20 June 2010 05:52 am
Visiting Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi, speaking to reporters in Colombo a short while ago, said that the UN panel should not interfere in Sri Lanka but only offer advice and suggestions in consultation with the government.
He said that the UN panel being setup to advice UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon on Sri Lanka can offer insight and experience to the government which has also created its own commission of lessons learnt and reconciliation.
"The perception gap should be breached soon as possible and the attitude should not only to be about criticizing and condemning but to also enforce a better comprehension about the challenges that Sri Lanka is facing," Akashi said.
Ending his 20th visit to the island, Akashi also expressed optimism of a positive change in post war Sri Lanka saying that now there was an opportunity for national and ethnic reconciliation in the country.
"I wish that the Tamil Diaspora could receive direct reliable information about what is taking place in the country and if more Tamil Diaspora living aboard could visit Sri Lanka they would be able to see what the government has achieved so far although there is much more to be done," he said. (Daily Mirror online)