INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Complex Emergency and Transition Assistance For

Published: Mon 24 Nov 2003 02:56 AM
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
240256Z Nov 03
UNCLAS COLOMBO 002020
SIPDIS
PLEASE PASS USAID/DCHA/OTI RWAX
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID PGOV CE LTTE
SUBJECT: COMPLEX EMERGENCY AND TRANSITION ASSISTANCE FOR
SRI LANKA
1. SUMMARY. AFTER TWO DECADES OF WAR THAT HAVE SHORT-
CIRCUITED DEVELOPMENT AND TORN APART THE NATION'S SOCIAL
FABRIC, SRI LANKA NOW FINDS ITSELF WITH AN UNPRECEDENTED
OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE PEACE. IN ORDER FOR
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT TO MAKE THE MOST OF THIS HISTORIC
WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT THE PEACE PROCESS THE
AMBASSADOR HAS DETERMINED THAT THE PRESENT SITUATION IN
SRI LANKA MERITS THE CONTINUED USE OF TRANSITION
INITIATIVES (TI) FUNDS AND HAS REQUESTED THAT USAID'S
OFFICE OF TRANSITION INITIATIVES (OTI) CONTINUE A PROGRAM
THROUGH SRI LANKA'S KEY TRANSITION PERIOD. END SUMMARY
2. USAID/OTI'S GOAL IN SRI LANKA SINCE MARCH 2003 HAS
BEEN TO GENERATE GREATER SUPPORT FOR A NEGOTIATED PEACE
SETTLEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA AND THE
LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM. USAID/OTI IS SUPPORTING
A PROGRAM TO DEMONSTRATE TANGIBLE BENEFITS OF PEACE, TO
INCREASE THE AMOUNT AND EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AND
DIVERSE POINTS OF VIEW ON PEACE RELATED ISSUES AMONG
VARIOUS LEVELS OF SOCIETY AND VARIOUS COMMUNITIES, AND TO
REDUCE OR PREVENT THE INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE IN CONFLICT
PRONE COMMUNITIES. USAID/OTI'S ASSISTANCE IS BEING
PROVIDED TO UNDERPIN THE LARGER U.S. GOVERNMENT GOAL TO
SUPPORT FOR THE PEACE PROCESS IN SRI LANKA.
3. THERE IS A CONTINUING NEED FOR THIS TYPE OF SUPPORT
DURING FY04, A CRITICAL PERIOD FOR SRI LANKA AS IT WORKS
ON A PEACE AGREEMENT AND A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT. THE
PEACE PROCESS IN SRI LANKA IS TENUOUS. THE USAID/OTI
PROGRAM IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT PROJECTS THAT WILL INCREASE
THE PUBLIC'S SUPPORT FOR THIS PROCESS.
4. RATIONALE FOR CONTINUED TRANSITION ASSISTANCE. AS A
TRANSITIONAL PRIORITY, THE STABILITY OF SRI LANKA IS
PARAMOUNT. A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO THE CONFLICT IN SRI
LANKA WOULD ENCOURAGE A SIMILAR APPROACH TO BE USED
THROUGHOUT THE REGION. USAID/OTI'S CONTINUED ASSISTANCE
WILL PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING VALUE-ADDED COMPONENTS TO
MISSION PROGRAMMING:
- USAID/OTI ALLOWS THE MISSION TO DEMONSTRATE VISIBLE
PEACE DIVIDENDS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, THEREBY PERSUADING
SKEPTICS TO LEND THEIR SUPPORT TO THE PEACE PROCESS.
- THE USAID/OTI PROGRAM, IN PART THROUGH ITS CONTRACTOR'S
FIELD OFFICES, IS ABLE TO WORK IN MOST PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY, WITH MANY PROJECTS IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE MULTI-
ETHNIC.
- USAID/OTI IS ABLE TO HAVE PROJECTS FULLY IMPLEMENTED
WITHIN A FEW MONTHS TIME. THIS FAST AND FLEXIBLE
PROGRAMMING ALLOWS USAID/OTI TO TAILOR AND ADAPT ITS
PROGRAM TO THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT, ATTITUDES AND
HAPPENINGS DURING THE PEACE PROCESS.
5. THE USAID MISSION IN SRI LANKA AND THE US EMBASSY
WELCOME AND SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE.
LUNSTEAD
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