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FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7330
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 001652 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
(C O R R E C T E D C O P Y) CHANGING PARA 10 MARKING TO SBU 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS 
MCC FOR D NASSIRY AND E BURKE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL AORC PHUM MOPS CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA'S RELATIONS WITH UN DETERIORATING 
 
 
COLOMBO 00001652  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: The last month has seen a deterioration in 
the UN's already shaky relations with Sri Lanka.  On November 
12, JVP parliamentary floor leader Wimal Weerawansa made a 
speech to parliament in which he accused UNICEF of supporting 
the LTTE through contributions of money and vehicles.  On 
November 26, Weerawansa made a second statement to parliament 
accusing UNICEF and an AmCit UNICEF employee of attempting to 
provide food rations and armored vehicles to the LTTE.  On 
November 23, the Foreign Ministry asked UNICEF to take action 
against its staff members who allegedly participated in a 
demonstration in Colombo against the killing of two Red Cross 
workers.  The UN has warned that the recent controversy over 
UNICEF actions in Sri Lanka could harm the working 
relationship between the UN and Sri Lanka. In a separate 
incident, the GSL has voiced strong objection to a statement 
by UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura condemning the 
Sri Lankan military's attack on the Voice of Tigers (VOT) 
radio station. These latest actions track closely with the 
GSL's record of lashing out at international organizations 
and diplomats, particularly those who criticize GSL actions. 
The Ambassador plans to support a UN request for the GSL to 
issue a public statement indicating it has completed its 
investigation into alleged UNICEF improprieties, found no 
wrongdoing, and has confidence in the work of UN agencies. 
End Summary. 
 
JVP Accuses UNICEF AmCit of Aiding Tigers 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) On November 12, JVP member of parliament Wimal 
Weerawansa made a speech to parliament in which he accused 
UNICEF of supporting the LTTE.  He claimed that UNICEF has 
provided financial resources to the TRO, specifically Rs. 
11,327,784 (approximately USD 105,000) between 2000 and 2006. 
He also said that UNICEF gave a Land Cruiser vehicle to the 
LTTE, and that AmCit UNICEF employee Jennifer Taylor 
knowingly hired a "large number of members of the Tiger 
organization" to fill UNICEF positions.  On November 26, 
Weerawansa made second statement to parliament containing 
additional accusations against UNICEF and Taylor.  He told 
parliament that UNICEF imported 5640 packets of ready to eat 
meals for the use of the LTTE.  He noted that, "this kind of 
food is not for the consumption of civilians.  Usually, this 
kind of food is needed for military units that engage in 
guerrilla warfare."  Weerawansa has attributed the "smuggling 
of combat rations"  specifically to Taylor.  He also claimed 
that Taylor employed a local firm to armor UNICEF vehicles to 
be given to the LTTE.  Weerawansa said UNICEF had several 
vehicles armored, but kept only one for its own use. 
 
¶3. (U) The UN issued a response saying that "the consignment 
of Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs) was purchased by UNICEF on 
behalf of 12 UN and other agencies for the use of only staff 
in every UN office in Sri Lanka in the event of an emergency 
when food might be scarce.  This 'three day ration' is in 
accordance with global security measures stipulated by UN 
Headquarters, and is common practice throughout the world." 
According to Gordon Weiss, UNICEF spokesperson in Colombo, 
UNICEF has only modified one vehicle, and it is currently 
being used by UNICEF.  Weiss also noted that UNICEF stopped 
working with the TRO in early 2006. 
 
¶4. (U) The Foreign Ministry on November 23 said that UNICEF 
had agreed to publicize an audit of its transactions in Sri 
Lanka to prove there were no ongoing dealings with the TRO. 
Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama told parliament that 
UNICEF supplies being brought into the country would no 
longer be granted the usual diplomatic immunity from customs 
checks. On November 30, Sri Lankan security forces entered 
and placed a guard at UNICEF warehouses in Seeduwa, near the 
airport.  UNICEF spokesman Gordon Weiss said the agency was 
 
COLOMBO 00001652  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
notified beforehand.  On December 11, UNICEF Director 
Phillipe Duamelle told Ambassador that Bogollagama and 
Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa have been understanding 
of the problem in private and have committed to helping 
resolve it. The GSL has agreed to issue a public statement 
reporting that the Government has investigated the matter and 
found no wrongdoing by UNICEF, he said.  The GSL has not said 
when they will issue this statement.  Duamelle confirmed that 
the UNICEF warehouses remain closed, but said UNICEF has been 
allowed to remove some non-MRE items. 
 
