VZCZCXRO7294
RR RUEHLMC
DE RUEHLM #2090/01 3520535
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 180535Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP
INFO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4967

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 002090 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
MCC FOR S. GROFF, D. NASSIRY AND E. BURKE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID KMCA ECON OTRA KPAO AFIN OVIP CE
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR EILEEN BURKE, 
LAWRENCE CAMP AND ANDREW FARNUM OF MILLENIUM CHALLENGE 
CORPORATION TO TRAVEL TO SRI LANKA 
 
REF: 150038z 
 
¶1. Post grants country clearance to Eileen Burke, 
Lawrence Camp and Andrew Farnum of Millennium 
Challenge Corporation to visit Colombo from January 3 
to January 28, 2007. The purpose of their visit is to 
continue due diligence on the SME Development portions 
of the GOSL?s Millennium Challenge Compact proposal. 
Embassy control officer is Mr. Richard 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 
 
COLOMBO 00002090  002 OF 002 
 
 
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 
           UNCLASSIFIED