VZCZCXYZ0006
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLM #2089/01 3520534
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 180534Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4965

UNCLAS COLOMBO 002089 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
TREASURY/IET/S. BRUKBACHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON OTRA KPAO AFIN CE
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR TREASURY 
ENFORCEMENT ADVISORS, FRED BORAKOVE AND CAROL KELLEY 
TO TRAVEL TO SRI LANKA (JANUARY 19 TO JANUARY 27, 
2007). 
 
REF: 141134z 
 
¶1. Post grants country clearance to Treasury 
Enforcement Advisors, Fred Borakove and Carol Kelley 
from January 19 to January 27, 2007. The purpose of 
their visit is to deliver the financial investigators 
techniques training course to be hosted by the 
governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and 
coordinated jointly by the UNODC and the Commonwealth 
Secretariat. Embassy control officer is Mr. Richard 
 
SIPDIS 
Merrin, Commercial Attache and Economic Officer, 
telephone no. (94-11) 249 8770, fax (94-11) 249 8820, 
email MerrinRC@state.gov. 
 
¶2. Post understands that no additional logistical 
arrangements are required. 
 
¶3. As far in advance of the visit as possible, visitors must 
provide specific details to the control officer of all support 
requirements they will need while at post.  Support 
requirements include procurement requests, motor pool usage, 
shipping assistance, and any and all other service 
requirements that will be needed upon arrival or during the 
visit. 
 
¶4. Political and security developments emerge quickly and 
frequently in Sri Lanka and the embassy is monitoring these 
developments.  The current unrest and spate of violent 
incidents in the northern and eastern part of the island has 
heightened tensions island-wide.  A Ceasefire Agreement signed 
between the Government of Sri Lanka and the insurgent 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2002 has been 
marred by increasing violence, which has recently included 
attacks involving civilians in the north and east of the 
country.  While foreigners have not in the past been targeted 
in the violence, it is still uncertain whether an August 14, 
2006 bomb which hit the security detail of the Pakistani High 
Commissioner?s convoy was targeted at the High Commissioner or 
exclusively at GSL security forces.  Once you arrive in Sri 
Lanka, please make sure you register with the Consular Office 
so the Embassy can communicate any changes in the situation. 
As always, we urge you to be cautious and aware of your 
surroundings. 
 
¶5. TDY visitors to Sri Lanka who are coming for official 
business purposes must have a visa to enter Sri Lanka, whether 
they are traveling on diplomatic, official or tourist 
passports.  Post will be able to assist in arranging airport 
visas only for those passengers who are arriving from a 
country in which there is no Sri Lanka Embassy.  If there is a 
Sri Lanka embassy in your country of residence, please arrange 
for a visa through that Embassy.  All travelers must send to 
Letitia DeSilva (DeSilvaL@State.Gov) and the control officer 
(Richard Merrin (MerrinRC@state.gov)), the following 
information:  Full Name, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, 
Passport Number, Place of Issue, Date of Issue, Expiration 
Date, length of stay in Sri Lanka and country from which you 
will be applying for the visa.  The Embassy will send a 
diplomatic note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the MFA 
will instruct the Sri Lanka Embassy to issue the visa.  This 
process may take up to two weeks. 
 
¶6. Travel by Official Americans to the North and East of Sri 
Lanka has been restricted until further notice.  Any travel to 
these areas requires prior approval by the Ambassador (or the 
Charge in his absence). 
 
¶7. Travelers should exercise caution when working in and near 
Government facilities and avoid large gatherings due to the 
threat of a potential terrorist incident.  Petty crime is 
common in Colombo and travelers should avoid using public 
transportation other than radio or hotel taxis.  Travelers 
should keep money or jewelry, when not in immediate use, in 
hotel safe deposit boxes.  Recent cases of credit card fraud 
have been reported.  Travelers are encouraged to either pay 
with cash or to watch when a merchant ?swipes? the card for a 
transaction to ensure it is not swiped more than once. 
 
¶8. All TDY personnel must check in with the Regional Security 
Officer on their first working day in Colombo to receive a 
security briefing and an update regarding the terrorist 
threat.  Please coordinate with your control officer to 
schedule this briefing.  Visitors requiring access to 
classified information while visiting post MUST forward their 
security clearance via cable to the RSO.  Again, for emergency 
contact purposes, all official visitors are required to 
register, in person, at the Embassy?s Consular Section, on 
their first working day or as soon thereafter as practicable. 
 
 
 
 
¶9. Travelers whose security orientation training is not 
current are strongly urged to participate in one of the NFATC 
security overseas seminars for TDY personnel before travel 
commences. 
 
¶10. An Embarkation Tax of SLR 1,500 is required.  This tax is 
normally included in the airline ticket charges and travelers 
should verify the tax has been included. 
 
¶11. Visitors to the Embassy wishing to access their OpenNet e- 
mail from their home post should inform their control officer 
before departure.  If access to e-mail is necessary, visitors 
should have their control officer provide the Colombo ISC 
office with the following information at least five working 
days in advance of their arrival at post: -- visitor's first 
name, middle initial and last name, arrival date at post, 
departure date at post, visitor's home OpenNet Exchange Server 
Name, the Exchange IP Address and the Domain Name. The contact 
e-mail address for Colombo ISC office is: ColomboISCHelpDesk 
(SMTP: ColomboISCHelpDesk@state.gov).  Colombo's ISC office 
will create the guest account and set it up for email access. 
When the visitor arrives at post, they will need to check in 
with the Colombo ISC office (Room 134) to sign for a User ID 
and Password.  The Colombo ISC office staff will review with 
the visitor the steps for accessing their home e-mail. 
 
¶12. The Embassy Health Unit suggests that all TDY employees in 
Sri Lanka for more than 14 days schedule a briefing with the 
Foreign Service Health Practitioner (FSHP).  Also, your 
control officer can arrange for an electronic version of the 
Colombo Health Booklet to be sent to you via email.  Please be 
advised that while in Sri Lanka, you cannot use your American 
health insurance for health care received from local 
providers, laboratories, and hospitals.  You can obtain 
receipts for care received in country to submit to your health 
insurance plan for reimbursement.  Some facilities will accept 
credit card payment, but most require cash.  Arrangements for 
deferring payment for emergency care are possible if arranged 
through the Health Unit, but you must clear all bills for 
health services received outside of the Health Unit prior to 
leaving Sri Lanka. 
 
BLAKE