UN SECRETARY-GENERAL BRIEFS ON HIS RECENT VISIT TO

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000571

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM CE
SUBJECT: UN SECRETARY-GENERAL BRIEFS ON HIS RECENT VISIT TO
SRI LANKA


1. (SBU) Summary: On June 5, the Secretary-General briefed
members of the Security Council on his recent visit to Sri
Lanka as well as on UN assistance to IDPs. The briefing was
in an "informal interactive" format, which included the
participation of Sri Lankan Permanent Representative
Palihakkara. The Secretary-General urged the government to
improve the conditions and access in the camps, and said if
the camps remain in their "current character," they would
eventually be seen as internment camps. He appealed for the
release of the three doctors who had remained in the
LTTE-controlled area and warned the government to avoid
"triumphalism." Along with several Council members, the
Secretary-General called for an impartial and independent
investigation into allegations of human rights violations.
Council members supported the continued efforts of the
Secretary-General, although China pointedly said that the
situation in Sri Lanka had never been a matter of
international peace and security, and that this was even more
the case presently. End summary.

UN AND SRI LANKA INTERVENTIONS


2. (SBU) The Secretary-General reviewed UN efforts over the
past months and discussed his recent visit to Sri Lanka, in
which he met with representatives from the government and
minority populations. He said he was "deeply disturbed by
the suffering of civilians" and "expressed solidarity with
those under duress." Although there had been improvements in
the camps, the Secretary-General said IDPs suffered from "an
almost complete lack of movement." If the camps remained in
their present character, this would become a political
problem and they would be perceived as internment camps, said
the Secretary-General. He also called for the release of the
three doctors formerly working in LTTE-controlled areas, and
called for greater freedom of the press.


3. (SBU) Regarding allegations that the UN underplayed its
estimate of civilian casualties, the Secretary-General flatly
denied this, and said that no matter the number, casualties
had been "unacceptably high." He called for all serious
allegations of human rights to be fully investigated in an
impartial and independent way, and said he had urged the
government to ensure that an investigation would be
forthcoming. The Secretary-General said he would shortly
send a letter to President Rajapaksa reminding him of his
commitments made to the UN, and to urge the President to
ensure accountability for human rights abuses.


4. (SBU) Ambassador Palihakkara spoke next, and thanked the
UN and the Secretary-General for their assistance. He said
the government,s priority is to take care of its Tamil
citizens. Although he acknowledged that the government had
not been "100 percent perfect," he said the camps were being
run in a progressively open way, in cooperation with NGOs.
The government,s next priority will be resettlement;
Palihakkara noted the government,s objective to resettle 80
per cent of the IDPs within a year. Palihakkara also echoed
the Secretary-General,s warning against triumphalism, and
said his government wholeheartedly shared this sentiment.
The key would be to politically empower the Tamil minority,
said Palihakkara.

COUNCIL REACTION


5. (SBU) All Council members thanked the Secretary-General
for his personal involvement, and urged him to continue this
involvement. Council members also noted the importance of
the understanding signed between the Secretary-General and
President Rajapaksa during the Secretary-General,s visit,
and called on the government to abide by their commitments as
laid out in the understanding. Austria and France echoed his
call for the release of the three doctors, and strongly
emphasized the need to investigate allegations of human
rights violations. Ambassador DiCarlo said the government,s
efforts regarding management of the camps - while improving -
were not sufficient. She urged the government to expand
access and to ensure that the camp conditions improve
quickly. Russia gave a brief statement expressing its full
support for the government,s post-conflict efforts. China
focused its statement on congratulating the government for
its victory and noted that the situation had never been a
threat to international peace and security. This was even
more the case at the present time, said China. Despite this
clear call for no further Council action on this issue, China
welcomed the Secretary-General,s further involvement.
RICE