VZCZCXRO7793
OO RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #0543/01 1391041
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191041Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0004
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1198
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0272
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3845
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1682
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 8690
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 6924
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4986
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3055
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4945
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4051
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 9313
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 6619
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 1152
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3536
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//
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 COLOMBO 000543 
 
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 ECON
SUBJECT: Northern Sri Lanka SitRep 76 
 
REF:  A) Colombo 539 B) Colombo 535 C) Colombo 533 D) Colombo 529 E) 
Colombo 522 F) Colombo 519 G) Colombo 514 H) Colombo 507 I) Colombo 
501 J) Colombo 492 K) Colombo 484 and previous 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  President Rajapaksa gave a victory speech to 
Parliament on the morning of May 19.  While he discussed 
redevelopment of the North and political reform in broad terms, the 
speech was far from the olive branch to the Tamil people many had 
hoped it would be.  It was defensively belligerent toward the 
international community.  The Government released what it purported 
to be evidence it had Prabhakaran's body, but doubts swirled about 
the official account of his death.  An LTTE spokesman claimed 
Prabhakaran was still alive, but offered no details or evidence. 
The military has essentially finished operations in the former 
conflict zone.  UN SYG Chief of Staff Nambiar was expected to visit 
the zone, but weather delayed the flight until May 20.  The ICRC 
hoped to accompany him.  The GSL denied a request by ICRC to assist 
with wounded civilians and identify the dead.  Suspected LTTE cadres 
were being arrested before the checkpoint at Omanthai.  The total 
number of IDPs has now reached about 300,000, and there are 
disagreements arising between GSL and the UN and other NGOs about 
rules on access to camps.  No solid information has emerged about 
the number of casualties from the last several days of fighting. 
"Spontaneous" victory celebrations in Colombo and elsewhere have 
been largely peaceful, although some damage was caused at the 
British High Commission during a protest there May 18.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
RAJAPAKSA'S SPEECH TO PARLIAMENT 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) President Rajapaksa addressed the Sri Lankan Parliament the 
morning of May 19.  Although he began the speech with a short 
statement in Tamil, the speech went on from there to strike a tone 
that differed little from the nationalistic approach used by the GSL 
over the last weeks of the war, and offering little in the way of a 
reconciliatory message to the average Tamil citizen. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The President said the Tamil community has been reduced to 
its lowest ebb by the terrorism of the LTTE, and the Tamil Diaspora 
which assisted the LTTE before must no longer do so.  He said the 
defeat of the LTTE is actually a victory for the Tamils, and that in 
fact the Tamil people gained nothing from the LTTE's years of 
violence.  The President stated that military victory over the LTTE 
was not the final victory for Sri Lanka, and that development was 
the next step. 
 
¶4. (SBU) President Rajapaksa acknowledged the recent high level of 
scrutiny from the international community, but said Sri Lanka had 
listened to others, but had not always done everything they asked. 
He criticized foreign countries who called for better treatment of 
Tamils, saying that in fact Sri Lanka had been caring for and 
sustaining all of its people throughout the many years of LTTE 
terrorism.  He said Sri Lanka did not need the advice of others on 
how to care for its own people, and would not be subject to foreign 
"experiments" to solve internal political problems.  He called on 
 
COLOMBO 00000543  002 OF 004 
 
 
international actors to provide economic aid and cooperation without 
any advice attached.  He also invited expatriate Sri Lankans with 
professional skills to return to help develop the country. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The President went on to say the GSL was committed to 
establishing democratic practices and finding political solutions. 
He stated there are no more minorities in Sri Lanka, ethnic or 
otherwise, only patriots, and then a few others who do not love 
their country.  He said this victory had been gained by the brave 
troops who sacrificed their life and limb, and the country would not 
let that be plundered or sacrificed.  This victory was for those who 
rally around the national flag. 
 
PRABHAKARAN 
----------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Government released what they claimed to be photos of 
Prabhakaran's body, and stated they had completed DNA testing which 
confirmed the body was his.  It was unclear what DNA samples they 
were using to compare with the body.  There is suspicion among 
various sources in Colombo about the Government's account of 
Prabhakaran's death, and the condition of the body shown on 
television did not seem to follow the account that he had suffered 
burns to his face during a final firefight.  This does not mean he 
is alive, but it may be difficult to pin down the facts surrounding 
his reported death. 
 
¶7. (SBU) S. Pathmanathan, also known as KP, the LTTE's International 
Relations Chief, stated on TamilNet that Prabhakaran was safe and 
alive, but offered no details of how he knew that.  Paza Nedumaran, 
a former Congress Party Indian MP now affiliated with a Tamil group 
in the Tamil Nadu region of Southern India told the media he has 
been in contact with Prabhakaran. 
 
WRAP-UP OF CONFLICT 
------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Reports from military sources say all fighting in the 
former conflict zone has essentially stopped.  There are a handful 
of LTTE cadres still remaining in the zone, but with no command and 
control structure.  The military reports no shots fired since 
evening of May 18, and they were now patrolling the area with 
loudspeakers telling any remaining LTTE to surrender.  These 
contacts said they would not be surprised at a revenge terrorist 
attack by the LTTE somewhere, but had no specific information about 
any such attack. 
 
