VZCZCXRO2433
OO RUEHBI
DE RUEHLM #0559/01 1421251
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 221251Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0027
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1209
RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS 0283
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK 3856
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1696
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 8704
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 6938
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 4997
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3070
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 4956
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 4062
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 9327
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI 6633
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO 1163
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 3547
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 000559 
 
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 79 
 
REF:  A) Colombo 557 B) Colombo 549 C) Colombo 543 D) Colombo 539 E) 
Colombo 535 F) Colombo 533 G) Colombo 529 H) Colombo 522 I) Colombo 
519 and previous 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  UN staff on the ground were preparing for 
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon's visit on May 23, but it was unclear 
if his schedule would allow a meeting with the Co-Chair Ambassadors. 
 UN envoy Vijay Nambiar held a press conference where he described 
his flight over the desolation of the former conflict zone. 
Discussions were ongoing between the UN, ICRC and other NGOs and the 
GSL on IDP camp access issues.  No agreement had been reached yet, 
but signs were positive that some flexibility would be allowed.  The 
ICRC located their missing 17 local staff members inside the IDP 
camps.  ICRC was also able to meet with the 3 doctors detained by 
GSL for their allegedly misleading reports from inside the No Fire 
Zone.  GSL military spokesman announced Prabhakaran's body had been 
cremated.  GSL Defense Secretary told state TV that the last 3 years 
of the war had killed 3,200 GSL soldiers and wounded 30,000.  A 
massive celebration parade was held in Colombo the afternoon of May 
22; post so far has no reports of any associated violence.  As 
combat between the GSL and LTTE has concluded, this will be the 
final daily situation report.  Reporting on the humanitarian 
situation and other issues will continue through regular channels. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
 
UN SECRETARY GENERAL MOON VISIT; MEETING 
WITH CO-CHAIR AMBASSADORS IN DOUBT 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) UN Resident Representative Neil Buhne told Charge that UN 
Secretary General Ban Ki Moon's key messages to the GSL will include 
advocating for a political solution based on the "Thirteenth 
Amendment Plus", early returns of IDPs, and reconciliation and 
unity.  Buhne told Charge that a meeting of Co-Chair Ambassadors 
during the Secretary General's short visit remains a high priority 
for the UN but may not occur due to scheduling complications 
resulting from the official meetings being shifted to Kandy, where 
the President will attend religious observances on May 23.  Charge 
said that Co-Chair Ambassadors would be prepared to could go to 
Kandy to meet with the SYG if necessary.  Ban Ki Moon arrives at 
midnight on May 22.  On May 23, he will meet early in the morning 
with the UN Country Team, then briefly with Foreign Minister 
Bogollagama, before going to Vavuniya to visit IDP camps at Manik 
Farm.  He will then overfly the safe zone, and proceed to Kandy for 
a meeting with President Rajapaksa, a press conference, and an 
official dinner.  He would proceed from Kandy directly to the 
airport in Colombo for departure. 
 
UN ENVOY NAMBIAR GIVES PRESS CONFERENCE 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Vijay Nambiar, Chief of Staff to the UNSYG, continued his 
visit to Sri Lanka and made final preparations for the UNSYG's 
visit.  Speaking to journalists, Nambiar reported on his flight of 
May 21 over the former safe zone.  According to press accounts, 
 
COLOMBO 00000559  002 OF 004 
 
 
Nambiar said, "Vehicles on the ground were charred, trees were 
burned and closely clustered tent camps were badly battered.  We 
were not able to see any civilians.  What was truly striking was 
almost the total absence of human habitation ... it was almost 
eerie."  Nambiar was also asked about the UNs position on a war 
crimes investigation; he responded, "As far as the U.N. is 
concerned, where there are grave and systematic violations of 
international humanitarian law, these are things which should be 
looked at by the international community, by the United Nations." 
Setting the groundwork for the UNSYG's visit, Nambiar commented, 
"His talks will focus on conditions in the camps, the possibility of 
swiftly resettling the displaced and the need for an urgent 
political settlement to the conflict.  Ban will also commend the 
government for defeating the rebels, who were branded a terrorist 
group internationally." 
 
 
MANIK FARM ACCESS NOT YET RESOLVED; 
BUT GREATER FLEXIBILITY EXPECTED 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa told UN 
Resident Representative Neil Buhne the evening of May 21 that access 
to Manik Farm is not restricted; rather the authorities want to 
limit the number of vehicles.  There was greater flexibility May 21 
for ICRC vehicles entering Manik Farm.  UN trucks were allowed into 
Zones 1, 2, and 3.  The UN has made a written proposal regarding 
vehicular access to the GSL.  While there is as yet no resolution of 
the issue nor clear guidance, Buhne anticipates that a workable 
compromise will be reached. 
 
