Cablegate: Embassy Colombo Eac Meeting 01/20/2010

VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLM #0049 0220827
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220827Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1148

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000049

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/RD/SCA, DS/DSS/ITA, CA AND SA/INS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC CASC PTER
SUBJECT: EMBASSY COLOMBO EAC MEETING 01/20/2010

1. (SBU) Summary: AmEmbassy Colombo convened an Emergency
Action Committee (EAC) meeting on January 20, 2010. The EAC
discussed post's security posture in light of the upcoming
Sri Lanka presidential elections on January 26. The EAC
discussed elections violence, threat information,
arrangements for Mission employees' access to USG facilities
if the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) declares a curfew, the
Mission emergency notification (Cascade) system, and
notifications to the expatriate American citizen (Amcit)
community. End summary.

2. (SBU) On January 20, 2010, AmEmbassy Colombo convened an
EAC meeting. Present for the meeting were the Deputy Chief
of Mission, Regional Security Officer, Regional Affairs
Officer, Political Officer, Economic Officer, Management
Officer, Consular Officer, Public Affairs Officer, USAID
Director, Defense Attache', Office of Defense Cooperation
Chief, Marine Security Guard Detachment Commander,
International Broadcasting Bureau Station Chief, Community
Liaison Officer, and Medical Officer. The agenda items for
the meeting were:

-- The January 26 nationwide presidential election campaign
and election-related violence;

-- Threats, if any, the violence poses for the official and
expatriate Amcit communities;

-- Contingencies for maintaining Mission operations and
transportation for Embassy personnel if the GSL declares a
curfew after election day;

-- Testing the Embassy emergency notification (Cascade)
system; and,

-- A Warden message for the expatriate Amcit community.

3. (SBU) The EAC discussed the upcoming election and the
incidents of election-related violence. Some media sources
have reported that the Sri Lanka Police Service (SLPS)
received 728 complaints of election violence, including four
deaths, from December 18, 2009 to January 19, 2010. However,
to date post had received no reports that Amcits had been
victims of any of the incidents. RSO, RAO, POL and DATT
opined, and the EAC concurred, that the violence was unlikely
to target Amcits or American interests directly. On the other
hand, Amcits could blunder into a violent demonstration or
into proximity with other election violence - i.e. be in the
wrong place at the wrong time.

4. (SBU) The EAC discussed the possibility of the GSL
declaring a curfew after the elections. Locally engaged staff
members and EmbOffs' various Sri Lankan contacts conjectured,
based on past experience, that the GSL would declare a
curfew, after polling concluded and in advance of the
announcement of the outcome. RSO's Foreign Service National
Investigator (FSNI) contacted police sources, who also
believed that a curfew, lasting 24 to 48 hours, would follow
the election regardless of the result of the voting. FSNI
believed that the SLPS would issue a limited amount of
"curfew passes" to the Mission for embassy vehicles. However,
the curfew was likely to affect Embassy operations by
severely limiting the number of personnel who could report to
work. In that regard, the EAC recommended that the MGT
Officer and RSO develop contingency plans for maintaining
limited operations during the curfew.

5. (SBU) The RSO noted that post would conduct a drill of the
Embassy Emergency Notification system prior to the election
day. Additionally, the CONS chief will draft a Warden notice
to alert the non-official Amcit community of the possibility
of a curfew and measures to take in the event of a curfew.
(Note: After receipt of Washington clearance, post
disseminated the message January 21 to the official and
non-official Amcit communities.) The EAC agreed that these
steps were prudent in light of unfolding events.

6. (U) Post will continue to monitor the security environment
and report further developments, if any, septel. POC for
this message is RSO Michael V. Perkins, who may be contacted
at 94.11.249.8885, 94.11.249.8888 (MSG Post 1 after regular
business hours), or via the classified and unclassified email
systems.
BUTENIS

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