VIJAY NAMBIAR REMAINS IN SRI LANKA; 
UN SECRETARY GENERAL ARRIVES MAY 22 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) UN Chief of Staff UN Resident Representative Neil Buhne 
reported to DCM that Vijay Nambiar, Chief of Staff to UN Secretary 
General Ban Ki Moon, who was scheduled to depart Colombo the evening 
of May 19, will now remain until the arrival of the Secretary 
General on May 22 to focus on preparations.  Nambiar's meetings with 
 
COLOMBO 00000543  003 OF 004 
 
 
senior GSL officials have focused on the need for inclusiveness and 
reconciliation.  The Secretary General will arrive the evening of 
May 22 and depart the evening of May 23.  He will meet with the 
President and other senior officials and travel to the safe zone and 
Vavuniya.  As of now, an overflight of, but not a ground visit to, 
the safe zone is planned.  Co-Chair Ambassadors plus India will meet 
with the Secretary General on May 23. 
 
UN/ICRC FLIGHT TO SAFE ZONE 
DELAYED BY WEATHER 
--------------------------- 
¶10. (SBU) A military helicopter that was to take Nambiar, an ICRC 
health specialist, and GSL officials on an overflight of the safe 
zone, with a possible landing, as well as to Vavuniya, did not 
depart Colombo on May 19 for weather reasons.  The trip is scheduled 
to take place May 20. 
 
GSL DENIES ICRC OFFER TO 
ASSIST WITH DEAD AND WOUNDED 
---------------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) ICRC deputy Tony Dalziel (protect) told DCM that in the 
last 36 hours 600-700 wounded civilians have come out of the safe 
zone.  Some have fresh wound dressings, indicating medical care by 
the military somewhere en route.  The ICRC believes that there are 
still "hundreds" of wounded in the safe zone.  ICRC head of party 
Paul Castella (protect) reported to DCM that Defense Secretary 
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa, and 
field commanders have so far refused ICRC offers of assistance in 
treating the wounded in the safe zone, insisting the military can 
take care of them.  Castella has also asked for ICRC access to the 
safe zone to oversee the identification of the dead to facilitate 
the notification of families.  This too has been denied.  DCM 
attempted to reach the Defense Secretary and Senior Presidential 
Advisor Basil Rajapaksa to urge support of both requests, but was 
unable to reach them as of 16:00.  Ambassador will raise these 
points with both officials in his farewell calls on them tomorrow. 
 
ARRESTS OF LTTE SURRENDEES 
-------------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) ICRC reported that over the last 10 days, 1800 persons 
have been arrested before Omanthai, and in the transit sites.  These 
are mainly LTTE surrendees, whose status is being determined.  ICRC 
expects 2000 additional arrests in the coming days. 
 
300,000 TOTAL IDPS, CASUALTIES UNKNOWN 
-------------------------------------- 
¶13. (SBU) The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian 
Affairs (OCHA) reported that the recent influx of IDPs brings the 
total of IDPs who have moved from the former conflict zone into 
GSL-controlled areas since late October 2007 to nearly 300,000 IDPs. 
 This figure includes between 76,000 to 96,000 IDPs who have crossed 
over since May 14 and who are either still in transit or undergoing 
screening and registration at Omanthai. 
 
 
COLOMBO 00000543  004 OF 004 
 
 
¶14. (SBU) OCHA reported that the GSL screened and processed an 
estimated 36,000 IDPs over the weekend.  According to OCHA, 25,000 
of the 36,000 IDPs are moving to Zone 4 of Manik Farms camp site by 
May 19.  The GSL will move remaining IDPs to the other zones. 
 
¶15. (SBU) As of May 19, the number of casualties from the final 
several days of conflict remains uncertain due to lack of access to 
the former conflict area, but a military contact said roughly one in 
ten of the newly arriving IDPs seemed to have a bandage of some 
sort. 
 
UN SUSPENDS ACTIONS AS GOVERNMENT 
RESTRICTS ACCESS 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶16. (SBU) As of the evening of May 18, the UN had suspended all aid 
operations into the Manek Farm camps due to a dispute with GSL 
officials over access rules.  Food and water were still getting in 
to the IDPs, but UN and NGO personnel were prevented from driving 
their vehicles into the camps to oversee distribution and 
conditions, and to distribute non-food aid.  UN security rules 
prevent personnel from walking in, and UN contacts were hoping to 
resolve the issue prior to the UN Secretary General's arrival on May 
¶22. 
 
CELEBRATIONS LARGELY PEACEFUL... 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶17. (SBU)  Spontaneous celebrations have occurred sporadically in 
and around Colombo since the morning of May 18, but RSO contacts 
have reported very little violence associated with these gatherings, 
apart from a few instances of firecrackers thrown at Tamil homes or 
businesses.  Contacts report a sense of apprehension among many 
Tamils in Colombo and in the Southern regions of the country, but 
police in these areas have reportedly heightened security to better 
respond to any violence that might occur. 
 
...BUT VIOLENT PROTESTS AT UK MISSION 
------------------------------------- 
¶18. (SBU) Violent protests took place outside the British High 
Commission in Colombo on May 18th, just as news was coming in of the 
last day of major fighting in the North.  Estimates of several 
hundred to 2,000 protesters gathered outside the UK's diplomatic 
compound, burning posters, spray-painting anti-UK messages on the 
compound walls, and throwing eggs and rocks into the compound, 
breaking several windows.  An effigy of British Foreign Secretary 
David Miliband was burned and then tossed over the compound wall. 
Media reports stated the JVP, a Sinhalese nationalist party allied 
with the government, had organized the protest.  Contacts within the 
High Commission said extra police did not arrive on the scene until 
40 minutes after the protest began.  Foreign Secretary Kohona 
reportedly stated that the government would not intervene, saying 
"This is a criminal activity.  It is not the responsibility of the 
government to interfere in this situation." 
 
BLAKE