VZCZCXRO9134
OO RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #0814/01 1380940
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 180940Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3402
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9639
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0568
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 9200
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 2976
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 6091
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 4126
RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0293
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 6645
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 4536
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0352
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1193
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0388
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUHBABA/CG III MEF CAMP COURTNEY JA
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JCS WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000814 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
DCHA/OFDA GGOTTLIEB, MMARX, RTHAYER, BDEEMER 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA 
DCHA/FFP FOR LAUREN LANDIS 
DCHA DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR WILLIAM 
GARVELINK 
ANE DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR MARK WARD 
BANGKOK FOR OFDA SENIOR REGIONAL ADVISOR TOM DOLAN 
GENEVA FOR USAID KYLOH 
ROME PASS FODAG 
NSC FOR MELINE 
CDR USPACOM FOR J3/J4/POLAD 
USEU PASS USEC 
 
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID CE
SUBJECT: POPULATION DISPLACEMENTS DUE TO RECENT 
INCREASE IN HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE SRI LANKAN 
GOVERNMENT FORCES AND THE LIBERATION TIGERS OF 
TAMIL EELAM (LTTE) 
 
 
-------- 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR, WILLIAM BERGER 
TRAVELED TO SRI LANKA FROM MAY 4 THROUGH MAY 14TH 
TO ASSESS REPORTED POPULATION DISPLACEMENTS DUE TO 
RECENT INCREASE IN HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE SRI 
LANKAN GOVERNMENT FORCES AND THE LIBERATION TIGERS 
OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE). FINDINGS OF THE ASSESSMENT 
WERE THAT WHILE THE CONTINUED ESCALATION OF 
HOSTILITIES IN SRI LANKA IS UNFORTUNATE, THE IDP 
SITUATION AT THIS TIME DOES NOT EXCEED GSL?S 
ABILITY TO RESPOND.  THE UN AND OTHER HUMANITARIAN 
ACTORS HAVE DEVELOPED CONTINGENCY PLANS AND THERE 
ARE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES IN ONGOING TSUNAMI 
RESPONSE AND RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE A 
BUFFER IF THESE PLANS REQUIRE ACTIVATION.  THE 
SITUATION IN SRI LANKA IS LIKELY TO REMAIN 
VOLATILE INTO THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE AND WILL 
REQUIRE CLOSE MONITORING OF HUMANITARIAN NEEDS. 
----------- 
BACKGROUND 
----------- 
 
¶2. (U) OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR, WILLIAM BERGER 
TRAVELED TO SRI LANKA FROM MAY 4 THROUGH MAY 14TH 
TO ASSESS REPORTED POPULATION DISPLACEMENTS DUE TO 
RECENT INCREASES IN HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE SRI 
LANKAN GOVERNMENT FORCES AND THE LIBERATION TIGERS 
OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE). WHILE IN SRI LANKA THE RA 
MET WITH EMBASSY AND USAID MISSION PERSONNEL AS 
WELL AS UN AGENCIES, GSL, NGOS BOTH LOCAL AND 
INTERNATIONAL AND FIELD STAFF OF THE SRI LANKAN 
MONITORING MISSION (SLMM).  THE TDY INCLUDED A 
TRIP TO TRINCOMALEE TOWN ON WHICH THE RA WAS 
JOINED BY STAFF OF USAID?S OFFICE OF TRANSITION 
INITIATIVES (OTI). 
 
