O 201021Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9417
INFO AMEMBASSY ATHENS 
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 
AMEMBASSY DHAKA 
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 
AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 
AMEMBASSY OSLO 
AMEMBASSY TOKYO 
AMCONSUL CHENNAI 
AMCONSUL MUMBAI 
AMCONSUL TORONTO 
USEU BRUSSELS
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 
USMISSION GENEVA 
HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
DIA WASHINGTON DC
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
SECDEF WASHDC
CDRUSARPAC FT SHAFTER HI//APCW/APOP//
CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J3/J332/J52//

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000186 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA (BOUCHER, CAMP), SCA/INS AND PRM 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID 
AID/W FOR ANE/SCA, DCHA/FFP (DWORKEN, KSHEIN) 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA (MORRISP, ACONVERY, RTHAYER, RKERR) 
ATHENS FOR PCARTER 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA (WBERGER) 
KATHMANDU FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA AND POL (SBERRY) 
GENEVA FOR RMA (NKYLOH, NHILGERT, MPITOTTI) 
USUN NEW YORK FOR ECOSOC (D MERCADO) 
SECDEF FOR OSD - POLICY 
PACOM ALSO FOR J-5 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MOPS PREF PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC CE
SUBJECT: Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 17 
 
Ref: A) Colombo 180,  B)Colombo 173,  C) Colombo 166,  D) Colombo 
157,  E) Colombo 152, F) Colombo 149, G) Colombo 148, H) Colombo 
145, I) Colombo 140, J) Colombo 138 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: On February 20, the Defense Secretary told the 
Ambassador that the army expects to push the remaining LTTE back to 
the safe zone within the next week (February 21-27).  He assured the 
Ambassador that the Government would at that point enter "passive 
mode" to permit civilians to flee.  He pledged the Government would 
continue to coordinate on providing food and medicine to trapped 
civilians.  IDP arrivals tapered off during the week of February 
15-20 but are expected to surge again.  The ongoing visit of UN 
Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes 
continued to receive prominent news coverage in the Sri Lankan 
press.   End summary. 
 
Defense Secretary Details Plan for Safe Zone 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) In a February 20 meeting, Defense Secretary Gotabhaya 
Rajapaksa told Ambassador that the Sri Lankan military is continuing 
to battle in Puthukkudiyiruppu (PTK) city.  The military has cleared 
the south and west portions of the city, and are now pushing back 
forces in the east part of the city.  The Defense Secretary noted 
they expect the city will be cleared in about a week (by February 
27).  Following this operation, the military will move in short 
order to occupy all land surrounding the safe zone.  The military is 
already close to the south end of the safe zone, and approaching 
from Chalai town in the north.  The Defense Secretary assured the 
Ambassador that once the military surrounds the safe zone, the 
military will go into "passive mode", withholding fire into the safe 
zone.  The military does not believe the LTTE has enough remaining 
cadres to patrol the borders of the 12x2 kilometer safe zone, and 
civilians will be able to flee into Government-controlled territory. 
 While civilians are fleeing, the Defense Secretary stated that the 
military "is prepared to wait".  The Defense Secretary reiterated 
that the Government will continue to facilitate food and medical 
supply shipments into the safe zone, and evacuation of sick and 
wounded out. 
 
UN, NGOs Expect Outflow 
----------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) The number of IDPs leaving the conflict zone has tapered off 
from thousands per day during the week of February 8-14, to several 
hundred per day during the week of February 15-20. However, 
humanitarian agencies anticipate a major outflow in the coming days 
and weeks.  UNHCR reports that 34,241 recent IDPs from the conflict 
are now in seventeen Government-appointed IDP sites in Mannar, 
Vavuniya, and Jaffna.  Neither ICRC nor UNHCR have access to monitor 
the Government's registration of IDPs.  Embassy will continue to 
press Government officials to permit such monitoring. 
 
¶4.  (U) UN and United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) report 
improved access for humanitarian agencies to provide assistance in 
the seventeen IDP sites.  UMCOR reports that food and non-food 
relief items needs of IDPs are being met, and IDPs receive an 
adequate water supply; however shelter and sanitation conditions 
require additional improvement. 
 
Mullaitivu Update 
----------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) An ICRC-flagged vessel ferried 30 MT of food aid to the safe 
zone on February 18 and returned empty. A new ICRC medical 
evacuation by sea for 400 persons is taking place on February 20 
(Ref A) on a vessel which transported medical supplies and 10-15 MT 
of food into the safe zone.  Of the 1212 persons evacuated in the 
prior three evacuation operations, over 400 are still being treated 
in hospitals, and approximately 700 have been transferred to 
Vavuniya.  World Concern reports that severe trauma cases are being 
sent to Kandy Hospital, as the hospital in Trincomalee is at 
capacity. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The UN World Food Program is negotiating with the 
Government on use of two tugboats to transport food to the safe zone 
on an ongoing basis, which would enable shipments totaling 250 - 300 
MTs per week.  As has been the case throughout the conflict, much of 
the food will be USAID Title II food aid. 
 
UN U/SYG Holmes Visit 
--------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) UN U/SYG for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief 
Coordinator Sir John Holmes began a three day visit to Sri Lanka on 
February 19.  Holmes traveled to Vavuniya on February 20 to meet 
with NGOs providing direct assistance and to view IDP camps.  His 
visit is receiving front billing in Sri Lankan papers and news 
reports.  Holmes commended the Government's efforts to deliver food 
aid to civilians trapped in the conflict area, and called on both 
the Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to 
ensure safety of civilians in the safe zone. 
 
Reported Civilian Casualties 
---------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Tamil sources from within the LTTE-controlled area claim 46 
civilians killed and 108 injured on February 19.  Reportedly, no 
persons reached Government-controlled territory on February 19. 
(Note: Such reports from Tamil sources cannot be confirmed and are 
frequently exaggerated.) 
 
BLAKE