VZCZCXRO5031
PP RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #0087 0261229
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 261229Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9244
INFO RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1270
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 8271
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 6488
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4664
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2576
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4623
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3729
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 8931
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 6275
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 0843
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3148
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000087 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KOCI PHUM MARR CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: TMVP RELEASES 15 CHILD SOLDIERS; 
PROMISES TO FREE 25 MORE 
 
REF: A. COLOMBO 053 
     ¶B. 08 COLOMBO 1108 
     ¶C. 08 COLOMBO 1102 
     ¶D. 08 COLOMBO 975 
     ¶E. 08 COLOMBO 654 
     ¶F. 08 COLOMBO 462 
 
PARAMILITARY RELEASES 15 CHILD SOLDIERS 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶1. (U) On January 23 the TMVP released 15 child soldiers to 
UNICEF and pledged to release an additional 25 within the 
coming weeks.  The TMVP's action represents the first 
significant large-scale release since April 2008 and the 
first positive step towards resolving the child soldier 
problem since TMVP head Vinayagamurthi Muralitharan ("Colonel 
Karuna Amman") returned from his detention in the UK on July 
3, 2008 (ref E).  On January 12 DCM, (and separately, UNICEF 
Sri Lanka head Philippe Duammelle and GSL Justice Secretary 
Suhada Gamalath) met Karuna and pressed him to deliver 
results on child soldiers (ref A). As of January 26 UNICEF 
was still determining how many of the 15 released children 
represented cases already documented in UNICEF files.  (Note: 
in general UNICEF estimates that its records probably capture 
about one-third of the total child soldier cases.)  At the 
end of December 2008 UNICEF reported 53 children still under 
18 serving in the TMVP. 
 
WHAT WOULD CONSTITUTE "EFFECTIVE MEASURES"? 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) If the TMVP follows through on its commitment and 
frees 25 additional children, these two significant releases 
together would represent substantial progress toward 
eliminating the problem of child soldiering within the TMVP. 
However, before Post could recommend to the Secretary a 
certification to Congress that the GSL was taking "effective 
measures" to end the problem, we would: 
 
-- Await UNICEF's determination of how many of those 40 
children were on already their lists and therefore how many 
outstanding cases remained.  Post does not believe that 
UNICEF would have to clear its books and reduce that number 
to zero (the fate of some of the children may never be 
known).  However, we would expect to see a substantial 
reduction in the total number of known cases remaining. 
 
-- Verify that at least two months have passed without any 
new or re-recruitment by the TMVP.  Otherwise, we could have 
little confidence that the resolution of the problem was on a 
sustainable basis. While the overall number on UNICEF's roles 
has decreased over the course of 2008, in each month new and 
re-recruitment, albeit in very small numbers, has occurred in 
the Eastern Province. 
 
-- Confirm with UNICEF that it is receiving access to TMVP 
camps and offices for unannounced inspections. The Action 
Plan signed by the GSL, TMVP and UNICEF commits the TMVP to 
open up their camps to UNICEF for spot inspections.  Such 
inspections should reveal no new cases to UNICEF. 
 
-- Witness the beginning of a broad public awareness campaign 
by the GSL.  The public awareness campaign UNICEF and the GSL 
hope to launch on or about February 23 would represent a 
valuable effort to communicate the government's zero 
tolerance policy to the general public.  It would be a 
further indication of the GSL's firm commitment to end the 
use of child soldiers in the country. 
Blake