VZCZCXRO6361
OO RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #0492/01 1251221
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051221Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9921
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1160
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0230
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3806
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1635
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 8632
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 6868
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4942
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2996
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4903
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4009
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 9261
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 6569
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 1110
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3492
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 000492 
 
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 66 
 
REF:  A) Colombo 484 B) Colombo 477 C) Colombo 470 D) Colombo 469 E) 
Colombo 464 F) Colombo 459 G) Colombo 456 H) Colombo 454 I) Colombo 
448 J) Colombo 435 K) Colombo 432 and previous 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Charge attended a meeting of Co-Chair Ambassadors 
with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 5. The UN appealed for 50 
million USD in urgent humanitarian needs. The Sri Lankan Army 
advanced further south within the Government-designated safe zone. 
ICRC reports delay in food shipments to the conflict zone and 
medical evacuations, pending security assurances for the Green Ocean 
ferry to sail.  OCHA reports 188,445 people have crossed into 
Government-controlled areas since late October.  END SUMMARY. 
 
CO-CHAIRS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Co-Chair Ambassadors were invited to meet with President 
Mahinda Rajapaksa on May 5. Charge participated, and in a pull-aside 
meeting, delivered satellite images and points emailed by the 
Department. Embassy will report septel on both meetings. 
 
UN, GOVERNMENT ASKS FOR URGENT HELP 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (U) On May 4 the USAID Mission Director attended a meeting in 
Colombo at which the UN presented an Emergency Priorities document 
to donors and the humanitarian community.  The UN seeks 50 million 
USD to cover urgent humanitarian needs for up to 250,000 people over 
the next three months.  The USG is the largest contributor to the 
2009 UN Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP - of which the 50 
million USD request is a part) thus far.  Disaster Management and 
Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinge presented the document 
along with the United Nations, taking the opportunity to highlight 
Government contributions, ask for further funding (including 
bilateral) and remonstrate the humanitarian community for not 
meeting international standards.  Donors posed questions about visas 
for NGO staff, access for themselves, greater freedom of movement, 
returns, and what plans there were to assist those still inside the 
conflict zone.  USAID Mission Director inquired about non-camp 
options and better screening mechanisms.  Samarasinghe agreed with 
the principle of upholding freedom of movement but reminded of the 
need to be cautious.  The Government has thus far released 1,800 
elderly; Samarasinghe promised gradual improvement in freedom of 
movement as identification cards are issued and the Government 
undertakes screening. 
 
ARMY ADVANCES FURTHER 
--------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Sri Lankan army source reports that elements of the 53 
Division have entered the Government-designated "safe zone."  53 
Division is advancing south on an axis west of the A35 road and east 
of the Nanthi Kadal Lagoon, while 58 Division is moving south on an 
axis east of the A35 and west of the coast.  The Army advanced 
approximately 300 meters south of Iranamullivaikal last night, May 
¶4.  Source said that it has become clear that civilians in the 
so-called "safe zone" will not be able to flee the  LTTE until the 
Army creates an avenue of escape.  Regarding a May 1 article in the 
 
COLOMBO 00000492  002 OF 003 
 
 
Daily Mirror about the possibility that Prabakharan and senior LTTE 
leaders may escape security forces by exfiltrating via the Nanthi 
Kadal lagoon, source said Task 4 and 59 Division are tasked with 
preventing that from happening. 
 
CANADIAN, BRITISH DELEGATIONS 
----------------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) Canadian International Cooperation Minister Beverly Oda 
arrived in Sri Lanka and announced on May 4 a 3 million Canadian 
dollar pledge to support internally-displaced persons in the North. 
She urged both sides of the conflict to reach a ceasefire out of 
concern for the trpped civilians. 
 
¶6.  (U)  The British delegationled by MP and former Defense 
Secretary Des Brown met with NGOs and UN agencies on May 4, and 
condcted a roundtable with the press.  The five Parliamentarians 
met with the President and Foreign Minister and visited IDP camps in 
Vavuniya on May 5. 
ICRC FERRY DELAYED DUE TO LACK 
OF SECURITY GUARANTEES 
------------------------------ 
 
¶7.  (SBU) ICRC reports that they had not yet received security 
assurances for the Green Ocean ferry to return to the safe zone this 
week. There have been no trips to deliver food or evacuated wounded 
and sick civilians this week.  ICRC reports that the next 
opportunity will be tomorrow, May 6 at the earliest.  ICRC expects 
to deliver 30 tons of food, the maximum capacity for the Green 
Ocean.  Medical supplies may be provided by the Government for this 
shipment, but ICRC will not know specifics until it is approved and 
loaded onto the ferry.  Charge stressed during today's Co-Chair 
meeting with the President and key advisors, including Presidential 
Advisor Basil Rajapaksa and Disaster Management and Human Rights 
Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, that supplies of food and medicine 
are critically low in the safe zone.  They responded that the LTTE, 
not the Navy or the Government, are at fault for the ICRC's failure 
to obtain satisfactory security guarantees. 
 
UPDATE ON HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (U) OCHA reports the total number of persons who have crossed 
into Government-controlled territory since late October has reached 
188,445.  OCHA attributes the increase in recent days not to a new 
outflow but to improved registration underway in the camps. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Despite an earlier report that the Government was 
considering decongesting Vavuniya IDP sites by transferring tens of 
thousands of civilians to Jaffna and Pulmoddai IDP camps, the 
Ministry of Defense has reportedly reconsidered.  The UN was 
supportive of a move to ease overcrowding in Vavuniya sites.  The 
Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) received a 
report on May 4 that the Ministry of Defense may not support the 
transfer plan. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Post received no new reports of shelling within the safe 
zone on May 4.  A Tamil website claimed 12 civilians died of 
 
COLOMBO 00000492  003 OF 003 
 
 
starvation in the conflict zone (These reports cannot be confirmed 
and are frequently exaggerated.) 
 
MOORE