O 241149Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9633
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UNCLAS COLOMBO 000321 
 
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 38 
 
Ref:  A) Colombo 320  B) Colombo 316  C) Colombo 310  D) Colombo 307 
 E) Colombo 304  F) Colombo 299  G) Colombo 294  H) Colombo 287  I) 
Colombo 282  J) Colombo 279  K) Colombo 277 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Local contacts report LTTE abuses against 
civilians trapped in the conflict zone.  World Food Programme plans 
next shipment to conflict zone will depart the weekend of March 
28-29.  The Government's delivery of medical supplies on March 22 
lacked some supplies necessary to treat victims of conflict.  The 
Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare promises improvements 
in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Vavuniya.  UN 
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay raises Sri Lanka 
issues during a visit to India.  End Summary. 
 
Reports from Conflict Area 
-------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Humanitarian agencies with local staff still trapped in 
the conflict zone provided some details on communications from the 
Government-designated "safe zone".  The accounts detailed continued 
shelling on March 23, killing 102 and injuring some 140 civilians. 
Civilians are also reportedly dying in crossfire as the front lines 
get closer to the safe zone. Contacts report the LTTE continues to 
prohibit flight, forcibly recruits from among young and old, and is 
killing those who resist orders.  They note that for the LTTE, "age 
is not an issue anymore for recruitment/ building defenses."  Rumors 
again circulated that the LTTE punched holes in boats along the 
shore to prevent people from escaping.  Workers report that they 
want to leave, but are scared to cross the front line.  After the 
March 17 civilian retaliation against the LTTE, local workers report 
the LTTE used arms against civilians, causing many injuries.  A 
worker sent a message that on March 17-18, "36 [civilian] deaths by 
LTTE rifle fire. I saw some bodies.  But can't take photos.  This 
will affect me.  This is increasing.  Can't live here.  Highly risky 
now." 
 
Next Food Shipment Planned 
-------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) The World Food Programme plans to start loading another food 
aid shipment as early as this weekend (March 28-29) destined for the 
conflict area in Mullaitivu.  Depending on the availability of 
vessels, as much as 1030 MTs could be shipped, including 30 MTs of 
corn-soya blend.  This fortified product will be used to supplement 
the nutrition content of the ration.  The remainder of the shipment 
will include rice, wheat flour, lentils, oil, and sugar.  WFP's 
Country Director reports that the total number of IDPs who have left 
the conflict area since January is 44,220.  Of these, 38,082 are in 
transit sites in Vavuniya District, 4,861 in Jaffna, 856 in Mannar, 
464 in Trincomalee, and 957 in Pulmodai (site of India's makeshift 
hospital). 
 
Details on Medical Shipment 
--------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Post received additional details on the 2-ton medical 
shipment received in the conflict area on March 22 (Ref A).  In 
terms of treatment of chronic medical conditions, the supplies were 
adequate for one to two weeks and included vaccines (mumps, rubella, 
 
measles) and a lot of antibiotics.  However, tetanus was not among 
the vaccines, though it is the classic vaccine needed for war 
wounds.  There were also some supplies for trauma patients (IV 
fluids and dressing materials), but an inadequate amount given the 
numbers of wounded (50 - 150 new patients per day at the 
Puthumathalan facility).  There were no blood bags or anesthetics 
sent, and now no surgeries are being performed in the conflict zone; 
only temporary measures to stem bleeding. 
 
Minister's Promises to Camp Residents 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Government-owned newspaper "Daily News" reports on the 
visit to two IDP camps in Vavuniya of the Minister of Social 
Services and Social Welfare and Chairman of the Special Task 
Committee of the Northern Province Douglas Devananda.  The Minister 
met with camp residents on March 16, when he pledged to locate 
missing persons and reunite people with their family members, and to 
permit those with disabilities to be housed in separate facilities. 
The minister pledged that residents of the camps in Vavuniya would 
receive firewood for cooking, and educational and writing material 
for schoolchildren. (Comment: Devananda's Eelam People's Democratic 
Party has negligible popular support, but also functions as a highly 
feared paramilitary force responsible for many human rights 
abuses.) 
 
Human Rights Commissioner Comments on Sri Lanka 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶6.  (U) According to press accounts, United Nations High 
Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay discussed Sri Lankan 
issues during her meeting in Delhi with Government of India's 
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on March 23.  She noted 
to reporters that she has asked Colombo to allow human rights 
monitors to visit the country and assess the situation in the North; 
"I have asked the Sri Lanka government to allow human rights 
monitors there. I have not got any response."  She commented further 
on Sri Lanka's military push to eradicate the LTTE: "Our view is 
that you can never succeed through military solution.  The problem 
can be solved politically."  Her comments came in the wake of 
reports that a 60-year old grandfather committed suicide by 
self-immolation in India's Tamil Nadu state on March 23 in protest 
over the situation of civilians trapped in the conflict zone, 
becoming the tenth such suicide among Tamils living in India. 
 
Reported Civilian Casualties 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Tamil sources from within the LTTE-controlled area report 
102 civilians were killed and 140 injured on March 23.  These 
sources report 139 arrivals into Government-controlled territory on 
March 23. (Note: Such reports from Tamil sources cannot be confirmed 
and are frequently exaggerated.) 
 
BLAKE