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C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000212 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR NP, T, EAP, ISN/RA MATTHEW STUMPF, AND SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2016 
TAGS: MNUC PARM PGOV PHSA PREL KNNP XC CE
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE:  PSI ENDORSEMENT BY THE 2/13 2006 ASTOP 
 
REF: STATE 10727 
 
Classified By: DCM James F. Entwistle; Reason 1.5D 
 
¶1.  (C)  DCM joined Australian High Commissioner French, 
Japanese Ambassador Suda, British High Commissioner Evans and 
Canadian Charge' Shea in February 9 Proliferation Security 
Initiative (PSI) demarche (reftel) on Foreign Secretary 
H.G.M.S. Palihakkara.  French presented reftel points, 
focusing on the Pacific Protector exercise in Darwin and the 
late May PSI third anniversary event in Poland.  French noted 
that previous Sri Lankan expressions of interest had been 
favorably noted in PSI capitals and expressed hope that Sri 
Lanka could publicly endorse the PSI Statement of 
Interdiction Principles (SIP) as soon as possible but 
especially in time to attend the May Poland meeting.  DCM 
endorsed French's presentation and noted the U.S. commitment 
to interdicting WMD and other illicit items was best 
illustrated by our recent inauguration of the Container 
Security Initiative and Megaports programs in the port of 
Colombo.  Suda said his government would be very interested 
in exploring issues that had previously prevented Sri Lanka 
from endorsing PSI. 
 
¶2.   (C)  Palihakkara thanked French for the presentation and 
stated that Sri Lanka remained very interested in PSI.  As an 
expression of that interest, Sri Lanka would send a naval 
officer to participate as an observer at Pacific Protector. 
Palihakkara continued that Sri Lanka, given its long struggle 
with the terrorist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), 
was attuned to all levels of proliferation ("For us, a 
Kalashnikov is a weapon of mass destruction!").  He indicated 
that Sri Lanka had initially been concerned by the "narrow" 
nature of PSI's WMD focus rather than an "all encompassing" 
approach, but now realized that the principles established by 
PSI could be applied to any sort of global interdiction 
scheme.   As an example of Sri Lanka's commitment to 
interdiction and non-proliferation, Palihakkara highlighted 
the fact that Sri Lankan UN Permrep Prasad Kariyawasam had 
been elected President of the Prepcom for the Review 
Conference on Illicit Small Arms Trade to be held this summer 
in New York. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Palihakkara said Sri Lanka would look carefully at 
the report on Pacific Protector from its observer ("we are 
very interested in how PSI would be practically applied in a 
real situation"), would follow with great interest other 
Asian countries attitudes and actions on PSI and said his 
government would appreciate more information about the Poland 
meeting.  He concluded by hinting broadly that Sri Lanka 
probably will publicly state its support for PSI principles 
"after Darwin but in time for Poland." 
 
¶4.  (C)  Comment.  We seem to be pushing on an open door and 
will continue to discuss PSI with relevant Sri Lankan 
officials.  Note that reftel points on the AISTOP meeting in 
Tokyo were not raised since, according to the Australian and 
Japanese chiefs of mission, Japan decided not to invite Sri 
Lanka in order to focus the meeting on ASEAN members.  End 
Comment 
 
LUNSTEAD