Saturday, Jan 18, 2003
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By V.S. Sambandan
COLOMBO. JAN. 17. Japan, Sri Lanka's single largest donor, will host an international donors conference in early June to raise funds to give financial muscle to the Sri Lankan peace process but stick to its policy of dealing only with the Government to assist island-wide development projects. The exact dates for the conference, scheduled to be held in Tokyo, are to be announced in a few days, but diplomatic sources told The Hindu that it will be ``after the G8 Summit'' to be held in France between June 1 and 3. Two sets of dates have been proposed — between June 10 and 11 and June 15-16. The Cabinet spokesman, G.L. Peiris, told journalists yesterday that the conference would be held in mid-June, but according to latest indications the conference is likely to be held earlier. The proposed Tokyo donors' conference is a pointer to the increasing role of Japan in the ongoing peace process between Colombo and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Its special envoy for the peace process, Yasushi Akashi, is also the principal adviser to the sub-committee on immediate humanitarian and rehabilitation needs in the north and east (SIRHN), which held its third meeting in rebel-held Kilinochchi on Thursday. Japan will also play host to the sixth session of the monthly direct talks between Colombo and the Tigers between March 18 and 21. While a joint fund, with the World Bank as the custodian, has been conceived as a mechanism to channel the funds, the U.S. and Japan have made it clear that their assistance will be of a bilateral nature and would be for development projects all over the country — the war-ravaged north, as well as the economically-hit south. The decision by most countries to take the bilateral route, rather than through the joint fund of the SIRHN, reflects the continued reluctance by major powers to deal with the LTTE, which is de-proscribed in several countries. Apart from India, which has banned the LTTE, the U.S., the U.K, Canada and Australia, have varying degrees of proscription on the Tigers, which has hit their fund- raising capabilities. Though Japan has not banned the Tigers, its finances would also be routed through the Sri Lankan Government. As several countries have banned the Tigers, Japan is also ``observing the voices'' of other major global players in the run-up to the talks. It has also called upon the Tigers, who prefer the funds to be directed through the joint fund to ``show flexibility'' in their approach. The financial imperatives of the peace process played a major, though silent role in averting a collapse in the fourth session of the direct talks held last week in Thailand. During the November 25 Oslo conference, which was termed a mini donors conference, a sum of $ 70 million was pledged as assistance. The major participants in that meet, particularly the U.S., had wanted the LTTE to abandon the concept of a separate state and renounce the resort to violence as a means to find a political solution. The Tigers, however, have refused. While they have agreed ``to explore'' a federal solution within a united Sri Lanka, they have also retained the choice of separation ``as the last resort''. The LTTE has ruled out disarming until a permanent solution is reached.
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