VZCZCXRO3459
PP RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #0600/01 1131040
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 231040Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5895
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0573
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1975
INFO RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0347
RUEHHE/AMEMBASSY HELSINKI 0210
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 7025
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 5110
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 3682
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0874
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 3762
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 1061
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 0341
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2843
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 7600
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 5301
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 0185
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000600 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
AID/W PLEASE PASS USAID/OFDA, USAID/ANE, USAID/CMM 
KATHMANDU FOR OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR WILLIAM BERGER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER AORC EAID CE
SUBJECT: HUMANITARIAN COORDINATION MEETING FOCUSES ON 
HEIGHTENED LTTE EFFORTS TO TARGET UN AND NGO PERSONNEL FOR 
FORCED RECRUITMENT 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  At the eighth meeting of Consultative 
Committee on Humanitarian Assistance on April 23 with 
Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Samarasinghe 
and Defense Secretary Rajapaksa, UN chief Lyons briefed on 
his April 20 trip to Killinochchi in which he expressed the 
UN's concern that UN and NGO local staff and other able 
bodied young men in LTTE-controlled areas face increased risk 
of forced recruitment.  The LTTE offered to look into the 
matter.  The LTTE refused clearance for a UN ship with a 
cargo of 5,000 metric tons of construction materials for 
Jaffna to jump start construction activities on the grounds 
that it could not guarantee the safety of waters it does not 
control.  (NOTE:  The LTTE's refusal is specious since the UN 
is only seeking a guarantee the LTTE will not attack the 
vessel.)  The GSL offered to transport the cargo on GSL 
vessels if the UN wishes to do so. The Ambassador briefed the 
Minister and Defense Secretary on an email sent April 17 from 
Karuna requesting that international NGOs fill out a 
questionnaire detailing their staff, budget, number of 
vehicles and even mobile telephone numbers. Samarasinghe 
responded that the government had looked into the matter and 
concluded that the email was a hoax. The Minister agreed to a 
suggestion by the Sri Lankan head of the Consortium of 
Humanitarian Agencies that he take the lead in briefing all 
NGOs that the letter was a hoax, and its request 
inappropriate and therefore no NGO should respond. End 
Summary. 
 
UN Visit to Killinochchi: UN and NGO Officials at Risk of 
Forced Recruitment 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  The Acting Head of UN Operations in Sri Lanka 
Frederick Lyons briefed on his trip of April 20 to 
Killinochchi.  He said the purpose of his trip was to meet 
with the UN team up there, deliver a letter from the UN on 
LTTE child recruitment, and a separate letter on forced 
recruitment of NGO staff who have faced an increased risk of 
recruitment in the last several weeks.  Lyons said the UN is 
concerned that all able-bodied young men are subject to 
forced recruitment in LTTE-controlled areas and noted that 
three UN staff narrowly escaped this fate the day before his 
arrival.  Tamilselvan promised to review the issue, but the 
UN does not hold out much hope of near-term progress.  Lyons 
noted that a group of international NGOs planned to meet 
separately this week with the LTTE to reinforce their 
concerns.  The head of the European Commission Humanitarian 
Office, David Verboom, used the occasion to ask for the 
Minister's support for the permission of the government for a 
Bilateral Donor Group of technical level diplomats to visit 
to Killinochchi.  Samarasinghe thought such a visit would be 
useful and undertook to get formal approval. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Lyons also requested LTTE clearance for a UN ship 
to transport 5,000 metric tons of construction materials to 
Jaffna to jump start construction activities and thereby 
improve livelihood opportunities.  He said that Tamilselvan 
responded in his usual manner that the LTTE could not 
guarantee the safe passage of UN flagged vessels because it 
did not control the waters around Sri Lanka.  (NOTE:  This is 
specious since the UN only requires a guarantee the LTTE will 
not attack the UN vessel.)  Lyons expressed disappointment 
that he would have to explore other options.  Minister 
Samarasinghe suggested the possibility of the UN consigning 
the construction materials to the government which would then 
take responsibility for transporting the materials to Jaffna. 
 Lyons agreed to explore this and other ideas with the 
 
COLOMBO 00000600  002 OF 002 
 
 
government. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Lyons concluded by raising the continuing 
difficulties UN staff were experiencing at 
government-controlled check points leading into 
LTTE-controlled areas.  He reported that his own delegation 
had their vehicles searched in contravention of international 
guidelines and that two UNHCR employees had been subjected to 
body searches on a different occasion.  He urged that 
instructions be given to staff at all checkpoints to follow 
international guidelines and practice. 
 
Government Says Alleged Karuna Email a Hoax 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  The Ambassador on behalf of the Co-Chairs briefed 
the Minister and Defense Secretary on an email sent April 17 
from Karuna requesting that international NGOs fill out a 
questionnaire detailing their staff, budget, number of 
vehicles and even mobile telephone numbers.  He explained 
that several NGOs had contacted the Embassy to ask for 
guidance on how to respond.  The Embassy advised them not to 
respond pending clarification by the government, since it was 
clearly inappropriate for Karuna or another paramilitary 
organization to request such details.  Ambassador asked for 
GSL guidance on the matter and requested that the GSL ask 
Karuna to withdraw his email.  After consulting with the 
Defense Secretary, the Minister said he had been briefed on 
the Ambassador's conversation with the Foreign Secretary on 
this subject (septel).  The government had looked into the 
matter and concluded that the email was a hoax. Samarasinghe 
agreed to a suggestion by the Sri Lankan head of the 
Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies that he take the lead in 
briefing all NGOs that the letter was a hoax, and its request 
inappropriate and therefore no NGO should respond. 
BLAKE