¶3. (SBU) AS COMMUNITIES JOINED HANDS TO RESPOND TO 
THE TSUNAMI DISASTER, THERE WAS HOPE THAT OUT OF 
THAT TRAGEDY MIGHT EMERGE A COUNTRY MORE UNITED BY 
A GREAT HUMANITARIAN IMPERATIVE. INCREASING 
INCIDENTS OF COMMUNAL VIOLENCE AND ESCALATING 
HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE GSL AND LTTE OVER THE LAST 
SEVERAL MONTHS HAVE ALL BUT BURIED THOSE HOPES. 
TRINCOMALEE TOWN, AN INTERFACE AREA OF SINHALA, 
TAMIL AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES, IS NOW A TINDER-BOX 
FOLLOWING THE MURDER OF A TAMIL COMMUNITY LEADER 
WITHIN METERS OF ARMY AND POLICE COMPOUNDS, A 
BOMBING IN THE TRINCOMALEE MARKET, THE PROVOCATIVE 
 
COLOMBO 00000814  002 OF 004 
 
 
PLACEMENT OF A BUDDHA STATUE IN THE MARKET PARKING 
AREA, AND THE RETALIATORY AIR STRIKES AND SHELLING 
BY THE SRI LANKAN MILITARY AFTER THE SUICIDE 
BOMBING IN COLOMBO THAT KILLED SEVERAL PEOPLE AND 
SEVERELY INJURED THE HEAD OF SRI LANKA?S ARMY. 
 
4(SBU)TO DATE THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA (GSL) 
HAS SHOWN A MEASURED RESPONSE TO LTTE PROVOCATIONS 
AND MANY FEEL THAT ALL OUT RESUMPTION OF 
HOSTILITIES IS LESS LIKELY THAN A CONTINUED PERIOD 
OF PERIODIC MILITARY STRIKES AND INCIDENTS OF 
COMMUNAL VIOLENCE, BUT THE POTENTIAL ALWAYS 
REMAINS FOR THE SITUATION TO SPIRAL OUT OF 
CONTROL. 
 
---------------------------- 
IDP SITUATION IN TRINCOMALEE 
---------------------------- 
 
5.(SBU)THERE WERE SEVERAL TYPES OF DISPLACEMENT IN 
THE TRINCOMALEE AREA LEADING TO LARGE VARIATIONS 
IN REPORTED IDP NUMBERS DEPENDING ON WHO WAS 
PROVIDING THE FIGURES AND HOW THEY DEFINED 
DISPLACEMENT.  THERE WAS THE GROUP OF THOSE WHO 
LOST THEIR HOUSES OR WHO WERE DIRECTLY AFFECTED 
BECAUSE OF THEIR CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE AREA 
BOMBED DURING ATTACKS ON APRIL 25-26. THIS IS THE 
POPULATION THAT THE GSL IS FOCUSING ON WITH ITS 
FIGURE OF 3000 PEOPLE DISPLACED. THE HEAD OF THE 
POLICE IN TRINCOMALEE STATED THAT THE HIGHER 
NUMBERS REPORTED BY OTHERS WERE PEOPLE ?WHO JUST 
WANTED TO GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING.?  THIS IS A 
POINT OF DEBATE BETWEEN LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND THE 
INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN COMMUNITY WHO CLAIM 
THAT THE AUTHORITIES ARE NOT PROVIDING SECURITY 
AND THAT THE CONSEQUENT MOVEMENT OF PEOPLE WITH 
CONCERNS FOR THEIR SAFETY ARE LEGITIMATE IDPS AND 
SHOULD BE SUPPORTED. ON THIS BASIS THE UN HAS 
ESTIMATED THAT THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 21 THOUSAND 
IDPS AND THIS NUMBER INCLUDES SOME 8 THOUSAND 
PEOPLE WHO WERE DISPLACED BY COMMUNAL VIOLENCE 
BEFORE THE BOMBARDMENT TOOK PLACE. SOME IDPS HAVE 
LEFT THE AREA TO SEEK SHELTER WITH FRIENDS OR 
FAMILY IN OTHER AREAS. THE MAJORITY WHO HAVE 
STAYED IN THE AREA ARE DIVIDED INTO GROUPS WHO ARE 
DISPLACED TOO FAR FROM HOME TO HAVE ACCESS TO 
THEIR OWN RESOURCES AND REQUIRE FULL SUPPORT AND 
THOSE WHO ARE CLOSE ENOUGH TO RETURN HOME IN THE 
DAY AND MAINLY REQUIRE A SECURE PLACE TO SPEND THE 
NIGHT.  THE LOCAL NATURE OF THE DISPLACEMENT MEANS 
THAT PEOPLE RETURN HOME AS AND WHEN THEY CAN AND 
NUMBERS REQUIRING ASSISTANCE FLUCTUATE WITH EVEN 
SLIGHT CHANGES IN THE SECURITY SITUATION. THE 
HIGHEST ESTIMATIONS OF DISPLACEMENT, NOW DEBUNKED 
BY THE UN ASSESSMENT, CAME FROM THE LTTE WHO 
 
