No tears should be she for the LTTE – Mr.Yasushi Akashi

Senior Adviser on Foreign Policy for the Japanese Government Mr. Yasushi Akashi addressing the 16th Joint Committee of the Sri Lanka Business Co-operation Meeting held in Tokyo last has said that the LTTE was a ruthless terrorist organization and should not be equated in status to a sovereign state such as Sri Lanka.

Such an equation is not only unjustified but would pose a threat to the global fight against terrorism as well.  He has also said that the LTTE sabotaged the Tokyo meeting of which Japan and the United States were to be co-chairs, and again sabotaged the Geneva meeting when the government of Sri Lanka had already sent its delegates.
Referring to the advisory report of Darusman and others to the Secretary General, Mr. Akashi has said that having painstakingly read this report together with the report of the International Crisis Group, it became clear to him that pages of the INGO report have been reproduced as original writings of the Commissioners. He has pointed out that professional study of the report submitted to the Secretary General when compared with the documents of relevant INGOs would show that there was much copying and passing off of other people’s writings as the views of the Commissioners

Finally, Akashi said that the global community should help Sri Lanka to look to the future. There was much reconstruction work to be done, particularly in the North and East. Japan should contribute to this process in spite of the difficulty that she herself is undergoing as a result of the recent earthquake and tsunami.  He has also commended the Sri Lanka Ambassador in Japan for boldly visiting the affected areas and providing food and drink to the victims. The Ambassador had fed them with rice and curry and given them tea. This gesture was greatly appreciated. Mr. Akashi has also said that the work of the rescue team sent by Sri Lanka was outstanding and was the best of rescue organizations that went into the devastated areas. He has said that due to mass media publicity, the Sri Lanka Ambassador Wasantha Karannagoda is now a national hero in Japan.

Akashi was speaking on the subject of ‘Recent Political Developments in Sri Lanka’, as the keynote speaker at this meeting.  The meeting was attended by Yasao Fukuda former Prime Minister of Japan, Fugita, Chairman of the Sri Lanka-Japan and Japan-Sri Lanka Committee, Senior Minister of International Monetary Co-operation Dr. Sarath Amunugama and Sri Lanka Ambassador Wasantha Karannagoda. (niz)

 

Source: Government News Portal