Japan not to suspend aid to Sri Lanka

Japan has told Sri Lanka that it has no plans to suspend development aid to the island nation as reported in the international media.

Japan's special envoy Yasushi Akashi told Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona over the phone Friday that his country had not changed its aid policy vis-a-vis Sri Lanka and it would stick to the commitments it had made.

Akashi said that Japan welcomed the proposals made by the Sri Lankan all party panel on devolution of power and commended President Mahinda Rajapaksa for his efforts to find a peaceful solution to the ethnic conflict.

The international media had reported from Tokyo Thursday that Akashi had warned that Japan would cut off aid to Sri Lanka if the latter continued with its military operations against the Tamil Tiger rebels.

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Akashi wants military action to cease to give aid!

Yasushi Akashi, Japan's special peace envoy has warned that Japan would cut off aid if military action against tiger terrorists continued.

"We could be forced to review our aid policy if military action keeps escalating, although Sri Lanka wants Japan to continue it," Yasushi Akashi had told the media in Tokyo.

He had said the S.L. Government and the LTTE should choose peace indicating that GoSL have talks with tiger terrorists. Yasushi Akashi was in Sri Lanka from the 13th to 15th of this month when he met several political leaders including the President, Ranil Wickremasinghe and JVP Leader Somawansa Amarasinghe.

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Japan not demanding anything from Lanka – Akashi

Japan does not consider it its business to impose its will on other countries. " But we have the right to express apprehnsion over humanitarian and other consequent issues," Japanes Peace Envoy Yasushi Akashi told the media yesterday.

He said the Japanese government does not believe that it should go public on whatever had been achieved as one of the co-chairs. "We feel our efforts have been worthwhile and appreciated by many people in this country. Our genuine efforts are to help in achieving ethnic harmony so that its great potential for growth and harmony could be realised by Sri Lankans."

He also said that when he met President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday evening, he conveyed the serious concerns of the Japanese Government, and emphasised that a political solution to the problem would be indispensable.

"And in that context, a devolution package, on which the Government of Sri Lanka had been exerting considerable efforts, must be drafted as soon as possible."

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http://www.island.lk/2008/01/16/news1.html