Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09USUNNEWYORK192
2009-02-27 18:36:00
CONFIDENTIAL
USUN New York
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH SRI LANKA PR PALIHAKKARA

Tags:  PREL PGOV PHUM PREF CE UNHCR 
pdf how-to read a cable
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FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5961
INFO RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO PRIORITY 0260
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 2473
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3573
C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000192 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF CE UNHCR
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH SRI LANKA PR PALIHAKKARA

Classified By: AMBASSADOR SUSAN RICE, FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D

C O N F I D E N T I A L USUN NEW YORK 000192

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM PREF CE UNHCR
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RICE MEETS WITH SRI LANKA PR PALIHAKKARA

Classified By: AMBASSADOR SUSAN RICE, FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D


1. (C) Summary: During a February 26 meeting with Sri Lankan
PR Palihakkara, Ambassador Rice urged his government to grant
NGOs and USAID complete and full access to civilians in IDP
camps. Palihakkara acknowledged that "there had been a
problem," and said the visit of UN U/SYG for Humanitarian
Affairs John Holmes had been very useful in increasing
access. The Sri Lankan PR also raised the Durban Review
Conference, and asked that the U.S. continue to remain
engaged. Ambassador Rice outlined recent steps culminating
with a U.S. decision to no longer participate in negotiations
based on the current outcome document. However, she said the
U.S. was open to reengaging if a much shorter, non-country
specific document replaced the current version. Palihakkara
also raised Sri Lanka,s chairmanship of the Special
Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the
Human Rights of the Palestinian People and the NPT. End
summary.

THE CONFLICT IN SRI LANKA


2. (C) Palihakkara reviewed the conflict between the Sri
Lankan government and the LTTE, and concluded by saying that
Sri Lanka did not have a problem with an informal, discrete
Security Council briefing on the current situation by U/SYG
Holmes. Ambassador Rice said this was a "constructive
development" and encouraged the Sri Lankan government to
grant NGOs and USAID complete and full access to IDPs and
other civilians caught between the military and the LTTE.
Palihakkara acknowledged that there had been a problem with
access, but the visit of Holmes to Sri Lanka had resulted in
substantial progress, and that currently the "system is being
worked out." Referring to the recent shoot down of a LTTE
aircraft over the capital, Palihakkara said the LTTE wanted
to show the Sri Lankan diaspora that they were still
militarily relevant. He added that the Sri Lankan military
discovered submersible devices, and does not discount the
possibility that the LTTE may still have one or two planes
hidden away. Palihakkara complimented U.S. engagement in Sri
Lanka, and said Sri Lanka agreed to a discrete briefing in
the Security Council because they had nothing to hide.

DURBAN


3. (C) Palihakkara urged that the U.S. continue to engage in
the Durban Review Conference and said the document under
discussion was a "silly piece of paper." He believed that
the problems in Geneva "are more apparent than real."
Ambassador Rice reviewed the U.S. position on the Durban
Review Conference, and said the sending of a high-level
delegation to Geneva represented the fulfillment of President
Obama,s promise. Unfortunately, the outcome document went
from "bad to worse" and therefore the U.S. will no longer
participate in discussions on this draft. However, the U.S.
will remain open to further evolutions in the situation; if
the current document is scrapped for a much shorter one with
no references to specific countries or conflicts, no
references to the false concept of defamation of religion,
and a reference to reparations that does not exceed that of
the first Durban Conference, the U.S. would be willing to
reengage. She added, however, that time was pressing and
that an alternative needed to come together quickly if there
was any hope for the U.S. to participate. Palihakkara said
he would see if Sri Lanka can help, but agreed that time was
pressing.

ISRAEL PRACTICES COMMITTEE/NPT


4. (C) At the end of the meeting, Palihakkara noted that Sri
Lanka chaired the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli
Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian
People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories. He
understood U.S. objections to this committee, but said he was
trying to be very moderate and was consulting with the
Israeli Mission. He believed Arab countries were more
moderate than they used to be. Palihakkara also raised the
NPT 2010 Review and said that it wasn,t looking good.
Ambassador Rice said the U.S. would work to help improve the
NPT 2010 Review process.
Rice