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| Sunday, 28 July 2002 |
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Japan extend support for peace in the country "At long last, the light is now visible at the end of the long and dark tunnel of the 19 year old ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka and as we look at the current peace process today, the task of the international donor community is to stand firmly side by side with the Government of Sri Lanka and positively support the peace process through assistance programmes" so said Chairman, Colombo plan Council and Ambassador for Japan His Excellency Seiichiro Otsuka, addressing the Annual General Meeting of the Colombo Plan International Society held at the National Savings Bank Auditorium, Colombo 3. "I would like to say a few words about how Japan is looking at the current situation and how Japan plans to participate constructively in the overall relief, rehabilitation and reconciliation activities in the days ahead. Firstly, Japan as the single largest donor to Sri Lanka, will remain firmly engaged as a constructive partner in Sri Lanka's socio-economic development. When durable peace is restored in the country as a whole Japan stands ready to extend her full fledged assistance to Sri Lanka including the north and east regions. Secondly, Japan intends to adopt a two-stage strategy of assistance to the north and east regions. The first stage is to respond to the immediate and short-term needs - Basic Human Needs of the war affected people. Several projects under the grass-roots grant assistance scheme have been undertaken already. Some of them are related to confidence building measures among the people of different ethnicities. Other projects are directly aimed at facilitating rural development and improving health services etc. These are not big projects. However those assistance projects have been effective. The important factor is this. The tangible benefits of the peace process must filter through, to the local people at the grass-roots level both in the cleared and uncleared areas of the north and east, so that sometime soon, the people will be crossing the 'River of Rubicon' for peace of no return, thereby making the process irreversible. The second stage is to meet the medium to long-term needs of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the north and east regions such as infrastructure development including ports, highways, power plants, transmission lines etc. Japan is of the view that durable peace is the pre-requisite for undertaking such infrastructure projects. Thirdly, I must hasten to point out that the geo-political balance of assistance must be adequately kept in mind. That is to say: the relief and rehabilitation assistance to the north and east will not be executed at the expense of reduced assistance to the south, in keeping with the overall balanced strategy of development assistance to Sri Lanka as a whole". Added the Ambassador. Upali S. Jayasekera, the Secretary of the Society proposed the vote of thanks. Dr. Mrs. Siromani Abeyaratna presided. |
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