Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 97115 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ETRD EAGR ETTC EAID ECON EFIN ECIN EINV ELAB EAIR ENRG EPET EWWT ECPS EIND EMIN ELTN EC ETMIN EUC EZ ET ELECTIONS ENVR EU EUN EG EINT ER ECONOMICS ES EMS ENIV EEB EN ECE ECOSOC EK ENVIRONMENT EFIS EI EWT ENGRD ECPSN EXIM EIAD ERIN ECPC EDEV ENGY ECTRD EPA ESTH ECCT EINVECON ENGR ERTD EUR EAP EWWC ELTD EL EXIMOPIC EXTERNAL ETRDEC ESCAP ECO EGAD ELNT ECONOMIC ENV ETRN EIAR EUMEM ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID EREL ECOM ECONETRDEAGRJA ETCC ETRG ECONOMY EMED ETR ENERG EITC EFINOECD EURM EENG ERA EXPORT ENRD ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EGEN EBRD EVIN ETRAD ECOWAS EFTA ECONETRDBESPAR EGOVSY EPIN EID ECONENRG EDRC ESENV ETT EB ENER ELTNSNAR ECHEVARRIA ETRC EPIT EDUC ESA EFI ENRGY ESCI EE EAIDXMXAXBXFFR EETC ECIP EIAID EIVN EBEXP ESTN EING EGOV ETRA EPETEIND ELAN ETRDGK EAIDRW ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ENVI ELN EAG EPCS EPRT EPTED ETRB EUM EAIDS EFIC EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM EAIDAR ESF EIDN ELAM EDU EV EAIDAF ECN EDA EXBS EINTECPS ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EPREL EAC EINVEFIN ETA EAGER EINDIR ECA ECLAC ELAP EITI EUCOM ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID EARG ELDIN EINVKSCA ENNP EFINECONCS EFINTS ECCP ETC EAIRASECCASCID EINN ETRP EAIDNI EFQ ECOQKPKO EGPHUM EBUD ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ENERGY ELB EINDETRD EMI ECONEFIN EIB EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EIN EFIM ETIO ELAINE EMN EATO EWTR EIPR EINVETC ETTD ETDR EIQ ECONCS EPPD ENRGIZ EISL ESPINOSA ELEC EAIG ESLCO EUREM ENTG ERD EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN EFND EPECO EAIRECONRP ERGR ETRDPGOV ECPN ENRGMO EPWR EET EAIS EAGRE EDUARDO EAGRRP EAIDPHUMPRELUG EICN ECONQH EVN EGHG ELBR EINF EAIDHO EENV ETEX ERNG ED
KMDR KPAO KPKO KJUS KCRM KGHG KFRD KWMN KDEM KTFN KHIV KGIC KIDE KSCA KNNP KHUM KIPR KSUM KISL KIRF KCOR KRCM KPAL KWBG KN KS KOMC KSEP KFLU KPWR KTIA KSEO KMPI KHLS KICC KSTH KMCA KVPR KPRM KE KU KZ KFLO KSAF KTIP KTEX KBCT KOCI KOLY KOR KAWC KACT KUNR KTDB KSTC KLIG KSKN KNN KCFE KCIP KGHA KHDP KPOW KUNC KDRL KV KPREL KCRS KPOL KRVC KRIM KGIT KWIR KT KIRC KOMO KRFD KUWAIT KG KFIN KSCI KTFIN KFTN KGOV KPRV KSAC KGIV KCRIM KPIR KSOC KBIO KW KGLB KMWN KPO KFSC KSEAO KSTCPL KSI KPRP KREC KFPC KUNH KCSA KMRS KNDP KR KICCPUR KPPAO KCSY KTBT KCIS KNEP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNNB KGCC KINR KPOP KMFO KENV KNAR KVIR KDRG KDMR KFCE KNAO KDEN KGCN KICA KIMMITT KMCC KLFU KMSG KSEC KUM KCUL KMNP KSMT KCOM