O 011237Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9719
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 00374 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA (BOUCHER), SCA/IS AND PRM 
STATE ALSO PASS USAID 
AID/W FOR ANE/CA, DCHA/FFP (DWORKEN, KSHEIN) 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFA (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: PREF MOPS PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC CE
SUBJECT: Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 44 
 
Ref:  A) Colombo 368  B) Colombo 361  C) Colombo 360  D) Colombo 357 
 E) Colombo 351  F) Colombo 342  G) Colombo 329  H) Colombo 321  I) 
Colombo 320  J) Colombo 316  K) Colombo 310 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The U.N. now reports 3937 civilians killed and 
more than 9000 injured since January 20.  78% of those killed were 
in the safe zone.  The U.N. has received reports that the Army has 
fired on escaping civilians.  The planned food aid shipment to the 
safe zone has been delayed.  UNHCR issued a press release welcoming 
GSL initiatives to release IDPs with special needs while pointing 
out areas that needed improvement.  The GSL has agreed to establish 
IDP camps away from Vavuniya.  UNHCR reports 57,412 new arrivals to 
GSL territory since November 2008. End Summary 
 
"Safe Zone" Only in Name 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (SBU) The U.N. reports that 3937 civilians have been killed and 
over 9000 injured from January 20 to March 31.  Of those killed, 78% 
(3085 out of 3937) were in the GSL declared safe zone.  The UN 
estimates that approximately 7600 of the 9000 wounded were in the 
safe zone as well.  NGO local staff still resident in the Vanni 
reported aerial bombing within the safe zone on March 30.  The staff 
reported that jets dropped 4-5 bombs on three separate occasions. 
 
SLA Firing on Civilians 
Escaping LTTE Territory 
----------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) During a March 31 coordination meeting with Diplomatic 
Missions and International Organizations, UN officials present 
relayed reports they had received from serving soldiers and officers 
on leave from the front that soldiers had fired on escaping 
civilians.  According to the reports the soldiers remain concerned 
about suicide bombers disguised as civilians fleeing the conflict 
zone and had orders to use their own judgment when escaping 
civilians might pose a threat.  As a result of these loose rules of 
engagement soldiers, at times, had fired on civilians fleeing the 
conflict area.  Post is attempting to set up a meeting with the 
source of these reports to verify their validity. 
 
Food Aid Shipment Delayed 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) UNICEF and UNHCR reported that the planned departure of the 
cargo ship "Dublin" with 1000MT of food aid and other material was 
delayed last night (March 31).  The U.N. hopes to get clearance for 
the ship to depart tonight (April 1). 
 
UNHCR Welcomes Positive 
Developments at IDP Sites 
------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) UNHCR issued a press release on March 31 welcoming GSL 
initiatives to start the process of releasing IDPs with special 
needs (371 elderly persons have been released to date).  The 
statement also noted that the GSL was beginning the process of 
facilitating visits by relatives of IDPs to the sites.  While 
praising certain GSL initiatives, UNHCR also called for unhindered 
 
access at the Omanthai screening center, greater freedom of movement 
for IDPs and the demilitarization of camps in Vavuniya and Mannar. 
Additionally, UNHCR called for the prompt registration of camp 
residents to speed their release to potential host families.  (Note: 
the government is currently in the process of registering and 
providing ID cards to the IDPs.  Minister for Human Rights 
Samarasinghe stated on March 31 that once camp residents were 
registered freedom of movement for IDPs would improve.  The Minister 
also publicly confirmed that the Ministry of Resettlement had taken 
over from the Army management of the camps.) UNHCR reports that the 
number of new arrivals to GSL-controlled territory since Noveber 
2008 now stands at 57,412. 
 
GSL Agrees to stablish IDP 
Camps Away from Vavuniya 
--------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) In an important brakthrough, the GSL has agreed to the 
longstanding UN and donor suggestion that it allow IDP camps to be 
established away from Vavuniya.  The head of a local NGO who 
attended a March 30 meeting with Basil Rajapaksa briefed the Embassy 
that Basil had agreed to allow Sewalanka to build a new camp for 
IDPs in Pulmoddai, the same town where India has a medical team 
providing care for wounded and sick IDPs coming out of the safe 
zone.  The initial camp capacity will have shelter for 2,000 
families.  Rajapaksa also was amenable to suggestions for additional 
camps o be established in Mannar and potentially Madhu, near Mannar. 
 UNHCR will fund these camps with help from Norway.  (Comment:  the 
GSL has resisted suggestions to allow camps away from Vavuniya, 
probably to maintain some military control over the camps.  But 
serious overcrowding in Vavuniya, shortages of water, and steady 
donor pressure convinced the GSL to relax its restrictions.  These 
new camps will also be further from the paramilitaries operating in 
Vavuniya and thus less vulnerable to possible threats from them.) 
 
High-Profile LTTE Casualties 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) The military announced that the LTTE leader's son Charles 
Anthony was injured in an Army attack north of Puthukudiiruppu (PTK) 
today (April 1).  The military, citing intercepted LTTE 
communication, also announced that the LTTE's technical wing chief 
¶S. Kirupakaran alias Madivalahan was confirmed killed following a 
confrontation with Sri Lankan security forces at the Mullaitivu 
battlefront recently. 
 
Civilian Casualties and IDP Outflow 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Sources from within the LTTE-controlled area report 46 
civilians were killed and 118 injured on March 31.  (Note: Such 
reports from Tamil sources cannot be confirmed and are frequently 
exaggerated.) 
 
BLAKE