Web of Life

Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi on Tuesday said that India is a major player where Sri Lanka's affairs are concerned and wields a lot of influence. He observed that the LTTE has objections about the Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) to be signed shorty between the two governments. Akashi allayed fears of the LTTE by saying that India has been providing assistance to Sri Lanka by way of training to the Sri Lankan armed forces and carrying out surveillance in Sri Lanka's territorial waters for long time. This question about the DCA arose from the LTTE even when the UNF government was tying to negotiate peace with them. Akashi said "I will be meeting the leaders of the newly elected government of India shortly and the purpose of my visit is to brief the Indian government about how much progress has been made where the resumption of talks between the two parties are concerned. He said that J. N. Dixit, former Indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka now holding a key position in the Indian government could play an important role in India's role in Sri Lanka's march to peace. He was addressing journalists at the Galadari Hotel prior to his departure to New Delhi after a six day visit to Sri Lanka.

LTTE's stand on the ISGA proposals remains unaltered, said Akashi, but stressed that they have expressed a willingness to resume talks as soon as possible. In my discussions with the LTTE in Kilinochchi this week, I observed that there is a window of opportunity for talks to resume and it will be a turning point in the peace negotiations.

"The Japanese government will not interfere with the domestic problems of Sri Lanka but will play a supporting role in achieving peace," he said.

Talking on the progress made so far, he said there is only partial fulfilment and peace has been slower than expected. "In my recent meeting with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and many other key politicians, a strong desire to resume talks have been expressed and I have conveyed this to the LTTE who also wants to come to the negotiation tables as early as possible they are carefully examining the proposals by the government, he said.

He said that he had raised the question of political killings and child abductions in the East with the LTTE but added that what he received from the LTTE was their usual answer.

"I was deeply moved by what I saw and heard in the East when I met the people from the three communities - Sinhalese, Tamils and the Muslims in Trincomalee. They are yearning for peace," he said.

Answering a question about the 4.5 billion US dollars pledge for development in the country, he said it has been honoured and there have been certain projects that have been carried out in the North and the East and even some parts of their South. "Politicians should infuse fresh thinking to the process in tying to woo the two parties to resume talks," he said answering a question from a representative from the Peace Secretariat as to whether there is any magic formula in getting the two parties to resume talks.