O 100818Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9782
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 000412 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR SCA (BOUCHER), 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: PREF MOPS PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC CE
SUBJECT: Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 50 
 
Ref:  A) Colombo 410  B) Colombo 402  C) Colombo 401  D) Colombo 400 
 E) Colombo 396  F) Colombo 393  G) Colombo 384  H) Colombo 374  I) 
Colombo 368  J) Colombo 361  K) Colombo 360  L) Colombo 321 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  GSL officials reported that military operations 
are ongoing to create corridors through which civilians could escape 
the safe zone.  UNSYG Ban Ki Moon and President Rajapaksa discussed 
by phone a "humanitarian pause" in the fighting.  Subsequently, UN 
Resident Representative Buhne reported that Rajapaksa would announce 
a 4 day pause on April 12.  A/S Boucher and other Co-Chair 
representatives discussed strategies to free trapped civilians in a 
Co-Chairs conference call on April 9.  UN reports heavy shelling in 
the safe zone on April 8 and 9 with at least 61 killed and over 400 
injured.  ICRC evacuated 536 civilians on April 8 and is planning 
another major evacuation on April 10.  Ambassador will seek 
appointment with Foreign Minister Bogollagama on April 11 to discuss 
these issues.  End Summary. 
 
Military Works to Open Humanitarian Corridor 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Senior Government officials confirmed to Ambassador 
military plans to open humanitarian corridors to facilitate large 
scale civilian movement out of the safe zone.  According to the 
plan, snipers and Deep Penetration Units (DPU) already present in or 
just outside the safe zone would attempt to kill LTTE sentries on 
the perimeter of LTTE front lines which would free up areas through 
which civilians could flee.  Current efforts are focused on the 
north and northeastern sections of the safe zone.  Indian Embassy 
reports that these DPU units are operating in the safe zone to 
identify and pass targeting information on LTTE leadership there. 
There are unconfirmed reports that Karuna cadre scouts are assisting 
the DPU forces in the zone. 
 
¶3. (U) On the afternoon of April 10, MOD's website posted an 
announcement that the "largest hostage rescue mission in the world" 
had been launched.  The posting was vague about the details of the 
operation but stated that the military had identified "rescue 
points" for civilians and was "opening escape routes by removing 
terrorist blockades" while keeping the civilians informed about 
these routes through public address systems.  The posting indicated 
that "the rescue mission is also supported by limited offensives by 
troops conducted to make room for the hostages to come out of the 
LTTE hold." 
 
UNSYG-President Rajapaksa Call 
------------------------------ 
 
¶4. (SBU) MFA Additional Secretary for Multilateral and UN Affairs 
Prasad Kariyawasam confirmed that President Rajapaksa spoke with UN 
SYG Ban Ki Moon on April 9.  The President told UNSYG that he was 
considering a 48 hour pause in the fighting.  Subsequently, UN 
Resident Representative Buhne reported that Rajapaksa would announce 
a four day pause on Sunday (April 12).  (Note: The GSL has given no 
indication that the pause is being coordinated with any efforts to 
send a humanitarian assessment mission to the safe zone - the 
purpose of Post's and others' efforts to call for a pause in the 
 
fighting.)  Kariyawasam did not know if UNSYG and Rajapaksa 
discussed the appointment of a UN special envoy. 
 
Co-Chairs Conference Call 
------------------------ 
 
¶5. (SBU) A/S Boucher and Ambassador participated in a Co-Chairs 
conference call on April 9.  Participants agreed to focus efforts 
on: the appointment of a UN Special Envoy to negotiate the release 
of trapped civilians in the safe zone; encouraging Tamil diaspora 
groups to press the LTTE to release civilians; and pressing the GSL 
to adhere to clear, internationally recognized benchmarks and 
timetables for IDP camps.  The U.S. noted our concerns that the 
conduct of the military could impact the viability of a future IMF 
program. 
 
UN: Heavy Shelling in Safe Zone on April 8-9 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) UN Resident Representative Neil Buhne reported to 
Ambassador "exceptionally heavy" shelling in the safe zone April 8 
and 9.  Regional health directors still in zone reported that 40 
civilians were killed and 256 injured on April 8.  April 9 figures 
were 21 deaths and 159 injuries. 
 
ICRC Evacuates More Wounded; Medicine Needed 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) The ICRC reported that they evacuated 536 civilians on 
April 8, of which the majority were injured.  After intense shelling 
in the safe zone ICRC told Ambassador that 600 more wounded were 
waiting to be evacuated on April 9.  ICRC was planning on sending 
its boat back last night for an additional evacuation today (April 
10).  ICRC also reported that the stocks of medicine that went in on 
a March 22 shipment (Ref L) have been exhausted and once again are 
desperately needed.  The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that 
planning is underway for the next food shipment to the safe zone, 
tentatively scheduled for the end of next week.  WFP reported that 
Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa, during negotiations over the 
shipment, ominously stated that this shipment might be the last one 
to the safe zone.  (Comment: Basil's offhanded comment could be an 
indication that the military intends to finish its offensive within 
as little as two weeks.) 
 
GSL Struggling to Cope with IDP Influx 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 
(OCHA) reports that 60,583 persons have left the Vanni from October 
27 - April 6.  The vast majority of them are housed in IDP camps in 
Vavuniya (54,054).  OCHA reports new arrivals have been averaging 
700-800/day to Vavuniya over the past 12 days.  The Army informed 
OCHA to expect as many as 10,000 new IDPs this week.  OCHA informed 
USAID that camps are "extremely overcrowded."  UNHCR reports that 
clearing for new housing is proceeding including 60 acres within 
Manik Farms Zone 2 in Vavuniya.  UNHCR plans to hand over 3,000 
shelters to the government by April 12 in Zone 3 of the Manik Farms 
IDP camp.  To cope with the overcrowding a GSL official told OCHA 
informally that the government may need to house as many as 10 
 
people in each of the current shelters.  (Note: the shelters were 
constructed to hold 4-5 people.)  Additionally, the government has 
indicated that they may move some of the new IDPs into sections of 
the camps intended for long term living.  Most organizations 
providing support in the camps have resisted this but two local NGOs 
- Jesuit Relief Services and SewaLanka - have indicated a 
willingness to start erecting shelters in locations where longer 
term, more permanent structures, exist.  UNICEF reports that 
construction of a water supply project to bring water from a nearby 
river to the Manik Farms camp is underway and estimates it will be 
completed by mid-May. 
 
GSL Denies Chemical Weapons Accusations 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) Ambassador forwarded reports from Tamil groups that the GSL 
has used chemical weapons in fighting to Foreign Secretary Kohona 
urging the GSL to respond publicly.  In a private reply, Kohona 
categorically denied that the GSL had ever acquired chemical weapons 
and reported that the government has requested an investigation from 
the Office for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons into charges of 
chemical weapons use by the LTTE.  (Note: any investigation would 
cover both sides.)  Additionally, both ICRC and the Indian 
Ambassador reported that their medical teams treating wounded have 
come across no evidence of CW or phosphorous use. 
 
BLAKE