WikiLeaks: ‘Sri Lankan Military Is Taking Revenge On The ICRC’ – UN
“A/S Blake regretted the current state of GSL-ICRC relations, noting the very critical role ICRC had played on human rights and the constructive relationship the GSL had previously had with the ICRC. He asked if Pascoe had raised the ICRC during his visit. Holmes surmised that the Sri Lankan military is taking revenge on the ICRC, which it believes abetted the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) in the past. Holmes and Pascoe had asked the ICRC if it wanted help in retaining its mandate in Sri Lanka, but, as usual, the ICRC preferred to fight its own battles. ICRC has explained to the government what it is in Sri Lankato do; if the government does not want it there, it will leave. It has already lost access to former LTTE combatants. Expelling the ICRC, Holmes said, would be “daft.” Pascoe noted that he told FM Bogollagama earlier on September 29 thatSri Lankais going to need the ICRC to look after the rights of the 10-15,000 LTTE detainees it is presently holding.” US State Department wrote to US Embassy Colombo. 
John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Photo: KEYSTONE
A classified diplomatic cable which details a meeting the US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake has had with UN officials on September 29, 2009. The Colombo Telegraph found the related US diplomatic cable from the Secretary of State section of the WikiLeaks database. The cable was classified as “Confidential” signed by Hillary Clinton on September 30 2009.
