VZCZCXRO5305
OO RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #0533/01 1351040
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 151040Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9984
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1187
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0261
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3834
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1672
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 8674
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 6909
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4975
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3040
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4934
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4040
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 9298
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 6604
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 1141
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3525
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 02 COLOMBO 000533 
 
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 73 
 
REF:  A) Colombo 529 B) Colombo 522 C) Colombo 519 D) Colombo 514 E) 
Colombo 507 F) Colombo 501 G) Colombo 492 H) Colombo 484 I) Colombo 
477 J) Colombo 470 K) Colombo 469 and previous 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  The International Committee of the Red Cross 
(ICRC) headquarters in Geneva raised the alarm concerning an 
"unimaginable humanitarian disaster" unfolding in the conflict zone, 
and called on the Government and the LTTE to enable assistance to 
reach trapped civilians.  Roughly 4,000-4,500 civilians escaped 
across the lagoon west of the "safe zone" on May 14; these civilians 
are arriving in IDP camps in Vavuniya.  Military sources believe the 
final push against LTTE positions will be concluded within 48 hours. 
 Vijay Nambiar, Chief of Staff for the UN Undersecretary General, 
will arrive in Sri Lanka on May 16 but will not travel to the "safe 
zone".  It is not certain whether UN Undersecretary General Ban Ki 
Moon will travel to Sri Lanka.  END SUMMARY. 
 
CIVILIANS FLEE THROUGH LAGOON 
----------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Army contacts reported about 4,000 civilians had crossed 
over to government-controlled areas yesterday and last night, May 14 
(about 3,500 of them south along the lagoon to 59 Division).  In the 
north, 58 Division advanced about one kilometer south, about as far 
as the Farah III shipwreck and almost to the ICRC's landing site. 
There was little change in the front lines of 53 Division, or 59 
Division in the south.  The Army intends to advance farther today, 
May 15, and expects to seal off the entire coast today or tomorrow 
in order to deny the LTTE Sea Tigers access to the sea and to 
prevent an LTTE escape.  The Army asked if the US had any knowledge 
of Prabhakaran's whereabouts.  Absent any solid information, the 
Army's assessment is that Prabhakaran is probably still in the NFZ. 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to Air Force UAV coverage, more civilians are 
coming out of the NFZ on May 15, mostly south along the lagoon. 
Some are crossing in small boats, some clinging to inflated tires. 
A contact in the Sri Lankan Air Force said reconnaissance aircraft 
observed the LTTE lighting fires.  The AF assessment was that the 
Tigers were destroying equipment the LTTE did not want to fall into 
Army hands. 
 
¶4. (SBU) A UN contact said the Army reported a huge explosion inside 
the "safe zone" last night, May 15.  (The Sri Lankan Air Force also 
attributes this to the LTTE destroying equipment.)  He reported that 
the LTTE has been employing more suicide bombers against the Army 
advance. 
 
¶5. (SBU) At 11:15 on May 14, another Air Force contact said the 
intent of the current operations is for 58 Division from the north 
and 59 Division from the south to link up.  Their mission is to seal 
off the coast, so the units are concentrating on capturing 
beachfront areas, rather than a broad advance through the "safe 
zone".  As of 11:30, a Navy contact reported that the Army has 
already successfully sealed off the beach. Post is attempting to 
confirm this. 
 
ICRC WARNS OF "DISASTER" 
------------------------ 
 
COLOMBO 00000533  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Following another failed attempt to assist the trapped 
population on May 14, the International Committee of the Red Cross 
issued a statement saying they could no longer reach the population. 
 Geneva-based ICRC Head of Operations Pierre Kraehenbuehl stated, 
"Our staff are witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian 
catastrophe... Despite high-level assurances, the lack of security 
on the ground means that our sea operations continue to be stalled, 
and this is unacceptable.  No humanitarian organization can help 
them in the current circumstances. People are left to their own 
devices." 
 
¶7. (U) News reports indicate that the makeshift hospital within the 
"safe zone" is no longer functioning, as the few remaining doctors 
have left or are leaving the safe zone.  There is no remaining 
health care available to the trapped population, and all food and 
medical supplies are believed to be exhausted. 
 
UN CHIEF OF STAFF VISIT 
----------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) UN Chief of Staff to the Secretary General Vijay Nambiar 
will arrive in Sri Lanka on May 16 and will meet with senior 
Government officials including the President, Foreign Minister, and 
Defense Secretary before departing on Tuesday, May 19.  According to 
Acting UN Resident Coordinator Amin Awad, the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs told the UN that a visit to the "safe zone" itself was "out 
of the question."  The Government offered the option of a helicopter 
flight close to the safe zone, or a trip by boat offshore, both of 
which the UN declined.  Nambiar does not plan to travel to IDP camps 
in Vavuniya.  According to Awad, whether or not Undersecretary 
General Ban Ki Moon will subsequently travel to Sri Lanka hinges on 
the outcome of the Nambiar visit, and specifically on whether the 
Government will be able to offer any deliverables that would make a 
visit worthwhile. 
 
IDP STATISTICS 
-------------- 
 
¶9. (U) The International Organization for Migration reports that 
4,500 civilians crossed into Government-controlled territory on May 
¶14.  The IDPs passed through the Omanthai screening point; the 
Government sent approximately 2,500 IDPs to Suduwendrapilaw, 
Vavuniya District and the remaining IDPs to Zone 2 of Manik Farms 
camp. 
 
¶10. (U) From late October until May 13, more than 198,000 IDPs had 
moved from the conflict zone into Government-controlled territory, 
according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian 
Affairs (OCHA).  Of the total, nearly 196,000 IDPs were residing in 
43 temporary shelters in Jaffna, Mannar, Trincomalee, and Vavuniya 
districts. 
 
MOORE