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Japanese Ambassador meets Thamilselvan

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 June 2003, 14:02 GMT]
Tamil people have complained that the declarations made at the Sri Lankan donors’ Conference held in Tokyo did not provide any solutions to the immediate humanitarian needs of the Tamil people, Mr. S.P. Thamilselvan, the leader of the LTTE’s political division, told the Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Mr. Seiichiro Otsuka, when the Ambassador visited the Vanni on Monday, sources said

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Mr. Thamilselvan said that he stressed the need for the Sri Lankan government to make decisions on the immediate humanitarian needs of the people.

“The people are disappointed that decisions made in the last six rounds of peace talks have not been implemented, setting back any progress in the talks. Constructive peace talks can be re-started if the government accepts the need for an authoritative body with powers to solve the immediate humanitarian problems of the people and makes a positive decision on that,” Mr. Thamilselvan said he told the Ambassador.

The Ambassdor visited Kilinochchi Monday morning in a special Sri Lankan Air Force helicopter, and held discussions with Mr. Thamilselvan at the LTTE's peace secretariat on the current status of the peace talks and the LTTE’s stand on various issues.


(Photo: LTTE peace secretariat)

Mr. Thamilselvan said that the Ambassador told him of the expectations of the Japanese government and the international community.

The meeting lasted for nearly two hours and the declarations of the Tokyo aid conference also figured in the discussions, sources in the Vanni said.

Mr. M. Yasuda, Mr. K. Yagi, Mr. K. Miyata, all second secretaries at the Japanese Embassy in Colombo, accompanied the Ambassador.

Mr. Pulithevan, the head of the LTTE's peace secretariat, Mr.Tholkapiyan from the LTTE's political division and Mr. George were associated with Mr. Thamilselvan at the meeting.


(Photo: LTTE peace secretariat)