GSL Objects to UNICEF Participation in Protest 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶5. (U) On November 23, the Foreign Ministry asked UNICEF to 
take action against its staff members who allegedly 
participated in a demonstration in Colombo against the 
killing of two Red Cross workers. Acting Foreign Secretary T. 
¶B. Maduwegedera specifically requested that UNICEF withdraw 
the international officer involved in the protest and 
terminate the national employee, noting that participation in 
a demonstration was a violation of the UNICEF mandate.  The 
UN office in Colombo is conducting its own investigation into 
the allegations that some of its staff members participated 
in the protest.  According to Weiss, the investigation and 
any necessary sanctions will be carried out by the end of 
December. 
 
UN Warns of Damaged Relationship 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) The UN has warned that the recent controversy over 
UNICEF actions in Sri Lanka could harm the working 
relationship between the UN and Sri Lanka. A UN statement on 
November 26 said that "In the estimation of the UN, this 
false impression undermines the security of every UN staff 
member, obstructs the implementation of basic development 
projects for all Sri Lankans, erodes the confidence of donor 
governments, and damages the generally excellent working 
relationship of the UN and the government." Neil Buhne, UN 
Resident Representative in Colombo, reiterated in a press 
statement on November 28 that, "Groundless public accusations 
can seriously compromise our ability to carry out 
humanitarian and development work and are also putting the 
safety and security of UN staff and NGO partners at risk." 
 
GSL Demands Retraction of UNESCO Statement 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) The GSL has voiced strong objection to a statement by 
UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura condemning the Sri 
Lankan military's attack on the Voice of Tigers (VOT) radio 
station.  Matsuura's statement said, "regardless of the 
content of the broadcasts aired by the Voice of Tigers, there 
can be no excuse for military strikes on civilian media. 
Such action contravenes the Geneva Convention..."  Sri 
Lanka's Ambassador in France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO 
Chitranganee Wagiswara delivered a letter of protest from the 
GSL to the DG demanding a retraction of the statement.  The 
letter notes that as a mouthpiece for the LTTE, the VOT is 
not a legitimate civilian radio station.  It also says the 
DG's reference in his statement to the "Geneva Convention" is 
out of context since there is no war or confrontation between 
two sovereign states in Sri Lanka.  On December 5, Foreign 
Minister Bogollagama told parliament that "Sri Lanka will not 
permit any international organization to be a vehicle for the 
LTTE by justifying its modes of operation" and said the 
Ministry would "exercise all means...to ensure that such 
statements are retracted or corrections made by the relevant 
agencies and authorities in the international arena."  On 
December 6, Bogollagama made another statement in Parliament 
 
COLOMBO 00001652  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
announcing a criminal investigation against UNICEF's 
importation of the rations and demanding the withdrawal of 
any international staff who had participated in 
demonstrations. 
 
Comment and Next Steps 
---------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) These latest controversies have had an adverse 
impact not only on the activities and employees of UN 
agencies in Sri Lanka, but also on all international NGOs 
working in Sri Lanka.  In a December 12 meeting with AID 
Director and Ambassador, international NGO representatives 
reported that their Tamil staff in particular feel 
increasingly exposed and some NGOs have had greater 
difficulty recruiting new staff as a result of these latest 
incidents.  Others report greater scrutiny of national and 
international staff at GSL checkpoints, particularly on the 
roads near LTTE-controlled areas. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Ironically, it has only been a few weeks since the 
government plastered Colombo with posters congratulating 
itself on getting Education Minister Susil Premajantha 
elected to the UNESCO board.  These latest attacks on the UN 
are consistent with the GSL's record of failing to first 
investigate allegations before lashing out at international 
organizations and diplomats, especially those who criticize 
GSL actions.  This has been a particular popular practice in 
the over-heated atmosphere surrounding this year's budget 
debates when the GSL has been eager to curry favor with the 
nationalist JVP.  UNICEF, in particular, offended the 
Government by citing the Sri Lankan military for its 
complicity in child recruitment by the LTTE-breakaway "Karuna 
group."  Jennifer Taylor and her husband, a USAID employee, 
are in the process of moving out of the country on the 
recommendation of UN security. 
 
¶10.  (C) The Ambassador has expressed concern to the GSL that 
Taylor was publicly named before any investigation had taken 
place thereby endangering her security and that of her 
family, which the GSL acknowledged was wrong.  The Ambassador 
will also support at the December 13 Coordinating Committee 
on Humanitarian Affairs meeting the UN request for the GSL to 
issue a public statement indicating it has completed its 
investigation into alleged UNICEF improprieties, found no 
wrongdoing, and has confidence in the work of UN agencies. 
Such a statement would go a long way to repairing the damage 
that has been caused. 
BLAKE