By Colombo Telegraph –
“In a private meeting following ambassador’s credentialing ceremony, President Rajapaksa expressed bewilderment and frustration at U.S. policy for encouraging him to fight terrorism and then criticizing him when he did. Rajapaksa claimed that 70 percent of the IDPs locked in camps would be returned by the end of January and complained that the UN was at fault for the poor condition of IDP camps now because they had refused to build the kind of permanent structures the GSL originally wanted. Ambassador underscored the value of the larger bilateral relationship and its great potential for expansion but stressed that the IDP issue will not go away and needs to be resolved.” the US Embassy Colombo informed Washington.
Bush and Mahinda
A Leaked ‘Confidential’ US diplomatic cable, dated September 18, 2009, updated the Secretary of State regarding Ambassador Patricia Butenis’s credentialing ceremony and a private meeting she had with the President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Colombo Telegraph found the related leaked cable from the WikiLeaks database. The cable is signed by the US Ambassador to Colombo Patricia Butenis.
The ambassador wtore; “On September 17, Ambassador Patricia Butenis presented her credentials to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a ceremony with six other ambassadors. Foreign Minister (FM) Bogollagama made the point that ambassador had been credentialed very quickly after her arrival in country, hinting that this signaled the importance the GSL placed on the relationship with the U.S. and their desire to get it back on track. After the ceremony, the U.S. and Egyptian ambassadors were asked to stay behind for private meetings. Following a few minutes with the Egyptian, President Rajapaksa invited ambassador to speak with him, the FM, and Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga”
“Expressing a combination of bewilderment and frustration, the president pointed out that while President Bush personally had encouraged him to pursue defeat of the LTTE, we were now criticizing Sri Lanka for the conduct of its fight against terrorism. The president raised the issue of the war crimes report, which is being prepared by Department. Ambassador explained the origins of the report as congressionally mandated, noted that Assistant Secretary Blake had discussed the report with FM Bogollagama and with the Sri Lankan ambassador in Washington, and informed the president that its release to Congress had been delayed by a month. On the question of freedom of movement for IDPs, the president held to his standard paternalistic line that the GSL could not release them from the camps until de-mining was finished and infrastructure was restored. He promised that 70 percent of the IDPs would be returned by the end of January. Asked to clarify whether they would be allowed to return to their own homes or resettled in new closed camps, FM Bogollagama interjected that they would go to their own homes.” Butenis further wrote.
Read the relevant part of the cable below;
VZCZCXRO8974 OO RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHLM #0893/01 2611114 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 181114Z SEP 09 FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0539 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 1905 RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 8934 RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 7172 RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 5129 RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3311 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO PRIORITY 5085 RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 1362 RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM PRIORITY 0620 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 4195 RUEHCG/AMCONSUL CHENNAI PRIORITY 9499 RUEHBI/AMCONSUL MUMBAI PRIORITY 6800 RUEHON/AMCONSUL TORONTO PRIORITY 1291 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3736 RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 COLOMBO 000893 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INSB E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PREF PHUM PTER EAID MOPS CE SUBJECT: PRESIDENT BEWILDERED, FRUSTRATED WITH U.S. SRI LANKA POLICY COLOMBO 00000893 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: AMBASSADOR PATRICIA BUTENIS. REASONS: 1.4 (B, D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: In a private meeting following ambassador's credentialing ceremony, President Rajapaksa expressed bewilderment and frustration at U.S. policy for encouraging him to fight terrorism and then criticizing him when he did. Rajapaksa claimed that 70 percent of the IDPs locked in camps would be returned by the end of January and complained that the UN was at fault for the poor condition of IDP camps now because they had refused to build the kind of permanent structures the GSL originally wanted. Ambassador underscored the value of the larger bilateral relationship and its great potential for expansion but stressed that the IDP issue will not go away and needs to be resolved. END SUMMARY. AMBASSADOR CREDENTIALED ----------------------- ¶2. (C) On September 17, Ambassador Patricia Butenis presented her credentials to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa in a ceremony with six other ambassadors. Foreign Minister (FM) Bogollagama made the point that ambassador had been credentialed very quickly after her arrival in country, hinting that this signaled the importance the GSL placed on the relationship with the U.S. and their desire to get it back on track. After the ceremony, the U.S. and Egyptian ambassadors were asked to stay behind for private meetings. Following a few minutes with the Egyptian, President Rajapaksa invited ambassador to speak with him, the FM, and Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga PRESIDENT: TERROR FIGHT CONTINUES --------------------------------- ¶3. (C) Expressing a combination of bewilderment and frustration, the president pointed out that while President Bush personally had encouraged him to pursue defeat of the LTTE, we were now criticizing Sri Lanka for the conduct of its fight against terrorism. The president raised the issue of the war crimes report, which is being prepared by Department. Ambassador explained the origins of the report as congressionally mandated, noted that Assistant Secretary Blake had discussed the report with FM Bogollagama and with the Sri Lankan ambassador in Washington, and informed the president that its release to Congress had been delayed by a month. On the question of freedom of movement for IDPs, the president held to his standard paternalistic line that the GSL could not release them from the camps until de-mining was finished and infrastructure was restored. He promised that 70 percent of the IDPs would be returned by the end of January. Asked to clarify whether they would be allowed to return to their own homes or resettled in new closed camps, FM Bogollagama interjected that they would go to their own homes.
