Japan’s special envoy to Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi has criticised Sri Lanka’s repetitive appointment of commissions and failure to act on them, in a press conference held at the Japanese Embassy in Colombo yesterday. 

Speaking after a 6-day visit to the island, Akashi stated,

“There is a certain amount of impatience and frustration on these matters and there is a notion that the Sri Lankan Government has taken too much time appointing commissions and then shelving their reports without taking any action.”

“I hope the government of Sri Lanka is reflecting upon these past repetitions."

"I think time has come for action and I hope that kind action is needed, the implementation of the LLRC report is a good testing case of real action, it’s the people in Sri Lanka not those in other countries are anxiously waiting for action and not just sound and fury”.

The Sri Lankan Army has distributed free school accessories to 500 Tamil school children at a ceremony in Mullaitheevu.

Sinhalese priests, Father Roshan Wikremasinghe and Father Gamini Perera, from the 'Pragna Pradhana' programme, along with several military officials, took part in the ceremony.

See our editorial on militarisation here.

The European Union Parliament has passed a resolution stating that the United Nations should initiate an international investigation into allegations of violations of international humanitarian law, if Sri Lanka fails to start one itself, before March 2014.

Passed on Thursday, the resolution called for,

"an independent and credible investigation into alleged violations by March 2014, and considers that otherwise the UN should initiate an international investigation".

The Sri Lankan government has rejected the resolution passed at the European Union Parliament yesterday, calling on Sri Lanka to implement the recommendations of its own controversial Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, while appreciating “restoration of peace”.

Sri Lanka’s Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella responded that the government alone will decide which recommendations will be implemented and by when.

“It is essential that an international strategy is innovated to quickly ascertain the views of the Tamil speaking people presently still occupying their traditional homelands. If the international community shows laxity, lethargy and indifference to the plight of the Tamil speaking people, it would be an irreversible act.”

“Consecutive governments of whichever hue were only interested in foisting more and more hardships and calumny on our people. Thereby turning to the international community appears to be the only alternative to us.”

“Unless there is immense pressure from the international community, our government will not grant any form of power sharing to the Tamil speaking people of the North-East. The international community should ensure that all aid given reaches us."

“They must realise that it was after driving away violently the Tamil speaking people from the Southern seven Provinces between 1958 and 1983 that the colonisation of the Northern Province with the help of the military is being undertaken now. Do not theses brothers who ask such questions know that the activities of successive Governments in this country have bordered on genocide.”

“With everything that’s happening if there is no political solution soon, there will be more Sinhalese people in the North-East than Tamils."

“I would say well planned activities are in progress to completely detract the world from identifying the Northern and Eastern Provinces as traditionally and historically Tamil speaking. It is essential that an International strategy is innovated quickly to ascertain the views of the Tamil speaking people presently still occupying their traditional home lands.  If the international community shows laxity, lethargy and indifference the plight of the Tamil speaking people would become irreversible.”