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Viewing cable 09COLOMBO1051, PRM PDAS WITTEN EXAMINES IDP ISSUES

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09COLOMBO1051 2009-11-20 10:03 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Colombo
VZCZCXRO3776
OO RUEHIK
DE RUEHLM #1051/01 3241003
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 201003Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0794
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 2064
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 9092
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 7334
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 5237
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3489
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 5175
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0055
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 0710
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 4290
RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 9655
RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 6949
RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 0031
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3833
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 03 COLOMBO 001051 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE
SUBJECT: PRM PDAS WITTEN EXAMINES IDP ISSUES 
 
COLOMBO 00001051  001.3 OF 003 
 
 
1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The November 12-16 visit of PRM 
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Samuel Witten came 
during a critical period in the ongoing humanitarian 
situation in Sri Lanka. The Government is accelerating 
releases from closed camps, a move welcomed by the 
international community but one which also raises a host 
of complex challenges regarding access and assistance 
to internally-displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees. 
Witten discussed with humanitarian agencies and 
government officials the U.S. decision to redirect aid 
away from "closed" camps where residents are held without 
freedom of Movement by March 2010.  Witten's discussions 
revealed widespread support among UN agencies and other 
donors for the U.S. redirection of assistance toward open 
camps, host families, and returnees. The findings of PDAS 
Witten's visit reinforced Post views that the U.S. must 
continue to support the returns process while quietly 
engaging Government officials on specific serious 
concerns, including the closed camps and the need for 
safe and voluntary returns.  END SUMMARY. 
 
RETURNS: GOOD ACHIEVEMENT, 
FLAWED PROCESS 
-------------------------- 
 
2.  (SBU)  The Government's "crash" resettlement program 
began in mid-October. In four weeks, over 100,000 of the 
more than 280,000 persons initially held in closed camps 
have been returned to their home districts (most to Jaffna 
and the East). An additional 25,000 persons have been 
released to host families since August. The Manik Farm camp 
population has been reduced from more than 220,000 at its 
peak to just 130,000 as of November 12.  The International 
Organization for Migration (IOM) plays the largest role in 
facilitating the Government's returns process, providing 
logistics support and bus transportation back to district 
collection points. Returnees also receive a standard UN-GSL 
assistance package of cash, food, shelter materials, and 
agricultural tools intended to provide initial support in 
areas of return. 
 
3.  (SBU) Despite these positive steps, PDAS Witten heard 
from multiple humanitarian agencies about key problems with 
the returns program. IOM, WFP, and UNHCR generally receive 
notice about returns movements with only a couple days 
notice, requiring constant scrambling to put logistics into 
place for moving thousands of people. Humanitarian 
personnel in Vavuniya and Colombo reported to PDAS Witten 
that the Government had returned a small number of persons 
to areas which were not certified as demined, including two 
bombed-out schools. In addition to posing a direct threat 
to returnees' safety, such areas were inaccessible to 
humanitarian personnel by order of the UN Department of 
Safety and Security.  Moreover, INGOs are currently not 
permitted by the Government to access Kilinochchi and 
Mullaitivu area returnees.  Some areas of return lacked 
community infrastructure, including schools, hospitals, and 
local transportation, raising concerns of whether returns 
were sustainable.  Most UN agencies and national NGOs 
expressed optimism to PDAS Witten that humanitarian access 
issues would be sorted out in the near future, while 
others, particularly INGOs, raised the alarm that the 
Government was "returning them to nothing."  (Comment: When 
asked directly, no one expressed the view that keeping IDPs 
in closed camps was preferable to the current situation, 
despite the flaws in the returns process. END NOTE.) 
 
4.  (SBU) In a November 16 meeting with PDAS Witten, UN 
Resident Coordinator Neil Buhne described the difficult 
 
COLOMBO 00001051  002.3 OF 003 
 
 
task of finding a balance in supporting Government efforts 
to return IDPs, while raising concerns when needed.  Buhne 
noted to PDAS Witten a recent letter he had received from a 
Government official (Commissioner General of Essential 
Services), accusing the UN of "sabotaging" the returns 
process after Buhne temporarily halted IOM transport of IDPs 
because of safety concerns.  Buhne also highlighted UN 
efforts to urge Government officials to open Manik Farm 
and other closed IDP camps. 
 
MANIK FARM'S NEAR FUTURE 
------------------------ 
 
5.  (SBU) PDAS Witten and a delegation including USAID 
Mission Director Cohn visited Manik Farm on November 14. 
Witten viewed U.S.-funded assistance and talked with camp 
residents. The delegation found that there is some newfound 
optimism among camp residents now that significant returns 
are taking place, but also frustration with the pace of 
return and the uncertainty about what lies ahead.  When 
asked, all the residents said they wanted to return whether 
or not there was assistance available in their home 
villages, and most indicated that they would return to 
farming as soon as they could.  One visitor to the health 
clinic expressed anger at his continued confinement, noting 
"they're keeping us here like cattle."  Family 
reunifications within the camps are nearly completed, 
leaving fewer families to cope with the desperation of not 
knowing relatives' whereabouts. 
 
6.  (SBU) On November 13, PDAS Witten met with Brigadier 
General Ranasinghe (deputy to Competent Authority, Maj 
Gen-Gunaratne) at SF HQ Wanni. Ranasinghe described the 
Government's plan to reduce the population in Manik Farm to 
100,000 by December 31 through returns and releases, and to 
70,000 by January 31, 2010.  While caveating that there had 
been no communications from his chain of command about this 
issue, Ranasinghe expressed his personal opinion to PDAS 
Witten that restrictions on freedom of movement in Manik 
Farm should be lifted after January.  Ranasinghe told PDAS 
Witten that returns were 100 percent-completed to Jaffna. 
The remaining population in the closed camps was 
predominantly from Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts, 
where there had been just 7,000 returns to date. Witten 
acknowledged the efforts to date to expedite releases and 
returns, and emphasized the U.S. Government's interest in 
seeing freedom of movement provided to all civilians. 
 
7.  (SBU) In a November 14 meeting with UNHCR 
Representative Michael Zwack and Deputy Representative 
Elizabeth Tan, PDAS Witten received an update on UNHCR's 
planning for the Manik Farm operation, where UNHCR holds 
the UN lead for camp management, protection, and shelter 
activities.  Tan expressed optimism that the Government 
would choose to open the camps in early 2010, particularly 
given donor messages that funding for closed camps would 
end soon. UNHCR is prepared to increase its activities in 
the camps, particularly Zones 0 and 1 where semi-permanent 
shelters are already established, if the camps were opened. 
If the camps remained closed, UNHCR indicated it would 
reduce its activities, such as ending assistance with 
digging drainage ditches. 
 
CONCLUSION 
---------- 
 
8.  (SBU) PRM PDAS Sam Witten's visit came as the 
Government has taken real steps to end prolonged 
confinement of IDPs. His consultations with Government and 
 
COLOMBO 00001051  003.6 OF 003 
 
 
humanitarian agency officials and with residents of Manik 
Farm reinforced the USG decision to end support for a 
prolonged closed-camp situation while buttressing support 
for the Government's overall returns effort. Embassy finds 
that there is strong support among INGOs and UN agencies 
for donors to direct funding in this way. Post will continue 
to engage directly with the Government on these difficult 
issues surrounding returns and to identify ways to best 
support IDPs in host family situations and areas of return. 
BUTENIS