VZCZCXYZ0012
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLM #1071/01 3311155
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261155Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8978
INFO RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3502
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 6372
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4598
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2422
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4554
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0181
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3658
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 8805
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3043
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS COLOMBO 001071 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/INS - PLEASE PASS USAID/OFDA 
KATHMANDU FOR REFUGEE SECTION 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/OFDA 
 
REF: COLOMBO 1054 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PHUM PGOV EAID PREL CE
SUBJECT: Internally Displaced Persons in Mannar Living in Detention 
Conditions 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Government of Sri Lanka's push to regain 
military control over Mannar district met with success in early 
¶2008.  The government may soon approve return of displaced persons 
to their homes within the district.  However, over 800 persons, most 
originating from Jaffna and Kilinochchi, remain confined in two 
camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Mannar district: 
Kalimoddai and Sirukandal.  This situation of prolonged detention 
violates international practices on treatment of IDPs and Sri 
Lanka's Constitution.  Efforts by the office of the United Nations 
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to seek progress have met 
with limited success.  Post will continue to raise concerns about 
these conditions with GSL authorities.  End summary. 
 
Visit to Kalimoddai 
------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Kathmandu-based Deputy Refugee Coordinator visited the 
Kalimoddai "welfare camp" on November 20 with UNHCR protection 
staff.  The site is administered by Sri Lankan soldiers who stand 
guard at the IDP camp gate.  UNHCR was surprised to see that the Sri 
Lankan authorities had further militarized the welfare camp since 
the last visit; in addition to barbed wire surrounding the camp, the 
soldiers had created a corridor of barbed wire for IDPs to queue in 
during registration in and out of the camp. The camp resembled a 
detention site more than a humanitarian operation. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Camp residents described to us recently increased 
restrictions on their movement.  Two months ago, one individual had 
been granted permission to leave the site, and then disappeared; 
since then, anyone who leaves the camp during the day must leave a 
family member behind.  Over one hundred persons in the two camps do 
not have family with them and therefore cannot leave at all.  The 
residents perceive the restrictions as collective punishment. 
Children with school identification cards are permitted to leave to 
attend school nearby. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Humanitarian conditions at the site fall below 
international standards.  Sanitation is a problem, including lack of 
functioning latrines, as well as poor garbage collection.  Residents 
were clearly despondent about their continued confinement.   They 
appealed to Deputy RefCoord to tell the World Food Programme not to 
send any more food aid; they claim it is not enough, and just 
enables the GSL's continued policy of confinement.  It was clearly 
not the first time the residents had shared their concerns; as 
Deputy RefCoord left, the residents asked the UNHCR interpreter "not 
to bring any more of these people here" as it never seemed to 
improve their situation. 
 
Efforts to Intervene 
-------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) UNHCR continues to urge the GSL to resolve the situation of 
the two camps by appropriately screening for combatants, as they 
have in previous IDP settings, and granting the civilians cleared by 
this process freedom of movement.  In addition, UNHCR advocates on a 
case-by-case basis to secure the release of certain individuals. 
Recently, 22 individuals from Trincomalee district were released 
following UNHCR intervention.  One woman from Kalimoddai camp is 
separately pursuing in the courts a habeas corpus case with the help 
of a local NGO. 
 
Implications for Vanni IDP Outflux 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Staff from nongovernmental organizations and UN agencies 
expressed concern that the GSL could use this detention model in 
responding to future IDP outflows from the Vanni.   While most who 
have exited the Vanni through the Omanthai checkpoint have not been 
transferred to this site, some who arrived by boat in Trincomalee 
have been brought here.  UN reports that IDPs in the Vanni are aware 
of the detention conditions in Mannar, compounding rumors and fears 
of what will happen to them should they flee LTTE-controlled areas. 
Humanitarian staff question how the GSL would handle 200,000 IDPs 
 
from the Vanni if they cannot screen 800 people over the course of 
eight months. 
 
¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: Ambassador and other Mission staff have repeatedly 
raised USG concerns about the prison-like conditions in these camps 
and the deterrent effect they have on the willingness of IDPs now in 
the north to move into GSL-controlled areas (reftel). DCM and PolOff 
had planned to visit Mannar but were obliged to postpone their visit 
after the Defense Ministry denied permission due to security 
concerns related to the LTTE's November 27 "Heroes' Day" 
observances.  However, Ambassador and others will continue to raise 
U.S. concerns about the Kalimoddai and Surikandal camp conditions in 
meetings of the Committee for Coordination of Humanitarian 
Assistance (CCHA) and in other appropriate venues.  Future visits of 
USG officials to Vavuniya and Mannar would help ensure that Sri 
Lankan government officials are aware of broader U.S. Government 
humanitarian concerns regarding treatment of Sri Lanka's 
conflict-displaced persons. 
BLAKE