KOMCSG KSPR KPMI KRAD KIND KCRP KAUST KWAWC KTER KCHG KRDP KPAS KITA KTSC KPAOPREL KWGB KIRP KJUST KMIG KLAB KTFR KSEI KSTT KAPO KSTS KLSO KWNN KPOA KHSA KNPP KPAONZ KBTS KWWW KY KJRE KPAOKMDRKE KCRCM KSCS KWMNCI KESO KWUN KPLS KIIP KEDEM KPAOY KRIF KGICKS KREF KTRD KFRDSOCIRO KTAO KJU KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KEN KO KNEI KEMR KKIV KEAI KWAC KRCIM KWCI KFIU KWIC KCORR KOMS KNNO KPAI KBWG KTTB KTBD KTIALG KILS KFEM KTDM KESS KNUC KPA KOMCCO KCEM KRCS KWBGSY KNPPIS KNNPMNUC KWN KERG KLTN KALM KCCP KSUMPHUM KREL KGH KLIP KTLA KAWK KWMM KVRP KVRC KAID KSLG KDEMK KX KIF KNPR KCFC KFTFN KTFM KPDD KCERS KMOC KDEMAF KMEPI KEMS KDRM KEPREL KBTR KEDU KNP KIRL KNNR KMPT KISLPINR KTPN KA KJUSTH KPIN KDEV KTDD KAKA KFRP KWNM KTSD KINL KJUSKUNR KWWMN KECF KWBC KPRO KVBL KOM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KEDM KFLD KLPM KRGY KNNF KICR KIFR KM KWMNCS KAWS KLAP KPAK KDDG KCGC KID KNSD KMPF KPFO KDP KCMR KRMS KNPT KNNNP KTIAPARM KDTB KNUP KPGOV KNAP KNNC KUK KSRE KREISLER KIVP KQ KTIAEUN KPALAOIS KRM KISLAO KWM KFLOA
PHUM PINR PTER PGOV PREL PREF PL PM PHSA PE PARM PINS PK PUNE PO PALESTINIAN PU PBTS PROP PTBS POL POLI PA PGOVZI POLMIL POLITICAL PARTIES POLM PD POLITICS POLICY PAS PMIL PINT PNAT PV PKO PPOL PERSONS PING PBIO PH PETR PARMS PRES PCON PETERS PRELBR PT PLAB PP PAK PDEM PKPA PSOCI PF PLO PTERM PJUS PSOE PELOSI PROPERTY PGOVPREL PARP PRL PNIR PHUMKPAL PG PREZ PGIC PBOV PAO PKK PROV PHSAK PHUMPREL PROTECTION PGOVBL PSI PRELPK PGOVENRG PUM PRELKPKO PATTY PSOC PRIVATIZATION PRELSP PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PMIG PREC PAIGH PROG PSHA PARK PETER POG PHUS PPREL PS PTERPREL PRELPGOV POV PKPO PGOVECON POUS PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PWBG PMAR PREM PAR PNR PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PARMIR PGOVGM PHUH PARTM PN PRE PTE PY POLUN PPEL PDOV PGOVSOCI PIRF PGOVPM PBST PRELEVU PGOR PBTSRU PRM PRELKPAOIZ PGVO PERL PGOC PAGR PMIN PHUMR PVIP PPD PGV PRAM PINL PKPAL PTERE PGOF PINO PHAS PODC PRHUM PHUMA PREO PPA PEPFAR PGO PRGOV PAC PRESL PORG PKFK PEPR PRELP PREFA PNG PGOVPHUMKPAO PRELECON PINOCHET PFOR PGOVLO PHUMBA PRELC PREK PHUME PHJM POLINT PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PEACE PROCESS PLN PRELSW PAHO PEDRO PRELA PASS PPAO PGPV PNUM PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PRFE POGOV PEL PBT PAMQ PINF PSEPC POSTS PHUMPGOV PVOV PHSAPREL PROLIFERATION PENA PRELTBIOBA PIN PRELL PGOVPTER PHAM PHYTRP PTEL PTERPGOV PHARM PROTESTS PRELAF PKBL PRELKPAO PKNP PARMP PHUML PFOV PERM PUOS PRELGOV PHUMPTER PARAGRAPH PERURENA PBTSEWWT PCI PETROL PINSO PINSCE PQL PEREZ PBS

