US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO526

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000526 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, INR/NESA, IO, NEA, DRL 
NSC FOR E. MILLARD 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  03-25-14 
TAGS: PREL, PHUM, PINR, CE, CU, CH, CHR-1, UN 
SUBJECT:  CHR:  Mission provides GSL with draft Cuba 
resolution and revised China draft 
 
Refs:  (A) WHA/CCA - Colombo 03/24/04 class e-mail 
-      (B) State 65652 
-      (C) Colombo 512 
-      (D) Colombo 438 
-      (E) Colombo 402 (All Notal) 
 
(U) Classified by James F. Entwistle, Deputy Chief of 
Mission.  Reasons 1.5 (b, d). 
 
1.  (C) SUMMARY:  In a March 25 meeting at the Sri 
Lankan MFA, Polchief reviewed talking points and 
provided a copy of the draft CHR resolution on Cuba. 
MFA contact was non-committal, noting that the GSL was 
in a state of flux due to the April 2 elections. 
Overall, we think moving the GSL to a "yes" on Cuba is 
possible, but will be a tough sell.  In Para 7, we 
attach some brief bio-data on the GSL's Permrep in 
Geneva and its Ambassador to Cuba.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2  (SBU) Polchief met March 25 with Ranjith Uyangoda, 
the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director 
General for the UN, Human Rights, and Multilateral 
Division.  Per Ref B, Polchief reviewed talking points 
underscoring Cuba's truly atrocious human rights record 
and provided Uyangoda a copy of the Honduran draft 
resolution on Cuba.  He also provided Uyangoda a copy of 
the revised resolution on China. 
 
3  (C) Regarding the Cuba draft, Uyangoda commented that 
the GSL would study it closely.  As noted by Foreign 
Minister Fernando and Foreign Secretary Goonetilleke in 
recent meetings (see Refs C-D), Uyangoda remarked that 
his government had not yet formulated its response 
regarding either the Cuba or China resolutions. 
Uyangoda added that things were in flux due to the 
April 2 parliamentary elections and he was not sure when 
MFA principals would be able to focus on CHR issues, 
much less what changes a possible new government might 
bring. 
 
4.  (C) Unprompted, Uyangoda noted that Cuba had been 
doing a good bit of lobbying with the GSL on this 
matter.  He confirmed that Cuban Deputy FM Manuel 
Aguilera de la Paz had raised the issue of the draft 
resolution with FM Tyronne Fernando during his recent 
visit to Colombo.  FM Fernando had also met with the 
Cuban foreign minister at the latter's request during 
his mid-March visit to Geneva for the UNHRC. 
 
5.  (C) COMMENT:  Overall, we think moving the GSL to a 
"yes" on Cuba is possible, and Mission will continue to 
work with the GSL both in the pre- and post-election 
periods.  In the meantime, we urge Geneva to continue to 
be in touch with Permrep Fernando and Havana to continue 
to be in touch with Ambassador Wijesekara (see bio-data 
below).  These two envoys are well-connected in Colombo 
and could play an important role in persuading the GSL 
how to vote. 
 
6.  (C) COMMENT (Continued):  Getting to "yes" will be a 
tough sell, however.  If the UNP government wins, it 
will probably be reluctant to stick its neck out on 
this, even though it is relatively pro-U.S.  If the UPFA 
wins, there is probably a zero chance of a switch to a 
"yes" vote, as President Kumaratunga and Lakshman 
Kadirgamar, her chief foreign policy assistant, are 
basically addicted to "NAM"-type views.  Moreover, one 
of the key players in the UPFA is the radical Marxist 
JVP, which in its rhetoric sometimes makes fond 
references to Castro.  END COMMENT. 
 
7.  (C) Brief bio-data on Sri Lanka's Permrep in Geneva 
and Ambassador to Cuba follows: 
 
-- Permrep Sarala Fernando:  Fernando just arrived in 
Geneva.  She had served in Colombo previously as the 
MFA's Additional Secretary for SAARC, South Asia, and 
Multilateral Affairs.  A career officer, she has also 
served as ambassador to Sweden and Thailand in past 
assignments.  Fernando is friendly to Americans and is 
approximately 55. 
 
-- Ambassador Piyasiri Wijesekara:  Wijesekara is a 
political appointee.  He is well-connected in Colombo 
circles:  his brother is Mahinda Wijesekara, the 
minister of fisheries (who is widely reputed to be quite 
corrupt).  Before Havana, Wijesekara also served as DCM 
at Sri Lanka's embassy in France.  He is in his fifties. 
 
8.  (U) Minimize considered. 
 
LUNSTEAD