O 231218Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9630
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 000320 
 
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 37 
 
Ref:  A) Colombo 316  B) Colombo 310  C) Colombo 307  D) Colombo 304 
 E) Colombo 299  F) Colombo 294  G) Colombo 287  H) Colombo 282  I) 
Colombo 279  J) Colombo 277  K) Colombo 265 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  The Government provided a 2-ton shipment of 
medical supplies for civilians in the conflict area on March 22, the 
first in a month.  Following on the death of a local CARE worker in 
the conflict area, the Government accused both CARE and the deceased 
of supporting the LTTE.  The next delivery of food to trapped 
civilians will not occur until earliest March 26.  Ambassador 
emphasized to Foreign Minister Bogollagama the need to stop shelling 
and provide regular shipments of food and medicine to the trapped 
civilians.  Large numbers of civilians continue to flee the conflict 
area.  End Summary. 
 
Shipment of Medical Supplies 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The Government provided via ICRC-flagged vessel a 2-ton 
shipment of medicines and medical supplies to the conflict zone on 
March 22, the first such shipment since February 20.  These items 
could last for two to three weeks and represent a very positive 
step.  ICRC confirms that surgical items were included, including 
antibiotics and intravenous drugs.  Rabies vaccination was needed, 
and was provided.  However, no anesthetics were part of the shipment 
and continue to be desperately needed.  On March 23, Ambassador 
urged Foreign Minister Bogollagama to ensure regular delivery of 
urgently needed food and medicine to trapped civilians. 
 
Less Shelling in Civilian Concentrations 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) ICRC reports that the weekend of March 21-22 saw an 
improvement, but not a cessation, in shelling affecting the trapped 
civilian population, in part because civilians have moved closer to 
the coast.  The aerial bombardment that has taken place has been on 
the edge of the safe zone.  This improvement could be temporary; 
Embassy will continue to monitor reports of shelling and aerial 
bombings.  The Ambassador underlined to the foreign minister that 
shelling continued over the weekend, albeit at a reduced rate.  The 
March 22 ICRC evacuation still included persons wounded by shrapnel. 
 
Ministry of Defense Accusation Against CARE 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On March 17, a 24-year old CARE local employee R. Sabesan 
was wounded in the leg by shelling in the Government-designated 
"safe zone".  No medical treatment was available, and he later died 
from the injury.  The Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Sri 
Lanka issued a statement regarding his death on March 19, remarking, 
"unfortunately, the death of Mr. Sabesan is an insight into the 
larger circumstances confronting civilians trapped by fighting in 
the conflict area."  On March 23, the Ministry of Defense posted on 
its website a diatribe accusing CARE and Sabesan of aiding the LTTE. 
 CARE Country Director Nick Osborne commented to Ambassador that 
they have no reason to believe the worker had affiliation with the 
LTTE, and that he had been preparing to risk flight from the 
conflict zone the following day with his family.  Osborne further 
 
notes that CARE was fully cooperating with the Government's 
investigation of another employee mentioned in the statement. 
Ambassador suggested Osborne raise the issue directly with Defense 
Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, and further offered to accompany him. 
 Osborne intends to wait several days for the rhetoric to calm 
before deciding on an approach. 
 
Next Food Delivery Delayed 
-------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) World Food Programme (WFP) reports that the "Vin-Tan" 
vessel which carried 1000MT of food (largely US food aid) to the 
conflict area from March 8 through 19 is not immediately available 
for another trip.  The Government advised WFP that the 
Government-owned ship is needed in Jaffna, and would not be 
available to WFP until at earliest March 26.  At least 500MT of food 
is needed to support the estimated 150,000-plus people per week at 
survival rations level.  Any delay beyond a week could imperil the 
estimated 150,000 civilians, who suffered insufficient food 
shipments in February 2009.  Ambassador has emphasized the 
importance of regular shipments in his meetings with senior 
Government officials, including in a March 23 meeting with Foreign 
Minister Bogollagama. 
 
Local Worker's Flight 
--------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Another UN agency has received direct information from a 
local worker regarding departure of civilians from the conflict area 
on the night of March 17-18 following civilian retaliations against 
the LTTE (Ref B).  This local worker for a UN agency shared details 
of his flight with a group of some 20 civilians, crossing a river in 
the dark to reach the Sri Lankan army camp.  They were well-treated 
upon arrival, and received food at every point of their journey from 
the conflict zone to camps in Vavuniya.  This worker detailed abuses 
by the LTTE against trapped civilians in the conflict zone, 
including summary execution of people for not complying with cadres' 
orders or for opposing forced recruitment.  He reports that anyone 
from the age of 12 years is eligible for forced labor and 
recruitment by the LTTE in what he called the "death field" where no 
food is available. According to this worker, he spent "2 days 
walking up and down the no fire zone with 30,000 rupees (US $265) in 
his pocket, however not even a grain of rice could be bought." 
(Comment: the first 500MT food shipment was not fully offloaded 
until March 13, so this food aid came late for many. This report 
further illustrates civilians' reliance on food aid delivered by 
sea. End comment.) 
 
IDPs in Jaffna 
-------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Most internally displaced persons leaving the conflict 
zone are being taken to Vavuniya (and in particular, Manik Farms). 
Several groups of civilians have fled by boat to the Jaffna 
peninsula; most of these arrivals are transferred to Vavuniya, with 
the exception of those originally from Jaffna.  As of March 16, some 
3,500 new arrivals since December 1, 2008 were housed in six sites 
in Jaffna area.  UNHCR, UNICEF and ICRC have access to the sites, 
though several INGOs have not received permission to enter these 
 
locations. 
 
Civilian Casualties and IDP Outflow 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Tamil sources from within the LTTE-controlled area report 
131 civilians were killed and 133 injured on March 20-22.  These 
sources report 1,695 arrivals into Government-controlled territory 
on March 20, including 455 ICRC-assisted evacuees, and 55 who fled 
by sea.  These sources also report 1,163 arrivals on March 21, of 
whom 108 fled by sea and were rescued by the Navy (Note: Such 
reports from Tamil sources cannot be confirmed and are frequently 
exaggerated.  However, in this instance the number of arrivals align 
with Government figures of some 3,000 arrivals for the same period.) 
 
BLAKE