COLOMBO 00000814  003 OF 004 
 
 
CLAIMED OVER 40,000 PEOPLE HAD BEEN DISPLACED. 
UNFORTUNATELY, THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS PICKED UP 
ON THIS NUMBER AND CONTINUES TO REPORT IT EVEN 
THOUGH MORE ACCURATE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN 
ESTABLISHED. 
 
----------------- 
RESPONSE CAPACITY 
------------------ 
 
¶6. (SBU) THE GENEROUS FUNDING FROM AROUND THE 
WORLD FOR THE TSUNAMI DISASTER IN SRI LANKA MEANT 
THAT THERE WERE AVAILABLE RESOURCES IN THE NGO AND 
INGO COMMUNITY THAT COULD BE TAPPED QUICKLY IN 
RESPONSE TO THE IDP SITUATION IN TRINCOMALEE. IN 
FACT, THE NUMBER OF WELL RESOURCED NGOS IN THE 
AREA HAS LED TO THE CRITICISM OF LACK OF 
COORDINATION AND AN OVER-SUFFICIENCY OF RESPONSE. 
UNHCR, HOWEVER, FEELS THAT AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE, 
COORDINATION WILL IMPROVE IN FUTURE RESPONSES. 
THIS ISSUE IS OF CONCERN TO LOCAL AUTHORITIES WHO 
FEAR THAT THE ABUNDANCE OF RESOURCES COULD CREATE 
A MAGNET FOR INAPPROPRIATE OR PREMATURE 
DISPLACEMENT OF LOCAL PEOPLE PARTICULARLY SINCE 
LIVELIHOODS ARE ALREADY UNDER PRESSURE DUE TO THE 
SECURITY SITUATION.  IN THIS REGARD IT IS 
INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT GSL HAS ALLOCATED THE 
EQUIVALENT OF 1 MILLION US DOLLARS FOR ASSISTANCE 
TO IDPS AND HAS RECANTED EARLIER REQUESTS FOR WFP 
FOOD ASSISTANCE SAYING THAT IT PLANS TO SHOULDER 
THIS BURDEN ON ITS OWN. TO MANY OBSERVERS THIS 
APPEARS TO BE AN UNEXPECTEDLY GENEROUS RESPONSE ON 
THE PART OF GSL, PARTICULARLY GIVEN LOCAL 
AUTHORITIES? NARROW DEFINITION AND CONSEQUENT LOW 
IDP NUMBERS, AND THERE IS SKEPTICISM ABOUT GSL?S 
ABILITY TO EQUITABLY DELIVER ITS PROPOSED 
ASSISTANCE ON THE GROUND. 
 
