O 211119Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9845
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 000448 
 
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 57 
 
REF:  A) Colombo 435  B) Colombo 432  C) Colombo 425  D) Colombo 418 
 E) Colombo 414  F) Colombo 413  G) Colombo 412  H) Colombo 411  I) 
Colombo 402  J) Colombo 401  K) Colombo 400  L) Colombo 396  M) 
Colombo 393 and previous 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Events continued to move rapidly on April 21 in 
and around the No-Fire Zone (NFZ).  Government forces reported 
splitting the NFZ in two, reaching the beach near Putumattalan. 
Civilian evacuees on April 20 totaled 35,000-40,000 according to 
Government statements, with an additional 25,000 escaping April 21. 
Exact civilian casualties are unknown, but some estimate 1,000 dead 
and 2,000 injured inside the NFZ since the morning of April 20.  The 
Government gives no indication it will slow or stop this offensive, 
planning to control the northern half of the NFZ by day's end and 
then concentrate on the remaining portion between Putumattalan and 
Mullaitivu.  Aid shipments into the NFZ are on hold until a new 
landing site can be established.  LTTE forces continue to fire on 
civilians trying to escape the NFZ. Paragraph 17 contains suggested 
advocacy and press points.  End summary. 
 
ARMY COMMANDER'S SITUATION REPORT 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Ambassador spoke with Army Commander Fonseka late this 
morning local time.  Fonseka estimated a total of 60,000 evacuees 
since the offensive began early April 20, including 25,000 today 
(much less than the figure of 80,000 given by UN and other SL 
military sources earlier on April 21).  The General says an 
additional 2,000 have come out by sea.  General Fonseka estimated 
20-25,000 civilians remain inside the NFZ. (COMMENT: An alternative 
explanation for the discrepancy between the early April 21 reports 
of 80,000 evacuees and the 25,000 given by General Fonseka later in 
the day would be that the military is now adjusting the numbers of 
escapees in accord with its earlier low estimates of how many 
civilians remained in the NFZ.) 
 
¶3. (SBU) Ambassador asked how so many civilians were able to leave 
and if the LTTE were allowing them to do so.  General Fonseka 
replied that the LTTE was in fact shooting at civilians attempting 
to depart, both on land and on sea, and using suicide bombers to 
prevent their departure.  He said that the SLA is now right up to 
the LTTE lines, so that when the SLA opens a breach in the LTTE 
lines, the civilians are able to come out. 
 
¶4. (SBU) General Fonseka (despite previous denials that the Sri 
Lanka forces had entered the No-Fire Zone) told us the SLA has split 
the NFZ in two, and predicted that the northern area would be 
cleared today.  Ambassador, noting we had received reports of 
artillery use, stressed the crucial importance of avoiding civilian 
casualties and not using artillery and other indiscriminate weapons. 
 Fonseka said the LTTE is firing artillery and that the SLA has not 
used artillery in the last two days.  He said the SLA is primarily 
using rifles and occasionally "infantry mortars" to fire at hardened 
LTTE positions when less than 50 meters away.  He said the civilians 
were well behind these LTTE positions. 
 
¶5. (SBU) General Fonseka said Prabhakaran was still in the NFZ as of 
April 20 but speculated that he will try to leave soon.  He also 
stated "lots of LTTE cadres" are leaving with the genuine civilians, 
 
dressed in civilian clothes and without weapons. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Ambassador urged General Fonseka to allow the UN to 
continue to deliver food and medicine, the ICRC to evacuate the 
wounded, and to allow pauses in fighting, including permitting a UN 
team to negotiate the release of the remaining civilians with the 
LTTE.  Fonseka replied the humanitarian agencies were welcome to get 
food and medicine in and evacuate wounded civilians from the sea, 
but that the army could not agree to a cease-fire because the LTTE 
would only use it to regroup.  He noted that if the ICRC does send a 
boat to evacuate wounded still trapped in the NFZ, it will have to 
find a new landing spot further south, since Putumattalan is now in 
SLA hands. 
 
