US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO663

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000663 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IO/UNP AND SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/04/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, CE, UNHRC-1, Human Rights 
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA:  PRESIDENT MAKES NO COMMITMENTS ON CHR 
CUBA RESOLUTION 
 
REF: A. COLOMBO 606 (NOTAL) 
     B. COLOMBO 565 (NOTAL) 
     C. COLOMBO 516 (NOTAL) 
     D. STATE 49957 
 
Classified By: AMB. JEFFREY J. LUNSTEAD.  REASON:  1.4 (B,D). 
 
1.  (C) In a March 29 meeting with President Chandrika 
Kumaratunga during the visit of Millennium Challenge 
Corporation CEO Paul Applegarth, Ambassador raised the 
resolution on Cuba.  As in previous demarches (Refs A-C), 
Ambassador stressed the closeness of last year's vote, the 
composition of this year's committee, and the importance of 
the vote to the U.S.  He reviewed for Kumaratunga the 
differences between this year's proposed resolution and last 
year's and urged Sri Lanka to shift its position from 
abstention to a yes vote.  The President said that she would 
discuss the matter with the Foreign Minister but offered no 
other assurances. 
 
2.  (C)  Comment:  The Cubans, with whom the Sri Lankans have 
good relations as part of their membership in the Non-Aligned 
Movement, have been conducting a full-court press of their 
own on this issue.  The membership of the pro-Marxist Janatha 
Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) as a partner in the governing 
coalition further complicates prospects for a Sri Lankan yes 
vote.  The April 4 edition of the state-owned English daily 
carried a story reporting the Cuban Ambassador's efforts to 
win Government of Sri Lanka support to defeat the resolution, 
including, apparently, enlisting the aid of JVP Cabient 
ministers to mount a petition drive among "prominent Sri 
Lankan scholars, artistes, media personnel and the general 
public . . .  to support Cuba."  Given current domestic 
political atmospherics, we believe a yes vote is unlikely. 
We will continue to press with the Foreign Minister and 
others as appropriate and available. 
LUNSTEAD