US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO565

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000565 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, CE, External Relations, UN 
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA WILL CONSIDER POINTS ON CUBA CHR 
RESOLUTION--BUT PROBABLY ABSTAIN 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead for reason 1.4(D). 
 
1. (C) Ambassador raised Cuba CHR Resolution with Foreign 
Secretary Palihakkara on March 21, making points in reftel. 
 
SIPDIS 
Palihakkara was interested in the "minimalist" approach US 
was taking this year, and asked several questions. Ambassador 
provided him a copy of the draft resolution. 
 
2. (C) Palihakkara said that the Cubans had recently sent a 
Special Envoy to Colombo on this subject, and had pressed 
hard for a "no" vote. The Cuban envoy had told the Sri 
Lankans that Cuba had lined up a number of new "no" votes, 
and only required one or two more to defeat the resolution. 
Palihakkara added that, as we knew, Sri Lanka usually 
abstained on the Cuba resolution, with the exception of one 
year--he thought 1998--when Sri Lanka had voted against. 
Palihakkara promised to study the issue. 
 
3. (C) COMMENT: Palihakkara's body language conveyed to us 
that Sri Lanka will probably stick with its abstention. 
LUNSTEAD