¶7. (SBU) THE USAID TEAM MET WITH THE SENIOR 
SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE IN TRINCOMALEE, MR. 
ANANDA SAMARAKOON, WHO HAS THE UNENVIABLE JOB OF 
TRYING TO KEEP THE PEACE AMONG ALL FACTIONS. HE 
STATED THAT EVEN THOUGH 700 ADDITIONAL OFFICERS 
HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED TO THE AREA, ALL FORCES ARE 
WORKING WITHOUT TIME OFF OR LEAVE. THERE SEEMS TO 
BE NO CONTINGENCY PLAN ON THE PART OF THE POLICE 
TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE RESPITE FROM THE STRESS AND 
RELENTLESS SCHEDULE. UNDER THIS PRESSURE AND THE 
NEED TO WEAR BODY ARMOR IN THE STIFLING HEAT OF 
TRINCOMALEE, IT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE 
POLICE MIGHT OVER-REACT OR RESPOND PRECIPITOUSLY 
TO SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE PATIENCE AND CLEAR 
THINKING. AN OVERSTRETCHED AND STRESSED POLICE 
FORCE IS EVEN MORE UNFORTUNATE IN THAT LOCAL 
PEOPLE HAVE NO TRUST FOR THE MILITARY, WHICH ONLY 
 
COLOMBO 00000814  004 OF 004 
 
 
ADDS PRESSURE FOR THE POLICE AS THE MAIN SECURITY 
PROVIDERS FOR IDPS. THE POLICE ARE MAKING EFFORTS 
SUCH AS TAMIL LANGUAGE TRAINING TO SENSITIZE STAFF 
AND CREATE MORE TRUST WITH NON-SINHALESE 
COMMUNITIES.  OTI ENCOURAGED THE DSS SENIOR 
SUPERINTENDENT TO DO MORE TO MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE 
OF SUCH EFFORTS. 
 
¶8. (SBU) GIVEN THE DETERIORATING SECURITY 
SITUATION IN SOME PARTS OF SRI LANKA THE UN AND 
ALL MAJOR HUMANITARIAN ACTORS ARE CURRENTLY MAKING 
CONTINGENCY PLANS FOR POTENTIAL IDP SCENARIOS BUT 
THIS IS A CHALLENGING EXERCISE GIVEN THE UNCERTAIN 
POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, HUGE AREA OF THE COUNTRY 
WHERE PROBLEMS COULD DEVELOP AND DIFFICULTIES OF 
REACHING COMMUNITIES IN INSECURE AREAS. SEVERAL 
ORGANIZATIONS ALSO NOTED THAT, HISTORICALLY, 
BREAKTHROUGHS IN PEACE NEGOTIATIONS CAN BRING 
ABOUT AN ALMOST IMMEDIATE AND COMPLETE CESSATION 
OF VIOLENCE. THOUGH FEW HOLD OUT HOPE FOR A 
BREAKTHROUGH IN THE PEACE PROCESS, THE ABILITY OF 
THE SITUATION TO ?TURN ON A DIME? EVEN FOR THE 
BETTER, CREATES A RELUCTANCE TO TOO QUICKLY BUILD 
UP LARGE RESPONSE PROGRAMS THAT REQUIRE LONG-TERM 
COMMITMENTS OF HUMAN AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND 
THAT COULD ALSO IMPACT COUNTRY AS WELL AS GLOBAL 
PROGRAMS. FORTUNATELY, THIS PROBLEM IS MITIGATED 
SOMEWHAT BY THE SIGNIFICANT RESOURCES AVAILABLE 
THROUGH ONGOING TSUNAMI PROGRAMS. 
 
----------- 
CONCLUSIONS 
----------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) WHILE THE CONTINUED ESCALATION OF 
HOSTILITIES IN SRI LANKA IS UNFORTUNATE, THE IDP 
SITUATION DOES NOT EXCEED GSL?S ABILITY TO 
RESPOND.  THE UN AND OTHER HUMANITARIAN ACTORS 
HAVE DEVELOPED CONTINGENCY PLANS AND THERE ARE 
SUFFICIENT RESOURCES IN ONGOING TSUNAMI RESPONSE 
AND RECONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE A BUFFER IF 
THESE REQUIRE ACTIVATION.  THE SITUATION IN SRI 
LANKA IS LIKELY TO REMAIN VOLATILE INTO THE 
FORESEEABLE FUTURE AND WILL REQUIRE CLOSE 
MONITORING OF HUMANITARIAN NEEDS. 
ENTWISTLE