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 COLOMBO 00000076 001.2 OF 002 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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶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 -------------- ¶5. (C) Ambassador passed to Bogollagama a copy of an article COLOMBO 00000076 002.4 OF 002 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