VZCZCXRO6987
OO RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHLM #0887/01 2591240
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 161240Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0525
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 1900
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 8926
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 7164
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 5124
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3300
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 5080
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 1357
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 0615
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 4190
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 9491
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 6792
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 1286
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3731
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000887 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA'S PRONOUNCEMENTS TO 
DECONGEST MANIK FARM CAMPS UNFULFILLED 
 
COLOMBO 00000887  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  ADCM attended meeting September 16 called 
by UN Resident Coordinator to brief Heads of Mission and aid 
agencies on recent IPD returns.  Starting on September 11, 
approximately 2,7000 IDPs were moved from Manik Farm in 
Vavuniya and are currently being held in closed transit sites 
(no freedom of movement) in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Batticaloa 
and Ampara districts while local security forces conduct 
additional security screening.  UNHCR confirmed that prior to 
this September 11 movement, only 6,200 persons have been 
released from Manik Farm to their homes or to host families. 
UN reports that yesterday the host family option has been 
stopped by the GSL.  UNHCR anticipates that a maximum of 
16,000 persons will be resettled by the GSL prior to the 
onset of the monsoons in early October.  With significant 
portions of Manik Farm identified by a UNICEF groundwater 
survey as becoming uninhabitable with the rains, coupled with 
the failure of the GSL to decongest the camp, a dire 
situation in Manik Farm is predicted. End summary 
 
Newly released IDPs are in closed transit sites 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The GSL announced last week that 9,900 persons would 
be returned from Manik Farm to their homes.  On September 11, 
2,700 IDPs were moved from Manik Farm sites to Jaffna, 
Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts.  As of 
September 16, all 2,700 persons are being held in transit 
sites in these districts without freedom of movement.  In 
Ampara, the IDPs are being held in an abandoned army camp, 
directly connected to the Akkairaipattu Sri Lanka Army camp. 
UN resrep stated that the reason given by the new competent 
authority, the Vanni Security Forces Commander, for not 
releasing the IDPs is that even though they have cleared 
security screening conducted in Vavuniya, the quote district 
people  know better unquote.   The UN has discussed this with 
Basil Rajapakse who claims this situation will prevail for 
just 3-4 days.  The current situation falls short of the 
GSL's pronouncements in the media  last week that 9,900 
persons from Manik Farm would be returned to their homes this 
week. 
 
¶3. (SBU) ADCM asked UNHCR to clarify exactly how many IDPs 
have been released from Manik Farm prior to this most recent 
release September 11.  UNHCR stated that 200 IDPs have been 
returned to their homes and 6,000 have been released to host 
families.  With the population of Manik Farm around 220,000 
persons, the GSL,s actions to date fall far short of the 
decongestion which needs to take place before the monsoon 
rains begin. 
 
Donor support to new closed sites? 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The UN stated that they and donor countries will 
need to decide what sort of support, if any, is provided to 
the new district closed transit sites and for how long.  IOM 
and UNICEF reported that they are in the process of 
considering whether they should provide food and logistical 
support to the new transit sites.   The UN stated that the 
GSL may ask for support to create new closed camps in the 
districts as a way to decongest Manik Farm. 
Among  the countries represented at the meeting: 
Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, EU, India, UK   and US 
definitively stated they would not support building new 
closed camps outside of Vavuniya to accommodate the Manik 
Farm IDPs.  The India DCM voiced his Government's displeasure 
with the quote nasty surprise unquote with the closed transit 
camps and said we are all faced with a moral hazard and that 
the GSL has shown quote despicable tendencies unquote. 
Japanese Ambassador  alone stated that moving the IDPs out to 
 
COLOMBO 00000887  002.6 OF 002 
 
 
better conditions was a positive step, and that they would 
support the closed transit sites while putting pressure on 
the GSL. 
 
¶5. (SBU) ADCM outlined options that Post has put forward 
regarding freedom of movement and that the USG is considering 
whether to maintain the status quo of assistance to the 
closed camps or redirecting assistance to supporting returns, 
host family and open camps.  All present, except Japan, 
voiced their agreement with the latter approach, while 
recognizing the reality that support will need to be 
continued to Manik Farm for the duration of the monsoon 
season. 
 
Host Family Option off the table 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) UN resrep reported that the GSL has stopped the host 
family option as of September 15, even though this option was 
announced by Minister Samarasinghe at the Human Rights 
Council.  It had been reported last week that advertisements 
had been placed in vernacular papers asking host family 
relatives to apply if they had relatives in the camps.  With 
a requirement for eight GSL signatures to approve, this 
option  would likely not result in major releases in the 
short-term. 
 
IDPs Restive 
------------ 
 
¶7. (SBU) UNHCR reported that the IDPs are becoming frustrated 
with the situation -- those that are being held in the closed 
transit camps in the districts as well as those in Manik 
Farm.  UNICEF stated that the level of anger among the IDPs 
is growing, people are desperate to get out and riots may 
occur in the future. 
 
¶8. (SBU) COMMENT: UN Undersecretary Pascoe arrives tonight 
and will be traveling to Mannar, Jaffna and Vavuniya.  He 
will also be meeting with Basil Rajapaksa, the Secretary of 
Defense and the President and will raise these issues.  UN 
plans to raise these issues during his visit.  Overall, there 
is a broad consensus among the countries represented -- other 
than Japan -- that we should continue providing humanitarian 
assistance to Manik Farm through the monsoon season; that we 
should phase down our support to Manik Farm in line with the 
GSL 180 day plan o/a December; that we should support returns 
and short transit; and that donors should not support closed 
camps.  The dilemma will come when Manik Farm is flooded and 
because significant decongestion has not taken place, we can 
anticipate that donors will be pressured to support temporary 
closed camps. 
BUTENIS