CONDITIONS IN NO-FIRE ZONE 
-------------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Post spoke directly with a source inside the NFZ on the 
morning of April 21.  The source reported heavy shelling from the 
SLA earlier in the day, but said it had now stopped.  He estimated 
civilian casualties in the NFZ since the most recent SLA offensive 
began on April 20 at 1,000 dead and 2,000 injured, although it is 
unclear if the source was able to get a solid sense of today's 
casualties.  (Pro-LTTE sources are citing significantly higher 
numbers of killed and wounded civilians.)  He also reported that a 
Government Agent inside the NFZ (note: a Sri Lankan official) 
estimated there are still 200,000 civilians inside the NFZ. 
(COMMENT: This number appears high to us; it is unclear whether this 
includes the 25,000 to 80,000 evacuees variously reported on April 
21 alone.  Regardless, the numbers who have already left clearly 
exceed the GSL's estimates of civilians remaining under LTTE control 
over the past several weeks - about 60,000.) 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The source believed that the GSL has used the lower 
estimates to reduce the amount of food going into the NFZ in order 
to increase the pressure on civilians to leave.  He said the LTTE 
was trying to push civilians further south in the NFZ, and was still 
firing at civilians trying to escape north into the 
Government-controlled area.  Source confirmed that the landing point 
for the food shipments and medical evacuations is now under 
Government control, and they are trying to locate a new landing site 
further south in the NFZ. 
 
FOOD SHIPMENT/MEDICAL EVACUATION ON HOLD 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) According to UN resident coordinator Neil Buhne, the 
planned shipment of about 1,000 metric tons of food scheduled to 
depart the evening of April 20 did not receive clearance (presumably 
because of heavy fighting in the Putumattalan area).  The 
Putumattalan landing site is now in government control, where few 
IDPs are now located.  Buhne said that the UN was working with the 
government and the LTTE to agree on a new site further south in the 
NFZ for the ship to land.  According to Buhne, a second ship would 
be sent to evacuate wounded. 
 
STATUS OF UN TEAM ENTRY UNCLEAR 
------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Buhne told Ambassador he had spoken on April 21 to 
Foreign Minister Bogollagama and Presidential Chief of Staff Lalith 
Weeratunga concerning a response to his letter requesting permission 
for an initial advance UN team to enter the NFZ.  Buhne reported 
that Bogollagama replied, "you will receive an official 
notification," without previewing the response.  Weeratunga 
questioned whether a team was still needed.  Buhne stressed that it 
was, but reported that the conversation soon turned into an 
unproductive discussion about how many IDPs remained in the zone. 
Buhne told us the UN was still checking its numbers, but would 
release them in a public statement over his name later today in an 
effort to increase pressure on the GSL to allow a UN mission. 
 
ICRC REPORT ON WOUNDED 
---------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) The ICRC told Ambassador on April 21 that during the 
hostilities near Putumattalan hospital, the staff moved about 500 
patients south to Vellimullivaikal, at the southern end of the safe 
zone.  About 100 wounded patients were still at a second, smaller 
medical facility in Valayanmadam in the center of the safe zone. 
The ICRC stressed that it is extremely difficult to get accurate 
estimates of wounded waiting to be evacuated at present, but thought 
it could not be less than 1,000. 
 
GOVERNMENT BRIEFS DIPLOMATS 
--------------------------- 
 
¶12.  (SBU) On the evening of April 20 Bogollagama, the Sri Lankan 
Air Force Commander and the Air Force Operations Director gave a 
briefing on the day's events to diplomatic representatives from the 
US, India, Japan, China, Russia, and the UK, and the UN Resident 
Coordinator.  The officials stated 35,000 civilians came out toward 
the west from the NFZ near Putumattalan after SLA troops had come 
very close to the NFZ and breached an earthen berm put up by the 
LTTE.  As of late on April 20, the Army had registered 23,000 of 
these civilians, with 12,000 waiting to be processed.  Once 
processed, they would be bused to Kilinochchi, then to Omanthai and 
on to Vavuniya. 
 
