Akashi to LTTE :
Let the civilians leave
*He blames LTTE for breakdown of
talks
*Heartwarming that Sinhalese are
collecting aid for northern IDPs
We hope that even now the LTTE will change its attitude and let the
IDPs in areas it still holds move to other areas, as several thousands
of others had already done, Japan’s special envoy for Peace Building,
Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi told a
media briefing in Colombo on Saturday.
“It is heartwarming that people from the South of Sri Lanka, most of
them Sinhalese, are collecting goods and money for the internally
displaced people from the north. I hope this spirit of harmony and
friendship will prevail in the future,” he said.
One of the major tragedies that led to the breakdown of the peace
process in Sri Lanka was the LTTE’s failure to attend the Tokyo
Conference in 2003, for which it was invited, and which produced the
Tokyo Declaration, which was a road map to peace in the country, he
said.
* Akashi, a
senior Japanese diplomat, began his visits here as the
representative of the Tokyo Co-Chairs of the Peace Process
established after the Cease Fire with the LTTE was signed in
February 2002.
* He has paid several visits to
Sri Lanka since then. The Government abrogated the ceasefire
agreement in January 2008, after repeated and horrendous
violations by LTTE. |
Commenting on conditions in the IDP transit centres, where he said
they could be better, but for the sudden influx of several thousands
within two weeks.
The media briefing was held at the end of a busy schedule during
which Akashi had a two and half hour meeting with President Mahinda
Rajapaksa, where the focus of discussion was the humanitarian conditions
regarding the IDPs and the government’s military operations against the
LTTE to eradiate terrorism.
Akashi who had visited major IDP facility, said he was impressed by
the commitment and dedicated efforts of the leaders of the relief
operations to help ease the conditions of the people, and the good
coordination and cooperation between the government departments and
officials and the UN, UNHCR, UNICEF and other relief agencies.
There were vocational training facilities already in place, education
was provided to children, and some of the IDPs had even planted
vegetable plots around their shelters.
He was pleased that President Rajapaksa had attached great importance
to the position that the solution to the problem in Sri Lanka was not
military but political, and was firmly committed to ensuring that all
the people of the country could live together in friendship and harmony.
Answering questions on reports of heavy armed attacks in the No Fire
Zone, he said there were such reports, “but I do not know from where the
firing was coming. There was no way of establishing the veracity of the
various reports received.”
He expressed hope that the government will remain faithful to its
policy of restraint and zero tolerance of casualties, and in keeping
with its statement of April 27, restrict military action to self-defence
and absolutely necessary action for humanitarian reasons.
Questioned on conditions for Japanese bilateral aid to Sri Lanka if
the current humanitarian military operations continue, Akashi said the
Japanese policy on country aid was based on certain criteria for each
country, for longer term development, although the situation could be
reviewed in the future if the necessity arose for such review.
With regard to the Co-Chairs, he said Japan did not agree with the
view of the other Co-Chair members that economic assistance should be
linked to success in the peace process.
“Problems caused by the misjudgment of leaders, should not be used to
punish the people,” he said. Responding to another question whether
Japan disagreed with the Western position on the need for a ceasefire or
cessation of hostilities in Sri Lanka, he said the two matters had
different political connotations, and he was not certain whether was any
such commonly agreed western position on the issue.
He said the Japanese Cabinet had last week decided to give US$ 4
million as aid to Sri Lanka specifically for non-food, water supply and
other needs of the IDPs.
He had been assured by President Rajapaksa that 80 percent of the
present IDPs would be resettled in “by end December this year and there
were constraints” with regard to the progress of de-mining operations,
and the need to conform to international standards on resettlement, to
which Sri Lanka was committed. |