Yasushi Akashi, Representative of the Government of Japan for Peace Building, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sri Lanka, on Friday said the LTTE should not be allowed to use civilians as a human shield. Mr. Akashi, on a five-day visit, called on President Mahinda Rajapaksa and also met Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama to discuss the situation and the concerns over the civilians stranded in the war zone in the north.
He is scheduled to visit Trincomalee and Vavuniya for a firsthand assessment on the situation of the displaced.
The Foreign Ministry said here Mr. Bogollagama told the visiting envoy that the humanitarian operations were being conducted by the government with the objective of eliminating LTTE terror and restoring democracy to achieve a sustainable peace.
Mr. Akashi was told that the government had demarcated a safe area for the civilians to move in and a large number of people were waiting to leave the LTTE-dominated areas in the North.
“Special Envoy Akashi expressed his satisfaction at the efforts undertaken by the Sri Lanka government to safeguard the civilian population in the north. He expressed his confidence in the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) as a viable mechanism through
which to bring about devolution of power and to build a pluralistic Sri Lankan society”, it said.
“While every effort must be made by the government and the LTTE to avoid any civilian casualties, the best thing for these people is that the LTTE allows them to move freely and enter a safe area where they can receive appropriate support. I call upon the LTTE to meet its responsibilities and guarantee freedom of movement to the civilian population in the Wanni,” said the Japanese envoy.
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