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 peace envoy to Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi told Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona over the phone Friday that his country had not changed its aid policy vis-à-vis Sri Lanka and it would stick to the commitments it had made.
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.
"We could be forced to review our aid policy if military action keeps escalating," AFP quoted Akashi as telling reporters in Tokyo.
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.
Akashi further said that he remained convinced of the assurances given by the President Mahinda Rajapakse with regard to Sri Lanka’s approach to the peace process.
He dismissed the reports in the UNP’s official website and also in some newspapers as a misrepresentation of what he said at the press conference, reported the Asian Tribune.
The UNP official website had earlier reported that “Japan’s envoy to Sri Lanka’s peace talks and who was here recently sternly warned the Govt. yesterday (31 Jan) that it will have to review its financial aid if Govt. steps up its aims for a military solution following the abrogation of ceasefire agreement. Japan, the major aid donor for Sri Lanka will however continue their bid along with three other Nations, the U.S., Norway and the European Union for a peaceful solution for Sri Lanka.”
Earlier, at the news conference in Colombo on January 15, Akashi said the Japanese Government continued to support Sri Lanka in view of achieving sustainable peace based on a political solution.
“Peace is not easy to achieve and frustrations are inevitable” Akashi told the press briefing, while emphasising Japan’s unwavering commitment to help Sri Lanka achieve peace and prosperity.
However, Japan has also previously expressed concern about the Sri Lankan government’s decision to abrogate the 2002 Norwegian facilitated Ceasefire Agreement.
Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Masahiko Koumura, issued a statement on January 4 stating that his country was “deeply concerned that the decision taken by the Government of Sri Lanka” to withdraw from the Ceasefire “may lead to the escalation of the conflict by way of increased level of violence and greater civilian casualties, and leave the peace process at a standstill.”
The news follows months of speculation amongst Sri Lankan watchers about whether Japan will fall into line with the Western stance seeking to force Sri Lanka to cease its human rights violations by cutting aid.
Britain announced last year that it was going to withhold £1.5 million of aid as part of the united effort among the co-chairs to the Sri Lankan peace process to pressure the government. However at the same year it was revealed that Britain licensed £7 million worth of weapons and military equipment for export to Sri Lanka in the quarter to May 2007 alone.
There had also been speculation that the other co-chairs of the Sri Lankan peace process (EU, Norway and the US) were seeking to remove Japan from the co-chairs and to broaden the group to include, Australia, India, and Canada.
An edition of the Sunday Island reported in mid January that it had “information from a reliable source” that “the need is not to broad base the co-chairs but to get rid of Japan because Japan has not been toeing the line of the western powers as regards the Sri Lankan issue.”
Japan's special peace envoy to Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi told Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona over the phone Friday that his country had not changed its aid policy vis-à-vis Sri Lanka and it would stick to the commitments it had made.
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.
"We could be forced to review our aid policy if military action keeps escalating," AFP quoted Akashi as telling reporters in Tokyo.
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.
Akashi further said that he remained convinced of the assurances given by the President Mahinda Rajapakse with regard to Sri Lanka’s approach to the peace process.
He dismissed the reports in the UNP’s official website and also in some newspapers as a misrepresentation of what he said at the press conference, reported the Asian Tribune.
The UNP official website had earlier reported that “Japan’s envoy to Sri Lanka’s peace talks and who was here recently sternly warned the Govt. yesterday (31 Jan) that it will have to review its financial aid if Govt. steps up its aims for a military solution following the abrogation of ceasefire agreement. Japan, the major aid donor for Sri Lanka will however continue their bid along with three other Nations, the U.S., Norway and the European Union for a peaceful solution for Sri Lanka.”
Earlier, at the news conference in Colombo on January 15, Akashi said the Japanese Government continued to support Sri Lanka in view of achieving sustainable peace based on a political solution.
“Peace is not easy to achieve and frustrations are inevitable” Akashi told the press briefing, while emphasising Japan’s unwavering commitment to help Sri Lanka achieve peace and prosperity.
However, Japan has also previously expressed concern about the Sri Lankan government’s decision to abrogate the 2002 Norwegian facilitated Ceasefire Agreement.
Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Masahiko Koumura, issued a statement on January 4 stating that his country was “deeply concerned that the decision taken by the Government of Sri Lanka” to withdraw from the Ceasefire “may lead to the escalation of the conflict by way of increased level of violence and greater civilian casualties, and leave the peace process at a standstill.”
The news follows months of speculation amongst Sri Lankan watchers about whether Japan will fall into line with the Western stance seeking to force Sri Lanka to cease its human rights violations by cutting aid.
Britain announced last year that it was going to withhold £1.5 million of aid as part of the united effort among the co-chairs to the Sri Lankan peace process to pressure the government. However at the same year it was revealed that Britain licensed £7 million worth of weapons and military equipment for export to Sri Lanka in the quarter to May 2007 alone.
There had also been speculation that the other co-chairs of the Sri Lankan peace process (EU, Norway and the US) were seeking to remove Japan from the co-chairs and to broaden the group to include, Australia, India, and Canada.
An edition of the Sunday Island reported in mid January that it had “information from a reliable source” that “the need is not to broad base the co-chairs but to get rid of Japan because Japan has not been toeing the line of the western powers as regards the Sri Lankan issue.”