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 07COLOMBO779, SRI LANKA: CORRUPTION PANELISTS TELL AMBASSADOR POLITICAL

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #07COLOMBO779.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07COLOMBO779 2007-05-30 12:17 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Colombo
VZCZCXRO9894
RR RUEHLMC
DE RUEHLM #0779/01 1501217
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301217Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6158
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1027
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 0153
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 7134
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 5237
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI 7725
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORPORATION
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000779 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/INS 
TREASURY FOR LESLIE HULL 
MCC FOR S GROFF, D TETER, D NASSIRY AND E BURKE 
USAID FOR R HOWELL/ANE/IR, ELIZABETH HUME/CMM, BARBARA SMITH/DG 
 
E.O 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAID KCOR PGOV CE
SUBJECT:  SRI LANKA: CORRUPTION PANELISTS TELL AMBASSADOR POLITICAL 
WILL IS INADEQUATE 
 
 
1. (SBU) Summary: At a recent roundtable hosted by Ambassador, 
participants from government, civil society organizations, the 
private sector, and the media described corruption as endemic at all 
levels of Sri Lankan government, and also widespread in dealings 
between business and government.  Most felt a pervasive culture of 
corruption in Sri Lanka, coupled with lack of public awareness of 
the consequences of corruption, has led to corruption in all levels 
of government.  They agreed that anticorruption bodies lack the 
financial or institutional strength to effectively address the 
problem.  Furthermore, multi-partisan support in Parliament must be 
encouraged to institute measures that would make government more 
transparent and more accountable.  Passage of a Freedom of 
Information Act, such as the one drafted by the United National 
Front government in 2003 but never presented to Parliament, would be 
a critical first step.  End summary. 
 
USAID CONVENES ANTI-CORRUPTION ACTIVISTS 
---------------------------------------- 
 
2. (SBU) Ambassador recently hosted a roundtable on corruption that 
brought together a broad range of participants that included Justice 
Ameer Ismail, the Chairperson of the Commission to Investigate 
Allegations of Bribery or Corruption; Mr. S.C. Mayadunne, former 
Auditor General of Sri Lanka; and Mr. J.C. Weliamuna, Director of 
the Sri Lanka Chapter of Transparency International. Other 
participants included academics, representatives of professional 
associations and the private sector, retired public officials, and 
civil society activists. 
 
3. (SBU) USAID Sri Lanka's Office of Democracy and Governance 
organized the roundtable. The participants are active in the 
Consultative Council to Combat Corruption, a group that meets on a 
monthly basis and is supported by USAID's anti corruption program. 
The Council is working on developing a sustainable national strategy 
to combat corruption and raise awareness on corruption in the 
sectors and organizations they represent. 
 
BACKGROUND: INSTITUTIONAL WEAKNESSES PERMIT CORRUPTION 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
4. (SBU) Sri Lanka has taken a number of steps in the struggle 
against corruption, including enacting legislation to criminalize 
bribery and corruption; establishing a Commission to Investigate 
Allegations of Bribery or Corruption; enacting legislation to 
control money laundering; and signing the UN Convention Against 
Corruption. But it is generally recognized that such actions, while 
essential and laudatory, are only a first step. In many instances, 
existing domestic legislation and the institutions tasked with 
combating corruption have been ineffective in preventing the abuse 
of power and corruption. The existing legal frameworks are flawed 
and the institutions mandated to combat corruption suffer from a 
lack of capacity and resources. 
 
FACTORS BEHIND PERVASIVE CORRUPTION 
----------------------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) During the discussion, participants identified the 
following factors as contributing to the pervasive culture of 
corruption in Sri Lanka: 
 
-- lack of public awareness of the causes and consequences of 
corruption; 
-- deep rooted culture of passivity and apathy of citizens; 
-- ineffective implementation or disregard of existing laws; 
-- lack of mechanisms to ensure accountability of government; 
-- ineffective media coverage of the issue particularly of the 
private sector; and 
-- lack of political will. 
 
6. (SBU) Participants described the political process as a 
self-perpetuating cycle that gives politicians no incentive to 
resist or fight corruption. They noted that the nature of campaign 
finance in Sri Lanka results in politicians being indebted to their 
financial donors in the private sector.  The civil service also is 
inherently corrupt, with many positions attractive entirely because 
of the opportunities they offer for enrichment.  "Every village 
level administrator of the central government is corrupt," one 
 
COLOMBO 00000779  002 OF 003 
 
 
participant charged. 
 
