US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO191

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000191 
 
SIPDIS 
 
OFFICIAL INFORMAL 
 
FOR SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  02/03/14 
TAGS: AMGT, CE, MV, Maldives 
SUBJECT:  OFFICIAL INFORMAL NUMBER 016 (02/03/04) 
 
Classified by Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead for reasons 1.5 
(b) and (d). 
 
CONTENTS:  MALDIVES POLITICAL SITUATION 
-          SA/RA JOHN SCHLOSSER VISIT 
-          SRI LANKA NATIONAL DAY 
 
MALDIVES POLITICAL SITUATION 
---------------------------- 
 
1.  (C) FYI.  Ambassador Lunstead met Feb. 3 with Minh 
Pham (Amcit -- strictly protect), the head of the UNDP 
in the Maldives and a long-standing Mission contact. 
The wide-ranging discussion touched on a number of 
issues, including the newly created Human Rights 
Commission (as mentioned in Colombo 181, the UN is 
providing some funding for the commission) and the 
latest on the LDC matter, which we reviewed in Colombo 
186. 
 
2.  (C) Of particular import, however, were Pham's 
remarks on the political situation.  As discussed by the 
Ambassador and Maldivian Deputy Foreign Minister Shihab 
in their February 2 meeting (see yesterday's o/i note), 
Pham confirmed that the report into the September 2003 
prison violence had just been published.  (Pham actually 
said two reports had been published, one on the death in 
custody of the first prisoner and the other on the 
prison violence that followed in which other prisoners 
were killed.  We are trying to find an English-language 
translation of the reports.)  He said the reports made 
clear that the initial prisoner death had been by 
torture and that the prison guards had overreacted to 
the subsequent prisoner unrest by shooting some 
prisoners in the back.  Pham said the GoRM had cleverly 
issued the reports just before the week-long Eid holiday 
to defuse things, but he expected Maldivians to be 
buzzing about the report when the holiday ends.  Pham 
also noted that the name of an NSS official implicated 
in one of the reports, but then redacted out by the 
GoRM, had leaked out.  This individual, he said, had 
been beaten up last week.  Pham added that there was a 
disturbance in Male' recently when a man, possibly 
related to Gayoom, began yelling anti-Gayoom slogans 
outside the presidential palace.  This individual 
apparently garnered quite a crowd.  Overall, Pham felt 
that tensions in the Maldives were on the rise and it 
was not clear whether or not the GoRM was showing the 
ability to manage the situation, but it did not look 
promising.  Pham's remarks confirmed our sense of the 
problems in the Maldives reviewed in Colombo 164. 
 
3.  (SBU) The Ambassador will host a U.S. National Day 
recetion in the Maldives on Feb. 26.  He will use that 
visit to check on the political temperature of the 
country.  (POL) 
 
SA/RA JOHN SCHLOSSER VISIT 
-------------------------- 
 
4.  (U) We are sending out country clearance for John 
Schlosser's Feb. 25-28 visit to Sri Lanka, per State 
22435 request.  As noted above, the Ambassador will be 
away in Male' for at least some of John's visit, but DCM 
Jim Entwistle will be here.  Poloff Andrea Tomaszewicz 
will serve as control.  We will send out a notional 
schedule soon and avidly look forward to the visit. 
(POL) 
 
SRI LANKA NATIONAL DAY 
---------------------- 
 
5.  (U) Tomorrow, Feb. 4, is Sri Lankan National Day and 
Mission will be closed.  The Ambassador, who enjoys the 
hot Equatorial sun, will enjoy the day off after 
attending the 3-4 hour national day ceremony and parade! 
(Both the PM and the President will be present -- it 
will be interesting to see their body language. Of 
course the Ambassador also gets to go to the President's 
reception that same evening. 
 
LUNSTEAD