Japan’s special envoy Yasushi Akashi has told Sri Lanka that visible outcomes on reconciliation must be demonstrated, as he concluded his 5-day tour of the island.
Akashi, Japan’s special envoy during the 2002 peace process, told reporters
"I reiterated (to Rajapaksa) the importance to take effective measures and demonstrate visible outcomes to the international community".
Whilst in Jaffna, Akashi reportedly encountered complaints from Tamil civil and religious society over tha lack of progress. In response, Akashi allegedly said the Tamil community needed to “show patience”.
See some of the complaints that Tamil civil society leaders made in a memo to the TNA last month here.
With all the land grabbing, political prisoners, missing persons, economic and cultural assaults, high security zones, the ever increasing role of the military, attacks on education, higher education, health, agriculture and fisheries, displaced people, and the issue of accountability for war crimes still present, just how much more "patience" does Akashi require?
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