AMBASSADOR RAISES POST-ELECTION CONCERNS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000076

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/31/2020
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES POST-ELECTION CONCERNS WITH
FOREIGN MINISTER

REF: SECSTATE 9654

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Classified By: AMBASSADOR PATRICIA A. BUTENIS. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Following on Assistant Secretary Blake's
January 29 meeting with the Sri Lankan charge d'affaires in
Washington (reftel),Ambassador Butenis requested and held a
meeting on January 31 with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister
Bogollagama to raise U.S. concerns regarding Government of
Sri Lanka (GSL) harassment of presidential candidate Fonseka,
raids and threats against independent media, and an article
published on the MOD website by Sri Lankan UN PermRep Kohona
falsely allegedly that Secretary Clinton had orchestrated a
sanctions campaign against Sri Lanka in the UN Security
Council. Bogollagama denied the Kohona article was the GSL
position and promised to look into it, largely ignored the
press-freedom issue, and offered vague excuses why the GSL
treatment of Fonseka was not harassment but promised he would
be given due process. "The Government of Sri Lanka will not
harass anyone," he asserted, noting they did not want a
situation "where the whole world again is criticizing us."
END SUMMARY.

GENERAL FONSEKA
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2. (C) Ambassador noted that since the January 26 election,
President Rajapaksa had made statements on reaching out to
the opposition and on his victory as a victory for all Sri
Lankans, but the treatment General Fonseka was receiving by
the GSL appeared to be harassment or pay-back. Whether there
were charges against Fonseka was not the business of the U.S.
But Ambassador pointed out that if any charges were brought
against him or he was imprisoned, we expected such actions
would only be undertaken in full compliance with Sri Lankan
law. She also pressed for Fonseka's family to be allowed to
leave Sri Lanka.


3. (C) FM Bogollagama pressed for more specifics on Fonseka's
harassment, which Ambassador proceeded to provide. She
started with the surrounding of Fonseka's hotel the day after
the election day by military troops under the pretext of a
search for deserters (Fonseka claimed his private security
were retired military); noted that while the government said
Fonseka was free to leave the hotel, it took all day before
he was actually allowed to do so; and pointed out the
difficulties Fonseka said he was having in getting his family
out of the country. Ambassador argued this all looked like
persecution.

MEDIA FREEDOM
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4. (C) On the recent report of government harassment of the
media after the election, Ambassador pointed out that raids
and threats had been escalating against MTV and other
independent media outlets and that for a president who had
just claimed such a resounding victory, the press should be
able to operate freely. The GSL's current treatment of the
press, however, made the president look weak and defensive.
Such actions sent the signal that people with different views
were un-welcome in Sri Lanka -- which was a reason why the
Tamil diaspora was not returning to the country to assist the
re-development effort, as the GSL hoped they would do, and as
Bogollagama had earlier complained about.

KOHONA ARTICLE
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5. (C) Ambassador passed to Bogollagama a copy of an article

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by Sri Lankan UN PermRep Kohona that appeared on the MOD
website, alleging that the U.S. and Secretary Clinton had led
a campaign to influence the UN Security Council to impose
sanctions on Sri Lanka. Ambassador flatly denied this
allegation and asked whether the article represented the
position of the GSL. She also pointedly remarked that while
the U.S. was critical of Kohona's remarks, we were not
insisting on shutting down any media outlets.

BOGOLLAGAMA RESPONSES
--------------


6. (C) The Foreign Minister began with the Kohona article,
noting that the GSL had never said the U.S. was behind the
undermining of Sri Lanka. The FM always had maintained good
relations with the U.S., including during the fight with the
LTTE, and relations must be kept "intact." The view of the
president, according to Bogollagama, was to be a friend to
all and to want to enhance relations with the U.S. He
promised to look into the Kohona statement. On press
freedom, Bogollagama said little, except to refer vaguely to
the value that the GSL placed on a liberal political
environment in Sri Lanka.


7. (C) On Fonseka, Bogollagama started off defensively,
responding with vague references to the general's culpability
if deserters were at the hotel, the fact that the hallways at
the Cinnamon Lakeside had been "packed" that evening with
un-registered guests, and a claim that during the subsequent
police raid on Fonseka's office, un-registered motor vehicles
were discovered. But then he began to moderate his response,
saying the family (mother and daughters but not Fonseka
himself and the son-in-law, who faces separate investigation
on corruption allegations) was free to leave Sri Lanka.
(NOTE: Just after the meeting, Fonseka's office confirmed
that the two daughters already had departed Sri Lanka for the
U.S.; the general's wife had declined to leave her husband.
END NOTE.) Bogollagama claimed that unless there was
evidence of wrong-doing, Fonseka would be left alone. "The
Government of Sri Lanka will not harass anyone," he asserted,
noting they did not want a situation "where the whole world
again is criticizing us." He concluded by noting that
Ambassador's points were well taken and "that's why we're
working on them closely with the president's office."
BUTENIS