The representative of the Japanese government for peace building, rehabilitation and reconstruction in Sri Lanka, Yasushi Akashi, held discussions with External Affairs minister, GL Peiris, to review the progress of the reconciliation process and other issues related to the conflict.
Peiris briefed Akashi on the measures taken by the government on the reconciliation process, including the launch of the trilingual language capability initiative, the appointment of an all part Parliamentary select committee to address issues, the resettlement of internally displaced persons, the infrastructure development in the north and the addressing of land disputes.
The effects of these ‘steps towards reconciliation’ are clearly evident, with the recent exclusion of the elected political party, Tamil National Alliance (TNA), from development discussions, and the continued appropriation of land.
Minister Peiris’ virtuous claims of steps towards reconciliation come as the UN reiterated today, that there were ‘significant unmet humanitarian needs in the North’.
