VZCZCXRO5426
OO RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #0484/01 1241039
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 041039Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9913
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1157
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0227
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3803
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1630
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 8627
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 6863
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4939
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2991
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4900
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4006
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 9256
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 6566
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 1107
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3489
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CDRUSARPAC FT SHAFTER HI//APCW/APOP//
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J3/J332/J52//

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000484 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
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 65 
 
REF: A)  Colombo 477 B) Colombo 470 C) Colombo 469 D) Colombo 464 E) 
Colombo 459 F) Colombo 456 G) Colombo 454 H) Colombo 448 I) Colombo 
435 J) Colombo 432 K) Colombo 425 and previous 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: President Rajapaksa has invited co-Chairs 
Ambassadors to a meeting on May 5; post requests guidance from 
Washington.  The Government of Sri Lanka continued to refute reports 
of shelling in the civilian safe zone, and accused the UN of 
"spying" following the leak of a UNOSAT report containing satellite 
imagery of shelling damage.  Embassy sources and the media report 
shelling of a makeshift hospital within the safe zone on May 2. 
Japanese Representative Yasushi Akashi departed Sri Lanka on May 2 
with few tangible outcomes, and a British delegation including 
former Defense Secretary Des Browne arrived on May 4.  Aid agencies 
warn too little food is entering the conflict zone.  END SUMMARY. 
 
MAY 5 MEETING WITH PRESIDENT 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2.  President Mahinda Rajapaksa has invited co-Chairs Ambassadors in 
Colombo to a discussion on May 5.  Post appreciates Department 
guidance for this discussion following the Co-Chairs phone call 
today, May 4. 
 
GSL ACCUSES UN OF "SPYING" 
----------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) On May 1, Al Jazeera aired an interview with Foreign 
Secretary Palitha Kohona in which he admitted the Government has 
shelled the civilian "safe zone" despite earlier Government 
disavowals.  Al Jazeera showed satellite imagery with UNOSAT 
analysis that document shelling and air bombing damage within the 
designated "safe zone" between February 15 and April 19.  Kohona 
then admitted the Government had shelled the safe zone, but 
maintained that it was prior to any civilians being in those areas. 
Al Jazeera then showed footage from an earlier interview with Kohona 
and with military spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara on April 19, the same 
day as the satellite images were taken, in which he protested the 
Government was not shelling due to civilian presence in these areas. 
 
 
¶4. (U) The Government has responded to this embarrassment by 
accusing the UN of "spying" on a member state.  UN Resident 
Coordinator Neil Buhne was summoned in to meet Human Rights Minister 
Mahinda Samarasinghe on May 1 to explain the leak.  Anti-UN stories 
ran in local press during the weekend of May 2-3.  The Ministry of 
Defense called into question UNOSAT analysis of the satellite 
images.  A UNOSAT spokesman explained that the report had been 
inadvertently uploaded to a UN website. 
 
LTTE CLAIMS GSL SHELLING OF HOSPITAL 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶5. (U) International media and multiple Embassy sources reported 
shelling of the makeshift hospital within the conflict zone on May 
¶2.  Pro-LTTE website Tamilnet posted photographs and alleged that 
the shelling killed 64 civilians and wounded 87.  A health worker in 
LTTE-controlled territory reported 23 civilians killed and 34 
 
COLOMBO 00000484  002 OF 003 
 
 
injured.  The Government countered that the photographs were 
LTTE-produced fakes. Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, Sri Lanka's 
military spokesman, claimed, "There is no shelling taking place; we 
have never shelled this place."  The Government continues to state 
that no civilians have died as a result of Government forces' 
activities and that the only deaths have been due to LTTE suicide 
bombing or attacks on fleeing civilians. 
 