BUTENIS
Sarwan / January 25, 2013
One war criminal Bush births another In SL !!!
During Colonialism, Britain did suppress information of people to prevent justice through the knowledge of truth.
The British gave the Ceylonese travel documents. SL does now the same to the Tamils of Tamil Eelam.
Military occupation is another.
Britain allowed elected representatives to a colonial legislature in Ceylon. The same is done by SL to the people of TE.
There are many parallels to what the British colonials did.
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Ben Hurling / January 25, 2013
Agree Bush is a war criminal. Rajapassa is perhaps not a war criminal, but a typical dictator, with dynastic ambitions. And he will fail. Sri Lankans know better.
However, please note Tamils are Sri Lankans. They are entitled to Sri Lankan travel documents like the rest of us. We are one.
Tamil Ealam is a fantasy project. It will never happen on Sri Lankan soil. 28% of land mass and 66% of coastline to a purely Tamil ethno-nationalistic project? Forget it. Nobody else, but silly Tamil racists of VP’s calibre will even dream of it.
We are one country of diverse peoples. Equal before the law. Nothing more nothing less. Sri Lanka belongs to all of us.
If you cannot let go of your Tamil ethnic, extreme nationalistic fantasy, may I suggest you move to Tamil Nadu. The real Tamil homeland.
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gamini / January 28, 2013
READERS just look at the photo of Bush and MR carefully. See the cunning understanding both have, although charges were drawn then, to show that the Bush Administration was hard on the MR regime? Deceiving VP and helping MR to massacre the surrenderees were all the work of the Americans. No wonder the Americans are fighting hard to prevent an Inquiry to the War excesses on MR through proxies as China, Russia and other countries lest they get exposed at the UN. Afterall why this fear of an Inquiry, if they have nothing to conceal? Why should America worry and this lukewarm attitude towards MR?
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Manesh Rajakaruna / January 26, 2013
Sarwan
Interesting comments.
Where is this so-called Tamil Eelam? Is it your ass? Please remember – there is no Peelam in Sri Lanka and will never be one in Sr Lanka.
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Lawyer / January 25, 2013
I don’t see the translator. How did Idi Mahin communicate? Hand signals?
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Manesh Rajakaruna / January 26, 2013
Lawyer
Unlike your uneduacted son goat Valu Praba, Mahind Rajapaksa hinself is used to be a lawyer. Have you seen him addressing forums in Enligh?
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mike / January 26, 2013
Idi Mahin is NOT a lawyer and his English Language is far below one’s expectation. Most, if not all, of the time he uses either a G.L.prompter or a telepromter. He should express his thoughts in a language he is most comfortable with, with the aid of a translator!
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Jim Softy. / January 25, 2013
So, as Tamils say, if Mahinda Rajapakse were to be taken to Hague, Bush will be there too ?
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Jim Softy. / January 25, 2013
Tamils are talking big. Yet, three Kurdish political activist – women were assassinated recently. The similarity between all those women were that they had close connections to the LTTE and to the LTTE rump.
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Panda / January 26, 2013
Two war criminals that should be held accountable for the deaths of thousands. One committed deaths of civilians out of his country, the other, within his own country.
One had to leave because of democracy, one still rules like a dictator.
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Hussain Fahmy / January 28, 2013
One had to leave because of democracy, the other still rules under the guise of demoncracy
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Jogan / January 26, 2013
Panda
Good summary in a few sentences.
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Kalu Malli / January 26, 2013
Shame about the Tiger loving loony liberal warmonger Hillary “Rodent” Clinton, who happened to be in bed with the LTTE rump.
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Senguttuvan / January 28, 2013
Manesh R – I do not subscribe to VPs violent politics. But he never gave the impression of proficiency in English. Whenever he spoke in public, he spoke in coherent and good Tamil. As to MR addressing Public Forums in English, I am afraid you are touching on a subject you know very little of. He certainly can speak some English – more mono-syllabic. Remember his interview on NDTV with Shekar Gupta?
As to addressing Forums in specific subjects for several minutes continuously in English – that is beyond his grain. But one should not hold this against him because he is quite fluent in his mother tongue -and that matters more.
Senguttuvan
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gamini / January 28, 2013
Senguttuvan, although this bugger MR has got thrown up as the President of this country, thanks to world powers who manipulate, the people who know him, only knows him too well what he is really capable off. He is supposed to be a Lawyer. Give him a piece of paper and pen and ask him to draft a motion either in Sinhalese or English. Then you will know how knowledgeble he is. All his speaches are written by others, but he has no substance and he just steam rolls with power, that is all. You saw how he displayed his aptitude over the CJ issue and very openly stating how he shaped ‘apey miniha’? Would a normal sensible person utter such thing, even if it is so, but for his real self of a dumb mutt he is. He might be an intelligent person among the Mervyn Silva type.
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