¶13. (SBU) During the day, another 5,000 civilians moved north within 
the NFZ and along the beach.  Aerial reconnaissance video shown at 
the briefing appeared to show LTTE cadres shooting into the sand in 
front of a large number of civilians to prevent their advance.  The 
civilians nevertheless continued northward out of the NFZ and are 
now in government-controlled territory, the GSL reported. 
 
¶14. (SBU) The Foreign Minister stated that with the exit on April 20 
of about 40,000 civilians and the 67,000 other civilians already out 
of the safe zone, approximately 107,000 civilians had left.  He 
surmised that as of April 20 evening approximately 20,000 to 30,000 
civilians remained in the safe zone.  The UN Resident Representative 
responded that the number of civilians still inside the NFZ was very 
likely larger. 
 
PLACEMENT OF NEW CIVILIAN EVACUEES 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶15.  (SBU) UNHCR told USAID mission on April 21 that there were 
 
about 5,000 IDPs at the former Omanthai crossing point, 12000 
between Kilinochchi and Omanthai (reportedly moving on their own), 
and between 40000 between the conflict area and Kilinochchi.  UNHCR 
estimated about 40000 more were poised to cross over to government 
lines, but all these latest figures from UNHCR are originating with 
the government.  The government had allocated five new sites 
allocated for roughly 13000 IDPs.  The GSL had told UNHCR on April 
20 that it plans to empty more schools around Vavuniya to provide 
more room.  ICRC told us it still has "quite a bit" of unused tent 
capacity.  The GSL was confident it could handle the 40,000 new IDPs 
from April 20 at the main Manik Farm site, with room for 2,500 
additional persons in Zone 1, 28,000-35,000 persons in Zone II with 
7,000 tents, and 5,000 to 6,000 persons in Zone III.  Water, 
sanitation and hygiene issues will be difficult to manage, however. 
UNHCR noted that supplies going in to the camp are still being 
stopped at the Medawachchiya checkpoint at times. 
 
ICRC REPORTS ONGOING VISA PROBLEMS 
------------------------------ 
 
¶16. (SBU) ICRC continues to have difficulties with visa applications 
to the Sri Lankan Government for their international staff.  They 
have 13 pending requests for staff destined to work in the Vanni 
region.  This includes 3 existing surgical team positions, and entry 
visas for 7 short support mission positions and for 3 long-term 
protection delegate positions.  There have been 13 other visa 
requests denied by the Ministry of Defense.  Separately, ICRC has an 
additional 12 pending visa request for staff going to other parts of 
the country. 
 
SUGGESTED PUBLIC/PRIVATE ADVOCACY POINTS 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶17.  (U) Post suggests the following themes to be stressed in both 
public and private discussions: 
 
- Welcome the escape of tens of thousands of civilians from the 
conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka. 
- Remain deeply concerned about the large number of civilians who 
are still caught in the conflict area. 
- Condemn efforts by the Tamil Tigers to prevent civilians from 
leaving and urge them to allow freedom of movement to all civilians. 
 
- Ensuring the safety and security of those civilians who remain in 
the conflict area and respecting international humanitarian law must 
be the foremost priority of both the Government of Sri Lanka and the 
Tamil Tigers. 
- To prevent further casualties, both sides must refrain from 
indiscriminate fire and using heavy weapons. 
- Fully support the UN Secretary- General's call for UN staff to be 
allowed into the conflict zone to facilitate relief. 
- Urge the Sri Lanka Government to pursue diplomacy to permit a 
peaceful outcome of this standoff in the "no fire zone." 
-GSL should allow UN/ICRC access to all sites where IDPs are being 
registered and sheltered to ensure maximum transparency. 
 
BLAKE