DES BROWNE, AKASHI DELEGATIONS 
------------------------------ 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Japan's Representative to Sri Lanka for Peace-Building, 
Rehabilitation, and Reconstruction Yasushi Akashi wrapped up his 
seventeenth visit to Sri Lanka on Saturday, May 2.  His visit 
included travel to internally-displaced persons (IDP) camps in 
Vavuniya and meetings with the President and the Defense Secretary. 
On May 2, Akashi announced a $4 million emergency humanitarian 
contribution from the Government of Japan to Sri Lanka.  Akashi 
publicly urged the LTTE to let civilians leave the conflict zone. 
In a May 2 meeting with Charge and representatives of other 
diplomatic missions, Akashi described his visit to the Manik Farm 
IDP site, where he interviewed several civilians.  He noted that 
some LTTE leaders had been detained to face prosecution, while other 
combatants will be rehabilitated.  The largest group in the camps 
are civilians awaiting resettlement or return to their original 
villages.  Akashi claimed the Government had either released or 
decided to release the 13 local UN staff members in IDP camps. 
Akashi noted that Government officials assured him that screening of 
IDPs takes place only at Omanthai, and there was no dispute that 
ICRC would continue to be present at the checkpoint.  Akashi stated 
that President Rajapaksa made a distinction between defeating LTTE 
and addressing "Tamil issues."  Akashi believes the Government is 
committed to offering a political solution. 
 
¶7.  (U) British envoy Des Browne, whose appointment by the UK as 
special representative to Sri Lanka resulted in a diplomatic spat 
between the nations in February 2009, arrived in Sri Lanka on May 4. 
 Browne joins four members of the British Parliament; their visit 
will also include travel to Vavuniya IDP camps. 
 
GSL LEAFLETS CONFLICT ZONE 
-------------------------- 
 
¶8. (U) On May 1, the Government dropped leaflets urging civilians to 
flee the conflict zone. The text of the leaflets reads: "I am aware 
of the tremendous difficulties faced by the civilians who are 
unfortunately still being held hostage by the LTTE in the 'no-fire 
zone'.  Your suffering is prolonged by this action of the LTTE who 
are holding you as a human shield for their own safety and security. 
 I appeal to every one of you to come over to the cleared areas.  My 
government will continue to give utmost priority to ensure the 
safety and welfare of each and everyone of you." 
 
¶9.  (SBU) A Sri Lankan Air Force contact notes that UAV coverage 
showed few civilians escaping in recent days.  A source in the Navy 
said there have been continuous Sea Tiger engagements in the last 
several days, but reported no significant Sea Tiger losses.  The Sri 
Lankan Navy lost one small craft on May 3 in an accidental 
 
COLOMBO 00000484  003 OF 003 
 
 
explosion, and another small craft was damaged on May 4 by LTTE 
mortars and guns.  An Embassy contact reports the possible loss of a 
Sri Lankan Navy boat last week. 
 
UPDATE ON HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Aid organizations emphasize the urgent food needs of the 
estimated 50,000 -70,000 trapped civilians.  Heightened military 
activity offshore of the conflict zone negates the possibility of 
further large seaborne food shipments, as prior 1000MT-plus 
shipments required a four- to five-day offloading period.  Only 70MT 
was delivered during the week of April 27-May 1; assuming at least 
50,000 people remain, at least 190MT are required per week at 
survival rations level. The UN World Food Programme is exploring use 
of additional ferries to conduct more frequent food shipments. 
 
¶11. (U) Minister of Healthcare and Nutrition Nimal Siripala de Silva 
reported ongoing staff and medical equipment shortage due to the 
massive influx of IDPs. On May 1, the European Commission's 
Humanitarian Aid office (ECHO) water, sanitation, and hygiene 
advisor reported that the Government is drilling 120 hand-pump wells 
in Manik Farms IDP site.  The wells are expected to provide 10 
liters per person, benefiting an estimated 115,000 people.  (Note: 
According to a ground water study conducted by ICRC, wells may not 
work due to insufficient ground water. UNHCR continues to advocate 
for alternate IDP camp sites in Vavuniya instead of the expansion of 
Manik Farms camp site, in part due to insufficient water. End 
note.) 
 
MOORE