Japanese envoy Akashi arrives in Sri Lanka

Japanese special peace envoy to Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi arrived here last night for talks with the government and the LTTE.   “Mr Akashi landed here around 9 pm,” an embassy spokesman said.  He will meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa and several senior government officials. He will also meet Tamil Tiger Political Leadership, Mr. S.P.Thamilchelvan in Kilinochchi.

For the first time in his 13 visits to Sri Lanka, Akashi will also meet the Sri Lankan defence hierarchy.  “Mr. Akashi would meet, Defence Ministry Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa and Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. This is the first meeting with Sri Lankan defence hierarchy,” the official said.

Akashi’s meeting with the military officials comes amid concerns with the international community that Colombo doesn’t have a rein on its military - concerns which have long existed and has come to the fore after the army’s failed offensive last Wednesday that saw it suffer an unprecedented loss since the ceasefire was signed.

It was only days prior to the offensive that Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaske had assured the Co-Chairs and facilitator Norway that there would be no offensives.

Meanwhile, two other senior foreign diplomats, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher and Norwegian special envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer are also due here later in the week in a bid to save the peace process.  Mr Hanssen-Bauer is scheduled to touch down here tomorrow, while Boucher will arrive on Thursday. 

Diplomatic sources say that there is possibility of a ‘mini-summit’ of the Co-Chairs of Sri Lanka here in the next few days.