C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 001082
NOFORN
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS (BINDI PATEL)
DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR EEB/IFD/OMA (MARLENE SAKAUE)
EO 12958 DECL: 05/07/2019
TAGS PREL, PGOV, EAID, CE, UK
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: UPDATE ON UK ACTION AND THINKING
REF: A. COLOMBO 479 B. LONDON DAILY - 30 APRIL 2009 C. LONDON
DAILY - 13 FEBRUARY 2009 D. STATE 41959 E. LONDON 1041
Classified By: Political Counselor Richard Mills, reasons 1.4
(b/d).
¶1. (C/NF) Summary. After giving a brief overview of UK
Foreign Secretary Miliband's and a British Parliamentary
Group's separate visits to Sri Lanka, Foreign Office Sri
Lanka team leader Tim Waite and Desk Officer Sharon Diaz said
May 7 that the UK plans to continue its "concerted drive to
achieve a fully inclusive political settlement." Turning to
next steps, Waite said the EU Troika is visiting Sri Lanka
next week, and the UK hopes this will maintain "sustained
pressure" on the Sri Lankan Government. Miliband and Kouchner
plan to jointly host an "informal" meeting on the margins of
the Middle East meetings taking place on May 11 in New York.
Miliband also plans to raise Sri Lanka with USG officials
during his May 12 visit to Washington. Additionally, Waite
said the UK supports a special Human Rights Council session
on Sri Lanka, and, according to Waite, HMT has decided to
support the USG position delaying Sri Lanka's proposed
Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF. Waite said that with UK
elections on the horizon and many Tamils living in Labour
constituencies with slim majorities, the UK Government is
paying particular attention to Sri Lanka, with Miliband
recently remarking to Waite that he was spending 60 percent
of his time at the moment on Sri Lanka. End summary.
¶2. (C) FCO Sri Lanka team leader Tim Waite and Desk Officer
Sharon Diaz told Poloff May 7 that the civilians caught in
the conflict zone remain the UK's primary concern in Sri
Lanka, followed by humanitarian access and addressing IDP
needs. The UK Government has provided GBP 7.5 million (USD
11.25 million) since October 2008, including Prime Minister
Brown's recent pledge of GBP 2.5 million (USD 3.75 million)
in additional support.
Miliband and Kouchner Visit
---------------------------
¶3. (C) Waite described Miliband and French Foreign
Secretary Kouchner's April 29 visit as "good," though
Miliband was "disappointed" that the Sri Lankan Government
did not permit Swedish Foreign Secretary Bilt to join the
visit. Waite said Miliband's May 1 statement to Parliament
highlighted the threefold purpose of his visit: "to highlight
the need to bring the conflict to an end in a way that
minimizes further civilian casualties; to press the case for
the humanitarian relief effort to be ratcheted up, as the UN
and EU have been calling for; and to make clear the need for
a long-term political settlement that meets the aspirations
of all communities in Sri Lanka." These remain the UK's
primary objectives and were reflected in Miliband and
Kouchner's joint article following the visit (reftel B).
¶4. (SBU) The UK continues to press on five specific
humanitarian points: the need for visas to be issued swiftly
to international humanitarian staff; the subject of travel
permits for staff working on approved projects inside Sri
Lanka; the need for full access to IDPs as soon as they have
crossed the front line and the monitoring of all stages of
screening; the need for a proper resettlement program with
specific deadlines to fulfill the Government's commitment to
have 80 percent of IDPs resettled by the year's end; and, to
allow the distribution of sufficient food and medicine to
meet the needs of civilians trapped in the conflict zone
(reftel A).
LONDON 00001082 002 OF 002
Special Envoy Des Browne Finally Makes It to Sri Lanka
--------------------------------------------- ---------
¶5. (C) Waite said a cross party group of MPs visited Sri
Lanka May 4-5 at the Sri Lanka Government's invitation,
including the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Sri Lanka
Des Browne, the February 2009 appointment of whom the Sri
Lankan Government has rejected (reftel C). Browne's visit was
allowed by the Sri Lankan Government on condition that Browne
was visiting in his capacity as an MP sitting on the cross
party parliamentary group, which the UK agreed to. In their
May 6 statement, the parliamentarians echoed the same themes
as Miliband. Waite said they had found the situation in the
IDP camps to be a "little bit better," but "not nearly as
good as it should." Waite also reiterated that the UK
Government still acknowledges Browne as the Prime Minister's
Special Envoy, noting that Browne had been doing a lot of
outreach to the Diaspora community resident in the UK.
India
-----
¶6. (C) Browne is currently in India, where Waite confessed
he was having trouble getting meetings with the Indian
Government's political level, presumably because of the
elections underway. Waite characterized the Indians as
"ambivalent" and unwilling to undertake any heavy lifting on
Sri Lanka because it was "too sensitive" an issue during the
elections.
Next Steps
----------
¶7. (C) The UK plans to continue its "concerted drive to
achieve a fully inclusive political settlement," Waite said.
The EU Troika is visiting Sri Lanka next week, and the UK
hopes this will maintain "sustained pressure" on the Sri
Lankan Government. Miliband and Kouchner plan to jointly host
an "informal" meeting in New York on the margins of the
Middle East meetings on May 11 (NFI). Miliband also plans to
raise Sri Lanka with USG officials during his May 12 visit to
Washington. The UK also supports a special Human Rights
Council session on Sri Lanka, and, according to Waite, HMT
has decided to support the USG position on delaying Sri
Lanka's proposed Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF (reftels
D, E).
Comment
-------
¶8. (C/NF) Waite said that much of HMG and ministerial
attention to Sri Lanka is due to the "very vocal" Tamil
Diaspora in the UK, numbering over 300,000 and who have been
protesting in front of Parliament since April 6. He said that
with UK elections on the horizon and many Tamils living in
Labour constituencies with slim majorities, the Government is
paying particular attention to Sri Lanka, with Miliband
recently remarking to Waite that he was spending 60 percent
of his time at the moment on Sri Lanka.
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