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LTTE embargoes aid meeting again
By Chris Kamalendran
In an apparent bid to prevent the aid pledged by the international community being released to the government, the LTTE has decided to boycott next week's follow- up meeting of the Tokyo donor conference to be held in Colombo under the chairmanship of Japan's special peace envoy Yasushi Akashi.

The reluctance of the LTTE to take part in the meeting scheduled for September 12 could force the Japanese government to postpone Mr. Akashi's visit. A spokesman for the Japanese Embassy in Colombo said if the government and the LTTE did not agree on the meeting it might not be held and Mr. Akashi might not come.

An LTTE spokesman told The Sunday Times they would keep away from the meeting as the issue about the proposed Interim Administration for the north and eastern provinces was yet to be resolved and that attending the meeting would give the wrong signal to the international community that the issue had been resolved.

The LTTE pulled out from the peace talks on April 21 after demanding an interim administration and thereafter boycotted the Tokyo donor conference held later that month. The donor countries went ahead to pledge US dollars 4.5 billion within the next three years, but linked it to the progress of the peace talks.

The September 12 meeting has been arranged to review the progress following the donor conference. Mr. Akashi who was scheduled to be in Sri Lanka from September 11 to 16, was also due to meet with LTTE leaders in Kilinochchi and then proceed to Ampara and Kalmunai to discuss issues concerning the Muslims and to seek their views on the proposed Interim Administrative structure.

Katsuhiko Okazaki country director in Sri Lanka for the Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC) , said they were ready to provide full support for rehabilitation and reconstruction in the north and east, but wanted the LTTE to return for talks to enable the proper disbursement of donor funds.

Meanwhile LTTE's political wing leader, S.P. Thamilselvan on Thursday briefed their leader Velupillai Prabahakaran on the discussions in Paris, but LTTE sources said it might take about four more weeks to submit counter proposals to the Norweigan facilitators.

The LTTE has already indicated it would bring up the issue of the High Security Zones (HSZ) in its counter proposals to be submitted to the government.

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