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Japanese special envoy Mr.Yasushi Akashi meets Tamilselvan.

At the opening, the special envoy made reference to the fact that the donor community was sad first due to the non-participation of the LTTE in the Tokyo conference and then at the follow-up conference in Colombo. Mr. Tamilselvan explained in detail the circumstances prevailed during the time of the Tokyo conference and the fact that no change whatsoever has taken place during the interim enabling the LTTE to participate in the follow-up conference in Colombo.

He drew the special envoy's attention to the ground realities pertaining to the Tamil peasantry's inability to have normalcy in their day-today life in spite if the various promises enshrined in the ceasefire agreement relating to alleviation of hardships due to war and restoring normalcy. A maximum time limit of one hundred and sixty days to achieve this noble goal was never adhered to in the military controlled areas of the North East, and this, Mr. Tamilselvan said, has created a sense of despair and frustration in the minds of the Tamil people.

The sub committee SIHRN, instituted to meet the urgent and humanitarian needs of the Tamil people in resettlement, reconstruction and rehabilitation has failed, Mr.Tamilselvan added, to demonstrate a semblance of normalcy for which the Tamil people have been longing for nearly two decades. Commenting further Mr.Tamilselvan said that the idea of an interim administrative structure was the only viable alternative for the LTTE to ensure that funds that flow into the North East be utilized in an effective manner so that Tamil people will have access to it without a corrupt and dilapidated administrative machinery that is an existence.

With this view, he said, that the LTTE in it's Paris conference, has formulated a set of proposals that would, if given effect to, provide that right and conducive administrative environment to receive and disburse effectively the promised funds. Mr. Tamilselvan solicited the assistance of the international community to take into account the ground realities and bring about the necessary environment to make the interim administration a success and thereby re-activate the stalled political negotiations.

The Japanese special envoy Mr. Yasushi Akashi responded positively and said that he will continue to encourage the parties to take into consideration the plight of the people and restart the discussions without delay. He expressed concern over the time that would be taken to finalize the interim arrangement vis a vis the urgency of the displaced population to resettle and restart their livelihood. After the meeting Mr.Yasushi Akashi, the special envoy, visited the reconstruction site of the devastated Kilinochchi District Hospital and the office

of the AMDA, the organization that has undertaken the renovations with Japanese funds.

Japanese Ambassador H.E.Mr. Soiiehiro Otsuka, Director of the southwest Asia division Mr.Tako Yamada, Mr.Ryousuke Kamono from Japanese Ministry foreign affairs, Second Secretary Mr.K.Yagi and Second Secretary Mr.M.Yasuda were also accompanied with Mr. Akashi during the meeting.

14 September 2003

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