VZCZCXYZ0009
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLM #0651/01 1770931
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 260931Z JUN 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0163
INFO RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 7015
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 3899
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3149
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 8775
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 1763
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3617
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 1255
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J3/J332/J52//
RHMFIUU/CDRUSARPAC FT SHAFTER HI//APCW/APOP//

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000651 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS AND PRM 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
AID/W FOR ANE/SCA 
AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, JBORNS 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA FOR ACONVERY, RTHAYER AND RKERR 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA WBERGER 
KATHMANDU FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA MROGERS AND POL SBERRY 
USMISSION GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
USUN FOR ECOSOC DMERCADO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PREF PGOV PHUM CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: THE VAVUNIYA GOVERNMENT AGENT 
 
REF:  A) Colombo 637, B) Colombo 623 
 
SUMMARY 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On June 18, Charge, with USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign 
Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) regional advisor and information 
officer met with Mrs. P.S.M. Charles, the Government Agent (GA) of 
Vavuniya District.  When asked how the transition from military to 
civilian control of the IDP camps was progressing, the GA implied 
that she has little authority or influence over what goes on in 
Manik Farm.  However, it was apparent from this meeting and from 
visiting the camps that she and her district staff have had a major 
hand in what is going on there.  While relations between the GA and 
the Competent Authority (CA), Major General Chandrasiri, are 
strained, Mrs. Charles has nevertheless begun to  transform the 
camps into the "welfare villages" (Zone 0 and Zone 1) that she was 
charged with establishing at the end of 2008.   The GA is optimistic 
that many IDPs will soon be able to return to areas in Vavuniya 
District, in particular to the southern half of the district, which 
will not require a significant de-mining effort.  Improvements seen 
in Manik Farm over the past few weeks notwithstanding, the camps are 
not up to international humanitarian "Sphere" standards.  The CA's 
efforts to decongest the camps, however, should help raise standards 
by significantly reducing population pressures.  Until the CA 
completes his mission in Manik Farm, the GA will continue to work in 
the background to improve conditions in the camps.  Charge and the 
USAID/OFDA regional advisor believe that the GA is well positioned 
to assume camp management responsibilities when the CA's "camp 
building" operation is over, hopefully in the next two months.  End 
summary. 
 
MILITARY OR CIVILIAN CONTROL 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On June 18, Charge and the USAID/OFDA regional advisor and 
information officer met with Vavuniya GA Mrs. P.S.M.  Charles.  When 
asked how the transition from military to civilian authority was 
progressing, Mrs. Charles remained silent.  It was obvious, however, 
by her shifting posture that, for practical purposes, this 
transition is not occurring.  She gave the distinct impression that 
she did not like the CA intruding on her territory.  The GA became 
animated when she said that she did not need the CA to set up and 
run the camps.  The GA pointed out that she was the one who created 
the original welfare villages in Zone 0 and Zone 1 at the end of 
¶2008.  The GA stated emphatically that Manik Farm had been a jungle, 
and that she was the one who was responsible for clearing the land, 
building the houses and for the healthcare facilities, water, 
schools, and post office.  The CA, for his part, did not come into 
the picture until April 24, 2009 when he was officially appointed 
under emergency law and given responsibility for coordinating and 
implementing all assistance provided to IDPs.  The GA made clear, 
without saying it, that the CA's departure could not happen soon 
enough.  (Note: The CA has informed the U.N. in Vavuniya that the 
camps should be completed in two months.  Humanitarian agencies 
anticipate that the CA's involvement in day-to-day camp management 
will turn over to the GA at that time.) 
 
MANIK FARM EVOLVING 
 
¶3.  (SBU) It has only been five weeks since more than 100,000 IDPs 
were transported from the Omanthai transit site to Manik Farm.  The 
international humanitarian effort to provide sufficient tents, 
latrines, water points, food, and communal kitchens is fresh in 
everyone's mind.  However, the U.N., international and local NGOs, 
and the GSL have made an extraordinary effort to set up the 
infrastructure to begin to meet basic needs.  Now, 35 days after the 
conflict ended, Manik Farm is rapidly evolving.  It is not the kind 
of IDP camp that one expects to see five weeks after the conclusion 
of an armed conflict and large displacement.  Although the GA might 
speak and act as if she has little authority or influence over what 
goes on in Manik Farm, it is obvious from visiting the camps that 
she and her district staff have had a major hand in the camp's 
development.  The district's efforts can be seen everywhere in the 
 
camps. 
 
