US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO672

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000672 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IO/UNP AND SA/INS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/06/2015 
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, CE, UNHRC-1 
SUBJECT: CUBA AT UNHRC: GSL UNDER INTERNAL PRESSURE, ALMOST 
CERTAINLY WILL ABSTAIN 
 
REF: A. (A) COLOMBO 663 
     B. (B) COLOMBO 606 (NOTAL) 
     C. (C) COLOMBO 565 (NOTAL) 
     D. (D) COLOMBO 516 (NOTAL) 
     E. (E) STATE 49957 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead for reasons 1.4(B)(D). 
 
 
 1. (C) Ambassador called Foreign Minister Kadirgamar April 6 
to discuss Cuba resolution.  Ambassador said that he had 
raised the issue with President Kumaratunga who had said she 
would discuss it with the Minister.  Kadirgamar said that the 
GSL had "given this very close attention" and "tried to see 
if we could do something."  But, Kadirgamar said, "we are 
under enormous pressure" internally, referring to the 
Cuban-inspired JVP-led campaign for a "no" vote on the 
resolution - see ref (A). 
 
2. (C) As a result, Kadirgamar said, the best that Sri Lanka 
could do was an abstention, adding that "we certainly won't 
vote against."  Ambassador said that this was disappointing 
and that this vote was of crucial importance in Washington. 
A clearly uncomfortable Kadirgamar said that Sri Lanka was 
considering making a statement after the vote noting that it 
did not condone the human rights situation in Cuba. 
Ambassador said that the vote was expected to be close this 
year due to changes in the composition of the HRC, and that 
if the resolution were defeated, a statement would be of 
little benefit.  Kadirgamar said that he did not want to 
mislead us on Sri Lanka's position, and it looked like an 
abstention. 
 
3. (C) COMMENT:  It seems that while President Kumaratunga is 
duking it out with the JVP over issues like education and the 
future of that state-owned petroleum and power companies, she 
does not want to take on the JVP on the Cuba issue.  We will 
continue to press, but realistically an abstention is most 
likely. 
LUNSTEAD