US embassy cable - 05COLOMBO968

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 COLOMBO 000968 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS PASS UNESCO OFFICE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/30/2015 
TAGS: EAID, PGOV, PREL, Tsunami, LTTE - Peace Process 
SUBJECT: FORMER PRESIDENT CLINTON EMPHASIZES JOINT 
MECHANISM, CONSULTATION, BUFFER ZONE DURING SRI LANKA VISIT 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Jeffrey J. Lunstead for reasons 1.4 (B) and ( 
D). 
 
 
(U) SUBJECT:  Former President Clinton Emphasizes Joint 
Mechanism, Consultation, Buffer Zone During Sri Lanka Visit 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: Former President Clinton visited a 
tsunami-hit area in Sri Lanka's Muslim East where he heard 
 
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complaints about the coastal buffer zone from NGO's and 
tsunami victims. He praised the proposed Joint Mechanism in 
 
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talks with President Kumaratunga and publicly.  Kumaratunga 
defended the buffer zone except in areas where land was not 
available.  She criticized some NGO's for raising money but 
not delivering assistance, and for alleged high salaries. 
Clinton then visited Maldives but cancelled most of his 
planned activities except for an airport meeting with 
President Gayoom.  The visit provided a useful focus on 
achievements and problems in the reconstruction program, and 
forthright comments about the Joint Mechanism and the Buffer 
Zone.  END SUMMARY 
 
2. (U) Former President Clinton visited Sri Lanka May 27-28 
in his role as UN Secretary General's Special Envoy for 
Tsunami Relief.  Former President Clinton visited the east 
 
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coast town of Kalmunai, met with and then was lunched by 
President Kumaratunga. He traveled to Maldives May 28-29, but 
cancelled most substantive parts of his visit. Ambassador 
accompanied Clinton in Sri Lanka. 
 
Kalmunai: It's the Buffer Zone, Stupid 
-------------------------------------- 
 
3. (SBU) Since former President Clinton had visited a 
tsunami-hit area on the Southern coast during his earlier 
 
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visit to Sri Lanka with former President Bush, it was decided 
that he would visit a Muslim town in the mixed-ethnicity 
(Tamil-Muslim-Sinhalese) Eastern coast this time around. The 
large Muslim town of Kalmunai, which suffered extensive 
tsunami damage, was chosen.  After helicoptering in, former 
 
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President Clinton  went to the grounds of a local school, 
where he discussed tsunami reconstruction with government 
officials, local and international NGO representatives, and 
members of civil society.  Highlights of the discussion were: 
 
--Frequent references to the impossibility of rebuilding if 
the 200-meter buffer zone along the coastline were enforced. 
(Kalmunai is hemmed in by the ocean on one side, rice paddies 
and swamps on the other, and other communities to the north 
and south.)  TAFREN (Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation) 
Chairman Mano Tittawela, who was at the discussion, admitted 
that the buffer zone could not be enforced in Kalmunai and 
pledged "flexibility." 
 
--Urgent requests for moving quickly to build permanent 
housing to allow people to relocate from uncomfortable 
transit shelters. 
 
--Comments that coordination mechanisms were in place in 
Kalmunai, but could be improved. 
 
--Requests for programs to restore livelihoods. 
 
In his comments to the crowd and to the press in the East, 
former President Clinton noted the problems with the buffer 
zone and stated his strong support for quick agreement on the 
Joint Mechanism between the LTTE and the GSL. He also said 
that he intended to visit all tsunami-hit areas of the 
country. 
 
Meeting with President Kumaratunga 
---------------------------------- 
 
4. (U) Returning to Colombo, Clinton met with President 
Kumaratunga and a group of GSL officials. Mano Tittawella led 
off the pre-lunch meeting with a slide presentation on 
reconstruction which showed significant progress on 
transitional housing and projected starting dates for other 
areas such as permanent housing. An emphasis on livelihoods 
restoration was noted. Mano said that a UNDP-funded web-based 
project tracking system was under development and should be 
operational by August 1. 
 
5. (SBU) Former President Clinton began the discussion by 
noting that much work had been done since his last visit, and 
that the planning process appeared far advanced and easy to 
understand. His job, which he expected to last two years, 
would be to accelerate the process. He commended the 
President for her dedication to the Joint Mechanism, and said 
that was why he had traveled to Kalmunai. What he had heard 
most about in Kalmunai was a frustration with emergency 
housing and a desire for flexibility on the buffer zone. 
There were ways to build in safety features along the 
coastline. "More than anything else, you need some 
flexibility there," he said. He also noted the importance of 
programs to restore livelihoods. He said that he was happy to 
hear that all of the countries of the region had agreed to 
have compatible tsunami Early Warning Systems. He also noted 
the importance of NGO coordination. 
 
6.  (U) Kumaratunga said that much work had been done and the 
situation seemed good, but that the GSL had to streamline the 
reconstruction process. She said that the Early Warning 
System was running into problems because, despite several 
conferences, the countries of the region could not decide 
which country would host the main system. She suggested the 
UN could coordinate this decision, since "the countries seem 
unable to decide." 
 
