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Japan under pressure over Sri Lanka aid
Saturday, 26 May 2007 - 9:22 PM SL Time
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An international human rights group is lobbying Sri Lanka`s top donor Japan to exert greater pressure on the island nation to address spiralling violence.
But Tokyo said it has no plans for now to slash aid and follow the lead of Sri Lanka`s former colonial ruler Britain and Germany, which have frozen debt relief due to rights concerns.
`It has dramatically worsened over the last year,` Sophie Richardson of Human Rights Watch said of Sri Lanka`s rights record, during a week-long mission to Tokyo for meeting with Japanese officials.
`I think in the month of March alone, 100,000 people were internally displaced.`
Japan is the single largest donor to Sri Lanka, providing 63 percent of the international aid to the island in 2003.
Japan also organised a 2003 meeting that raised pledges of 4.5 billion dollars to rebuild Sri Lanka amid hopes then that the country could end three decades of ethnic bloodletting.
`Japan is obviously playing a very prominent role,` Richardson said. `It`s a lead donor, it`s a coordinator of the donor consultation group.`
`What we have asked Japan to do is take advantage of this position and its considerable leverage to firmly, strongly and regularly remind not just the government but other players involved of the obligations that they have to protect the civilians and human rights in general.`
Japan said, however, it was not considering slashing aid.
`Japan is not planning to reconsider its aid to Sri Lanka,` a foreign ministry official said.
He said that Tokyo`s peace envoy to Sri Lanka, former UN assistant secretary-general Yasushi Akashi, would return to the island on a new mission by early June.
One-third of Japan`s aid for Sri Lanka is used for building social infrastructure, particularly transportation facilities.
More than 4,800 people have been killed in fighting since Norwegian-brokered peace talks collapsed in October 2005. The conflict which erupted in 1972 has claimed more than 60,000 lives.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has shrugged off Britain`s move and pledged that his government would not depend on aid.
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Saint
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26 May 2007 14:29:47 GMT Report for Abuse
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I think as long as US stays there for GOSL, Japan won't move ...
:-D |
Freelancer
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26 May 2007 14:36:04 GMT Report for Abuse
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By lobbing, these Human Right Organizations can restrict aid to Sri Lanka and they can ask for more dollars for their survival showing that they are active in Human Rights activities. But that will neither stop the war nor bring peace to Sri Lanka. Instead of lobbing here and there, if they are genuinely interested in, they spend that money on SL education, they can make a permanent change of all aspects in SL society.
-FL |
strategist
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26 May 2007 14:38:46 GMT Report for Abuse
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Given the recent trends China and Japan will remain major players. The surplus in China is huge and they have allocated quite a bit to emerging countries. Japan's economy is also doing ok now and there are funds to be invested.
Funding is unlikely to be a major problem. It's the effective execution that has become a problem.
http://www.voanews.com/uspolicy/2007-05-25-voa4.cfm
Edited By - strategist - 27 May 2007 00:17:29 GMT |
Saint
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26 May 2007 14:43:00 GMT Report for Abuse
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Japan-Sri Lanka ties have very deep meanings, Japanese can and will show their unhappiness, though won't do anything to jeopardize the historical bond, and Sri Lanka shouldn't push it further or shouldn't abuse the goodwill of this nice country.
:-D :-D |
BitterTruth
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26 May 2007 14:47:11 GMT Report for Abuse
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| No problem even if Japan stops aid. Mahinda will print money. |
radaw
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26 May 2007 14:49:49 GMT Report for Abuse
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Saint Japan will choose Govenment of Sri Lanka over LTTE any time. Goood on Japs.
Edited By - radaw - 26 May 2007 14:50:31 GMT |
Freelancer
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26 May 2007 14:51:06 GMT Report for Abuse
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BitterTruth,
No problem even if Japan stops aid. Mahinda will print money.
There is no point of accusing anybody. Better look for a possible solution.
-FL |
tigeress19
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26 May 2007 14:57:14 GMT Report for Abuse
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Article: Japan under pressure over Sri Lanka aid
japan did not designate the LTTE as a terrorist group and did not place the ban on the LTTE !!
it seems they have their own interests in the conflict. japan wants to be a good cop on both side's books as they will be funding both sides if ever the peace comes to this island.
it is very unlikely the Japanese will stop the AIDS to govt. |
Berty
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26 May 2007 14:58:21 GMT Report for Abuse
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I thought Mahinda said he does not need any foreign AID..
why worry!
Saint Malli..any way of meeting the Japanese Aids committee!! lolz |
Berty
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26 May 2007 15:02:05 GMT Report for Abuse
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Actually Japan-Ceylon relationship goes back to JRJ time..someone can shed light on it but i think a speech that JRJ gave during the war, helped japan a lot..
I do not think Japan will stop Aid to SL but surely they might request the GoSL to do more to solve the problem soon. |
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