US embassy cable - 04COLOMBO1301

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 001301 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, IO/UNP (NARANJO) 
 
E.O. 12958:  DECL:  08-06-14 
TAGS: PREL, ECON, PHUM, KDEM, AORC, CE, UNGA, UN 
SUBJECT:  Mission conveys points on USG initiatives for 
the 59th UN General Assembly to Sri Lanka and Maldives 
 
Ref:  State 152009 
 
(U) Classified by Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Dean 
Thompson.  Reasons 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) On August 3, poloff spoke with Sumedha Ekanayake 
and presented the USG initiatives for the 59th UN 
General Assembly, per Reftel.  Ekanayake said he would 
review the points with his colleagues but that he did 
not foresee any GSL conflicts with U.S. initiatives to 
advance economic freedom, combat TIP, and promote 
democracy. 
 
2.  (C) In reference to the issue of Human Cloning, 
however, he reported that the GSL had not yet formulated 
a national position, and thought that a motion by Iran 
on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Conferences 
(OIC) in the 58th General Assembly had adjourned the 
debate until the 60th GA in September 2005. 
 
3.  (C) Remarking on the U.S. initiative to reduce 
Middle East resolutions, Ekanayake noted that Sri Lanka 
was the Chair of the Special Committee to Investigate 
Israeli Practices, but that the SL permrep chaired the 
committee as facilitator, and not with a GSL agenda. 
The sheer numbers in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and 
the OIC would pose problems for such an initiative, he 
thought. 
 
4.  (C) Mission has also conveyed the points in Reftel 
to the Maldivian government, but there has been no 
response as of yet. 
 
LUNSTEAD