280,000 IDPS IN CAMPS 
--------------------- 
 
¶5. (U) UNHCR reports estimates of roughly 80,000 people fleeing the 
former fighting zone in the past week.  Close to 280,000 arrivals 
since late October have been screened and registered and are 
currently accommodated in 41 sites.  Of these, some 260,000 are 
being accommodated in 25 emergency shelter sites in Vavuniya, 
another 11,000 in 11 emergency shelter sites in Jaffna and over 
7,000 in three sites in Trincomalee.  New shelters are being erected 
to accommodate new arrivals in Manik Farm Zone 4 as fast as the land 
is cleared by the Government. 
 
ICRC ALSO INVOLVED IN ACCESS TALKS; 
NO ROLE IN IDENTIFICATION OF DEAD 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) ICRC reported they were negotiating with the GSL on access 
to the camps alongside the UN and other agencies.  A common approach 
among these actors had developed, but there may be difficulties in 
continuing this given differing mandates among these groups.  In the 
meantime, restrictions continue, although ICRC was able to get 
trucks through yesterday for all its distributions under its 
"planned activities."  This was described by ICRC as a scaled-down 
version of their usual assistance, owing to the current access 
 
COLOMBO 00000559  003 OF 004 
 
 
problems.  In the absence of an overall agreement, ICRC was required 
to conduct a separate negotiation with GSL over each shipment into 
the camps. 
 
¶7. (SBU) ICRC reported they had not been approached about assisting 
with the identification of remains, a part of their normal 
functions, and previously long-standing practice for them in Sri 
Lanka.  They are therefore unable at this time to assess the number 
of dead from recent fighting. 
 
ICRC VISITS DETAINED DOCTORS 
---------------------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) ICRC told Charge that on May 21 their protection staff 
interviewed three government doctors who are being held by the 
Criminal Investigation Division in Colombo under detention orders. 
ICRC personnel told Charge they found it encouraging that ICRC had 
been allowed to see the doctors.  ICRC noted to Charge that the fact 
the doctors have now been registered by the ICRC make it more likely 
that they will not suffer serious harm or "disappear."  A fourth 
doctor, Varatharajah, Regional Director of Medical Services for 
Mullaitivu, was wounded and remains in the hospital.  The ICRC has 
not met with him, and are not yet certain of his location. 
 
ICRC STAFF SIGHTED 
------------------ 
 
¶9. (SBU) All 17 ICRC staff members who had previously been trapped 
in the safe zone have been sighted at the IDP camps in Vavuniya. 
ICRC has no word yet on the whereabouts of the 62 dependents of 
these staff members. 
 
PRABHAKARAN'S BODY CREMATED 
--------------------------- 
 
¶10. (SBU) Military spokesman U. Nanayakkara told media on May 21 
that LTTE leader Prabhakaran's body was cremated, as was done with 
any other LTTE body the military recovered.  India's National 
Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan said on May 22 that GSL had 
promised India a copy of Prabhakaran's death certificate to use in 
closing out their court case of Rajiv Ghandi's 1991 assassination. 
 
 
MILITARY SAYS 6,200 TROOPS 
KILLED OVER 3 YEARS 
-------------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa told state 
television on May 22 that in the last 3 years of fighting, 
considered the final major phase of the decades-long war, 6,200 
government troops were killed and almost 30,000 were wounded. 
(Note: Both the GSL and the LTTE have had a long history of 
under-reporting their own losses, so it is likely the actual numbers 
are higher.) 
 
HUGE CELEBRATION PARADE 
 
COLOMBO 00000559  004 OF 004 
 
 
----------------------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) The GSL organized a massive celebratory parade the 
afternoon of May 22 on the east side of Colombo.  Reports said more 
than 150,000 people attended, with many bused in from other towns. 
As of 17:30 local time post had no reports of violence surrounding 
the parade, but security around the event was heightened. 
 
FINAL SITUATION REPORT 
---------------------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) With the end of combat between the GSL and the LTTE, this 
will be the final daily situation report.  The mission will continue 
to provide updates as events dictate, and will continue to report on 
the humanitarian situation through regular channels.  Our thanks to 
Eileen Sen, Nathan Jones, and other contributors to these daily 
situation reports. 
 
MOORE