Stop Mollycoddling Tamil Tiger Terrorists – Akashi Must not be Permitted to Visit Killinochchi

Its time that Yasushi Akashi, the so called ‘piece envoy’ stop deluding himself that the Tamil Tiger Terrorists have any desire to negotiate honestly with the democratically elected Government of Sri Lanka. It is surprising and baffling why the Government of Japan, a nation that has been a friend of Sri Lanka for many years continue to pursue peace in Sri Lanka through this failed diplomat.

The civil society in Sri Lanka and international patriots have no confidence in Mr Akashi that he is capable of contributing positively to the peace process in Sri Lanka. Yasushi Akashi’s recent conduct has been more akin to a diplomut rather than a diplomat. In case he suffers from selective amnesia, SPUR would like to bring the heinous crimes that have recently been committed by Tamil Tiger Terrorists to Akashi’s notice.

An LTTE woman suicide bomber attacked the Sri Lanka Army headquarters critically injuring the Army Commander Sarath Fonseka, killing 8 and injuring 27 others. It was only on 23^rd April that the brutal LTTE killed 6 Sinhala farmers who were toiling in their paddy fields. On 25 April 2006 they stabbed and killed a young Sinhalese mother who was breast-feeding her child in Serunuwara in Trincomalee. Since the beginning of May, the attacks against Sinhala and Muslim civilians have increased with the execution of more than 20 innocent civilians from Kebithigollawa, Sinhapura, and Awaranthulawa. The LTTE is executing a systematic plan to ethnically cleanse Sinhalese and Muslim communities from the East of Sri Lanka. Their strategy is to maximise the killing of Sinhalese and Muslim people, driving them away from their villages abutting terrorist controlled areas. The complementary objective is to provoke civilian riots elsewhere to justify the LTTE’s racist claim that Tamil communities cannot coexist with the Sinhalese and the Muslim people.

In addition to the above, since December 5, 2005, LTTE has killed 75 Army personnel, 45 Navy men, 7 Airmen, 20 Police officers, 15 Home guards and over 100 hundred unarmed innocent civilians. How would Japan react if a terrorist group premeditate and commits such brutal crimes in their country? When South Korea disputed the ownership of some islands close to Japan, the Japanese Government responded by sending a naval frigate to show their strength.

Yasushi Akashi in an interview with the ABC said that the UN peacekeeping forces would have to be invited to maintain peace in Sri Lanka if the LTTE decided to launch Eelam War IV. This kind of ill-conceived rhetoric emboldens the terrorists and undermines Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. Akashi has no charter to make such divisive statements. Sri Lanka is quite capable of protecting its sovereignty as an independent nation. In the event of Eelam War IV, the obligation of the international community, including Japan, is to support Sri Lanka militarily, thus isolating the Tamil Tiger terrorists. Akashi must not pander to revolting terrorists.

Akashi’s past history is littered with failed attempts to mediate between warring parties placing him justifiably in the ‘failed diplomat’ category. The Government of Sri Lanka should not continue to lay down the red carpet for these failed diplomats, treating them like royalty, spending money that could be spent wisely elsewhere to service civil society. This list of muts must include Erik Solheim and his entourage.

SPUR urges President Rajapaksa’s government:

1. Not to permit Yasushi Akashi to visit Killinochchi giving once again opportunities for the terrorists themselves to hog the international limelight. Thamil Chelvam is a terrorist, and should be treated as such;

2. To impress on the Japanese Government to replace Yasushi Akashi, the failed diplomut with a capable diplomat;

3. To immediately convey to the LTTE that the privileges accorded to them by Ranil Wickramasingha’s unconstitutional CFA will be gradually withdrawn one by one unless they immediately stop executing civilians and attacking military personnel. These privileges include meeting foreign diplomats and emissaries promoting peace.

It is time that the Government take decisive steps to put Erik Solheim and Yasushi Akashi out of their misery and reinforce the widely held national and international belief that they are failed diplomats. Sri Lanka needs capable and honest diplomats to replace these diplomuts.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

Dr Dasarath Jayasuriya

President

Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka (SPUR)

Reg No. A 003 07777 M

PO Box 4066

Mulgrave VIC 3170

Australia

The URL of this Media Release is http://www.spur.asn.au/SPUR_20060509_Akashi.htm

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