GA IMPACT ON MANIK FARM 
 
¶4. (SBU) In five short weeks electrical power lines are running 
through the zones, a public address system is in place, and learning 
spaces have been created and are being used.  The district Water 
Supply and Drainage Board is finishing laying six-inch diameter 
pipes underground to create a distribution network throughout the 
zones with the goal of providing 40 liters of water a day per IDP, 
25 liters above international humanitarian "Sphere" standards.  The 
district Road Development Department plans to address drainage 
issues for Zones 0, 1, 3, 4 and 5.  The U.N. Office for Project 
Services (UNOPS) plans to address drainage issues in Zone 2.  With 
GA approval, co-ops are opening to sell general merchandise and food 
and Keels - one of the largest grocery chains in Sri Lanka - plans 
to open food stalls and supply mobile shops.  Mobile bakeries are 
operating and fish is being trucked in from Mannar.  (Note: 
Contrary to the CA's claim, Ref B, the GA made it clear that she - 
not the CA - was the one who approved the co-op shops).  Agents from 
the district health department are in the zones spraying for 
mosquitoes and flies and organizing IDPs to pick up and dispose of 
the garbage that is strewn everywhere.  Mobile ATM vans crisscross 
the zones and small businesses like barber shops are opening.  The 
GA is implementing vocational training - including dressmaking, 
tailoring, electrical work, and computers - which will soon be 
available to IDPs.  In addition, the GA plans to set aside low-lying 
areas in the camps for cultivation so IDPs can grow their own food 
under the supervision of district agricultural agents. 
 
RETURNS TO VAVUNIYA DISTRICT 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The GA is optimistic, however, that many IDPs will soon be 
able to return to areas of Vavuniya District.  According to the GA, 
the southern part of the district will not require a significant 
de-mining effort.  The GA believes that many IDPs could be relocated 
soon to this area.  The northern area, however, is a high-risk area 
and she indicated that the U.N. Mine Action Group was planning to do 
an assessment of the area in coming weeks.  The GA commented that 
the only areas in the district that would be off-limits to IDP 
returns would be a few small high-security areas that border the 
northern section.  The GA added that there are 21 amputees in the 
district that could provide information on the location of mines and 
that IDPs in the camps could also be asked to provide information on 
where mines were placed.  The GA also acknowledged that some IDPs 
would be unable to return to areas of origin until de-mining 
operations were completed. 
 
MANIK FARM - NOT UP TO STANDARDS 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Improvements seen in Manik Farm over the past few weeks, 
however, in no way imply that the camps are up to international 
humanitarian "Sphere" standards.  Water is still in short supply in 
many areas of Manik Farm, especially in blocks far from the road. 
The ratio of latrines per person is still high and IDPS continue to 
live in severely overcrowded temporary shelters.  The lines at the 
few primary health clinics and referral hospitals that are operating 
are long and people are still dying in the camps from preventable 
causes.  IDPs are still defecating in open areas and stagnant pools 
of water and piles of garbage are breeding grounds for disease. 
Much remains to be done over the next few months to stabilize the 
camps and significantly raise living conditions to meet 
international humanitarian "Sphere" standards before the monsoon 
season, which is expected to begin in October. 
 
DECONGESTING THE CAMPS 
 
¶7. (SBU) The CA's efforts to decongest the camps, long advocated by 
the international community, should help raise standards by 
significantly reducing population pressures.  Zone 2, the most 
crowded zone in Manik Farm with an estimated 75,000 IDPs, is 
projected to be down to 30,000 or so in a few weeks.  The CA has 
recently announced that he plans to split zones 1, 3, and 4 into 2 
blocks to help speed up decongestion.  He also indicated that the 
first part of the new Zone 6 would be ready for shelters in a couple 
of weeks.  The CA also recently announced that two new zones, 9 and 
10, are being planned and that the local NGO Sewalanka will start 
construction on 900 semi-permanent shelters on or around June 26. 
The CA emphasized at the June 22 U.N., INGO, NGO coordination 
meeting that they needed to speed up decongestion in order to create 
space for home gardening. 
 
¶8.  COMMENT (SBU): Until the CA completes his mission in Manik Farm, 
the GA will continue to work in the background to improve conditions 
in the camps.  Although the GA stated that she is the only district 
official allowed entry into the camp, it is obvious that the 
relevant district departments have made gains that have 
significantly improved camp infrastructure and services.  The GA 
might not be directly involved in day-to-day camp management 
activities and decisions about site section and such, but Charge and 
the USAID/OFDA regional advisor believe that she is well positioned 
to assume these responsibilities when the CA steps aside.  Although 
the GA may resent the CA intruding on her territory, she has managed 
to work around him or with his tacit approval to start transforming 
the camps into something that resembles the welfare villages that 
she established in Zone 0 and 1.  In the end, they both perhaps 
share a similar objective - to transform Manik Farm from an IDP camp 
- which is currently the second most populous city in Sri Lanka - 
into semi-permanent, self-contained welfare villages.   The CA's 
intentions, though, are most likely motivated by the security 
imperative to pacify the population as it waits behind fences to 
return home.  The CA informed the U.N. in Vavuniya that the majority 
of IDPs will remain inside the camps for the next six months.  The 
GA, though, a Tamil herself, is most likely motivated by the 
humanitarian imperative to provide infrastructure that supports the 
IDPs' physical, social, and cultural needs as they await their 
release. 
 
MOORE