US embassy cable - 03COLOMBO639

C O N F I D E N T I A L COLOMBO 000639 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SA, SA/INS, IO/SHA, WHA/CCA, DRL/MLA; NSC 
FOR E. MILLARD 
 
LONDON FOR POL/RIEDEL 
 
E.O. 12958:   DECL: 04-11-13 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PHUM, CE, CU, UNCHR-1 
SUBJECT:  Foreign Secretary indicates that GSL plans to 
abstain re Cuba resolution, but will review matter 
 
Refs:  (A) Colombo 626 
 
-      (B) State 91613 
-      (C) State 91349 (All Notal) 
 
(U) Classified by Ambassador E. Ashley Wills. 
Reasons: 1.5 (b,d). 
 
1.  (C) Following up on his conversation with 
FM Fernando yesterday (see Ref A), Ambassador Wills 
spoke to Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Nihal Rodrigo 
today (April 11) re the resolution on Cuba now before 
the UNCHR.  Rodrigo said the GSL's current plan was to 
abstain on the vote while issuing a "strong" statement 
re Cuba's recent actions.  Rodrigo related that he 
thought this was a constructive position for Sri Lanka 
to take inasmuch as Fidel Castro had buttonholed GSL 
representatives at the recent NAM summit in Malaysia, 
pressing Sri Lanka to vote "no." 
 
2.  (C) The Ambassador replied that Sri Lanka's links 
with NAM were well-known and were obviously important to 
the government.  That said, real issues were at stake in 
this vote, i.e., a brutal crackdown by Castro's regime 
on pro-democracy and other activists.  Sri Lanka, as a 
long-time democracy, should not allow NAM links to be 
used so that Cuba, in effect, received favorable 
treatment for its egregious activities.  Reflecting, 
Rodrigo responded that the GSL would mull over the issue 
some more and get back to us. 
 
3.  (C) COMMENT:  Through his last statement, Rodrigo 
was not completely ruling out a change in Sri Lanka's 
traditional decision to abstain on the Cuba vote.  That 
said, our guess is that this is a tough sell.  Per 
Ref B, we suggest that Department also raise the matter 
with Minister Moragoda, who will be in Washington early 
next week.  END COMMENT. 
 
4. (U) Minimize considered. 
 
WILLS