."

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MEDIA FREEDOM
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8. (C) Burns expressed concern at the conviction of
journalist Tissainayagam, and the state of media freedom in
Sri Lanka. Bogollagama claimed the sentence, currently in
the appellate process, was not excessive, and touted the
fairness of Sri Lanka,s judicial system. He maintained that
journalists enjoy press freedom.

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WAR CRIMES REPORT
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9. (C) Bogollagama raised the War Crimes Report, and asked
to see it before its release. Burns pledged to be
transparent but did not offer to share a draft. Bogollagama
believed that the report reflected that the U.S. now thought
of the GSL as the enemy. "What have we done that gets you to
look at us differently?" he asked. He noted that Tamil
groups in the U.S. had direct linkages with the LTTE. Burns
explained that the report was mandated by Congress. Blake
reiterated that the report would describe crimes committed by
both sides, and make clear that the U.S. had not had access
to the regions of the fighting during the period covered by
the report. He suggested that the GSL preempt the report by
developing its own system of accountability. Bogollagama
warned that the report might dampen the healing process.
CLINTON