STEPS REQUIRED TO ADDRESS CORRUPTION 
------------------------------------ 
 
7. (SBU) The participants stated that the implementation of 
institutional, legal and policy reforms requires political will both 
within the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) and across political 
parties in Parliament. A clear commitment from political leaders 
must be augmented by other initiatives, including: 
 
-- Improving application of existing laws; 
 
-- Strengthening the capacity of existing institutions that combat 
corruption, specifically: the Commission to Investigate Allegations 
of Bribery and Corruption, the Auditor General's Department, and the 
National Procurement Authority; 
 
-- Modifying recruitment policies to ensure adequate human resources 
to support anti-corruption measures; 
 
-- Parliament should provide an independent budgetary allocation to 
the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption 
and the Auditor General's Department to establish financial 
independence for these institutions. Currently, both institutions 
are dependent on the executive branch for financial resources; 
 
-- Targeting the prevention of corruption as well as the 
investigation, prosecution and punishment of corrupt officials; 
and, 
 
-- Raising public awareness, with particular emphasis on the private 
sector, of the root causes and consequences of corruption. 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS AND INITIATIVES 
------------------------------- 
 
8. (SBU) The following are some of the panelists' primary 
recommendations and initiatives: 
 
-- More effective enabling legislation for the Commission to 
Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption and the Auditor 
General's Department should be passed. 
 
-- Legislation is needed to protect whistleblowers. 
 
-- The former Auditor General of Sri Lanka, Mr. S.C. Mayadunne, has 
advocated for the Auditor General's Department publicizing all audit 
reports of GSL institutions and state corporations, including 
publishing them on the department's website. 
 
-- Civil society organizations are campaigning for the Commission to 
Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption to prepare and 
issue annual statistical and analytical reports on its activities. 
 
-- Representatives from the private sector and civil society 
organizations proposed that the private sector work with the GSL to 
promote the use of information and communication technology to 
increase transparency in government. The GSL's Information and 
Communication Technology Authority, supported with funding from the 
World Bank, has been promoting e-government as one method to address 
corruption. 
 
-- The United National Front government that was in power from 
2002-2004 intended to enact a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and 
the draft legislation has been prepared. The Sri Lanka Chapter of 
Transparency International and other civil society organizations are 
campaigning to persuade the Ministry of Justice to present the draft 
FOIA to Parliament. 
 
-- Transparency International/Sri Lanka and other civil society 
organizations have called for the international donor community to 
fund, provide technical support, and encourage the mobilization of 
indigenous coalitions to combat corruption. Examples include: 
 
o  Transparency International/Sri Lanka has established a "Coalition 
Against Corruption" - a forum for civil society groups to address 
 
COLOMBO 00000779  003 OF 003 
 
 
problems of corruption; 
 
o  A group of civil servants has established the Clean Hands 
program, a voluntary alliance of public officials who oppose 
corruption in the government sector; and, 
 
o  Global Compact, an association of private companies, is following 
a similar course in the private business sector. 
 
USAID ANTI-CORRUPTION PROGRAM 
----------------------------- 
 
9. (SBU) USAID has funded a two year anti-corruption program, to be 
completed in September 2007, under its Tsunami Reconstruction 
Program. USAID provides training and technical assistance for the 
staff from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and 
Corruption and the Auditor General's Department. Training programs 
are developing staff capacity in such areas as information 
technology; case management; forensic auditing; and written English. 
Support is being provided to civil society organizations to 
implement media campaigns and public awareness campaigns in 
communities affected by the tsunami. The program has brought 
together a cross section of representatives from professional 
bodies, the private sector, journalists, academics and civil society 
to prepare a national plan to combat corruption that will be 
launched in July 2007. The final strategy report will be presented 
to President Rajapakse at a national conference in July 2007. 
 
COMMENT: AN OPEN MEETING TO AIR CORRUPTION ISSUES 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
10. (SBU) The Ambassador observed during the roundtable discussion 
that it appeared the persistence of corruption in Sri Lanka resulted 
from "a systematic failure to act" on problems that were widely 
recognized.  He suggested that Parliament is key to countering 
corruption, as the opposition party would always have an incentive 
to hold the government accountable.  The Ambassador added that 
India's experience suggested that a Freedom of Information Act would 
be a critical first step in strengthening the legal framework to 
combat corruption in Sri Lanka. 
The representative of Transparency International suggested holding a 
high-level "open meeting" at which the President, donors, diplomats, 
and anticorruption bodies discussed how to fight corruption.  This 
would give the government an opportunity, and an obligation, to say 
publicly that it was against corruption.  The Ambassador welcomed 
this suggestion and said this should be discussed in July with 
President Rajapakse. 
 
11. (SBU) Another factor that helps focus attention on corruption is 
the active role of the JVP party, which helped get President 
Rajapakse elected and has strong political support in the 
President's southern Sinhalese electoral base.  The JVP has made 
action on corruption one of its central planks. Its dogged 
determination to curb corruption has wide populist appeal that is 
likely to encourage the President and Parliament to act. 
 
BLAKE