7.  (SBU) Kumaratunga than said she wanted to mention a 
"budding problem." Some NGO's, she said, were still 
collecting tsunami money, and had even signed agreements with 
the GSL for tasks such as construction of new housing, but 
they were not performing. They were even using these 
agreements to raise additional money. Some NGO's had started 
an anti-GSL email campaign. The GSL had put in new 
regulations which would require NGO's to declare their funds 
and projects. Some NGO's were paying their expatriate staff 
exorbitant salaries, with some NGO leaders being paid 
$30-40,000 per month. They were importing luxury vehicles 
which cost $200,000. Former President Clinton responded that 
if there were specific problems with NGO's, the GSL should 
notify him and he would run them down. 
 
8. (SBU) Former President Clinton continued that the buffer 
zone was a big problem, and in Kalmunai it was a physical 
impossibility. Fairly or not it has become a symbol of the 
criticism that all decisions are made in Colombo, and a 
surrogate for a host of anxieties. To meet the time targets 
which the Government had set, there would need to be some 
flexibility. 
 
9.  (SBU) President Kumaratunga responded that of the nine 
districts which had been extensively affected by the tsunami, 
only two--Jaffna and Amparai (where Kalmunai is located)--had 
a problem with the buffer zone because of lack of available 
land. The people supported the buffer zone; it was the NGO's 
and "some political parties" which were shouting. Kumaratunga 
said that the Government had interviewed 1800 families in the 
South, and all except two had wanted to move away from the 
ocean. In Amparai and Jaffna the Government would have to be 
flexible, and was considering building sea walls to protect 
the coast. She turned to the Government Agent 
(highest-ranking local official) from Batticaloa and asked 
him if it were not true that the people wanted to move. He 
(courageously) replied: "Some do, some don't." 
 
10. (SBU) Kumaratunga then thanked former President Clinton 
for his support on the Joint Mechanism (JM). The majority of 
Sri Lankans, she said, think something like the JM needs to 
happen. The JM is not part of the Peace process, but "will 
open doors" for peace. The Muslims had expressed some 
concerns regarding the JM, but she thought they were being 
overcome. A "so-called extremist group" (i.e., the JVP) had 
an objection in principle to the JM, and the GSL was 
discussing this issue intensely with them. "As Head of 
State," she said, "I cannot turn my back on an offer by the 
LTTE to work together." Therefore she had committed herself 
and her government to the JM. The opposition UNP had not 
given a  clear view on the JM, and had refused thus far to 
discuss it with the Government, although there were signs 
they might be changing that position. 
 
 
Non-Substantive Lunch 
--------------------- 
 
11. (SBU) The party then joined a group of about 60 for 
lunch, where the conversation was largely non-substantive. 
However, during the lunch Ambassador asked President 
Kumaratunga if it was true that she would be heading to New 
Delhi soon to  discuss the Joint Mechanism. Kumaratunga 
confirmed that was the case, and said she hoped to travel in 
the following week. (Note: subsequent press reports are that 
she will travel on Thursday, June 2.) Kumaratunga said that 
she did not think that the GOI would have any substantive 
objection to the JM once she had explained it properly. 
 
Meeting the TRO 
--------------- 
 
12. (SBU) After lunch, former President Clinton met with 
civil society groups. Of note, the LTTE-affiliated Tamil 
Relief Organization (TRO) snuck a camera into the room and 
took a picture of Clinton shaking hands with the TRO 
representative. The photo was subsequently published on the 
pro-LTTE website Tamilnet. This has led to some adverse press 
commentary in Colombo. (n.b., The TRO is a legal organization 
in both Sri Lanka and the US.) At a final press conference 
before departure, Clinton reprised his themes on the Joint 
Mechanism and the buffer zone. (See septel for media reaction 
to the visit.) 
 
13. (SBU) A visibly-fatigued Clinton then left for Maldives, 
where he cancelled most of his program except for an airport 
arrival meeting with President Gayoom. Ambassador had 
intended to travel to Maldives to accompany Clinton, but 
cancelled his trip when UN and Clinton staff told him they 
were scrubbing the substantive portion of the visit. 
Presidential Spokesman Dr. Ahmed Shaheed told us that Gayoom 
had a lively and productive discussion on Maldives' immediate 
reconstruction needs with Clinton. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
14. (C) The Clinton visit was useful in drawing attention to 
both the successes and continuing problems in the tsunami 
reconstruction effort. Clinton was forthright in both his 
praise for the Government's Joint Mechanism efforts and in 
his criticism of the buffer zone. The Kalmunai trip gave him 
a good opportunity to hear the voices on the ground--both 
tsunami victims and relief agencies. It was good to hear from 
 
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Kumaratunga that she is willing to be flexible on the buffer 
zone in some areas, but she is obviously still dedicated to 
it overall. Her comments about NGO's contained some kernels 
of truth --indeed, some NGO's have raised  large sums but 
done little with them. Nonetheless, the exaggerated  charges 
she made were disturbing. They are unfortunately reflective 
of currents which are becoming increasingly common within Sri 
Lankan society, however. 
 
They Couldn't Have Done It Without Us 
------------------------------------- 
 
15. (U) The visit was officially under UN auspices, and UN 
agencies here had the ostensible lead. However, the success 
of the visit was due in large part to hard work by sections 
of the Embassy, including DAO, RSO, GSO and PA, who provided 
invaluable support to a UN presence which clearly was not 
familiar with the demands of a high-profile visit. 
 
 
 
 
LUNSTEAD