US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO1837

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 001837 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, INL, DS, INR/NESA, G/TIP, 
CA/VO/F/P 
 
PLEASE ALSO PASS TOPEC 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  10-23-13 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, KCRM, CVIS, SMIG, CE, Human Rights 
SUBJECT:  Interior Ministry officials request more 
police training and review human trafficking problem 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo 1826 
-      (B) Colombo 1343, and previous 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead. 
Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
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SUMMARY 
======= 
1.  (C) The Ambassador met October 20 with Interior 
Minister Amaratunga and Interior Secretary Junaid. 
Amaratunga underscored his appreciation for U.S.- 
sponsored police training programs and requested further 
assistance.  Junaid discussed the GSL's efforts to curb 
human trafficking.  Turning briefly to the peace 
process, Amaratunga expressed appreciation to the U.S. 
for its continued application of public pressure on the 
Tamil Tigers.  We think additional assistance to the 
police -- who are set to assume a more prominent role 
with Sri Lanka's move away from war to peace -- is an 
important priority.  END SUMMARY. 
 
============================ 
Meeting at Interior Ministry 
============================ 
 
2.  (SBU) On October 20, Ambassador Lunstead made an 
introductory call at the Interior Ministry, meeting with 
Minister John Amaratunga and Secretary M.N. Junaid.  A 
leading politician in Sri Lanka, Amaratunga is a senior 
United National Party (UNP) MP from the "Catholic belt" 
located north of Colombo and is the most senior 
Christian politician in the Buddhist-dominated 
government (he also serves as Minister of Christian 
Affairs).  Junaid, a Muslim, is one of Sri Lanka's most 
senior and respected civil servants. 
 
====================================== 
Request for more Assistance for Police 
====================================== 
 
3.  (C) During the meeting, Amaratunga underscored his 
appreciation for the police training programs that the 
U.S. has sponsored in the past for GSL personnel. 
(Note:  He was referring to the participation of a high- 
ranking Sri Lankan police officer at the recent 
International Association of Chiefs of Police conference 
in Philadelphia, and INL-sponsored training in basic 
drug enforcement and serious crimes investigation).  He 
requested more assistance, especially in providing 
training in investigative techniques.  With respect to 
equipment, he said Sri Lanka's police could utilize 
special investigative machinery, such as the Automated 
Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS).  The 
Ambassador replied that assisting the police was an 
important priority, and we would closely examine what 
sort of new programs we could sponsor. 
 
=========================== 
Update on Human Trafficking 
=========================== 
 
4.  (C) Junaid briefed the Ambassador on GSL efforts to 
curb human trafficking.  Noting the arrest of over 750 
Pakistanis, Indians, and others who were being 
trafficked through Sri Lanka earlier this year 
(see Ref B), Junaid said domestic and international 
media reporting of the GSL's crackdown on such illegal 
operations had sent a message to would-be smugglers that 
Sri Lanka would not tolerate such activities.  He said 
he thought this might be the reason for the drop in 
trafficking cases in recent months.  Stressing his 
government's commitment to addressing this matter fully 
and systematically, Junaid said plans were under way to 
develop a database to track foreign visitors.  He 
admitted, however, that there was no such system 
currently in operation. 
 
5. (C) Junaid also reviewed the improved anti-forging 
features of new Sri Lankan passports -- personal 
identification information is encoded in the document, 
which is visible only with special detection machines 
that will be able to verify the authenticity of Sri 
Lankan passports.  The system is under trial and the 
GSL's intent is to eventually provide the detection 
machines to all diplomatic missions in Colombo. 
 
6.  (C) Amaratunga also took the opportunity to raise 
the issue of obtaining five-year U.S. visas for Sri 
Lankans.  The Ambassador indicated that this involved 
reciprocity and the U.S. was ready to discuss the entire 
range of visa categories with the GSL.  (Note:  For most 
classes of visas, the U.S. only approves one-year visas 
for Sri Lankans.) 
 
=========================== 
Concerns regarding the LTTE 
=========================== 
 
7.  (C) Turning briefly to the peace process, Amaratunga 
expressed his appreciation to the U.S. for its continued 
application of public pressure on the Liberation Tigers 
of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).  He said he believed that the 
pressure the group felt from the U.S. and the rest of 
international community was forcing the group to be more 
cautious.  That said, Amaratunga expressed concern that 
the lack of recent involvement in the peace process by 
Anton Balasingham, the LTTE's London-based spokesman who 
has extensive international experience (see Reftels), 
was resulting in the group becoming somewhat more 
militant.  This increased militancy, Amaratunga stated, 
was steadily having a debilitating effect on support for 
the peace process, with many in the south growing 
increasingly worried about the LTTE's intentions. 
 
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COMMENT 
======= 
 
8.  (C) Amaratunga and Junaid are articulate 
interlocutors and are considered to be effective 
administrators.  Both men are long-standing contacts of 
Mission's and the meeting served to underline the 
closeness of that relationship.  We will follow up on 
Amaratunga's request for more assistance for the police. 
We think additional assistance to the police -- who are 
set to assume a more prominent role with Sri Lanka's 
move away from war to peace -- is an important priority. 
Assistance to the GSL's effort to get a better handle on 
who is entering the country could also be valuable.  END 
COMMENT. 
 
9.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
LUNSTEAD