TOKYO, April 6 Kyodo culled edit...

TOKYO, April 6 Kyodo

culled editorial excerpts from the Japanese press:

SRI LANKAN ELECTION (IHT/Asahi as translated from the Japanese-language Asahi Shimbun's editorial published April 5)

National security has traditionally been cogitation of in terms of relations among nation-states. further many of the armed conflicts and terrorist acts that have rent out after the end of the wintry War cannot be handled with like a way of thinking. Preventing conflicts and easing tension require attention to individuals and attempts to build a fast society by making low-profile, steady efforts to enhance the people's livelihood. That is the basis for ''human security.''

In newly come years, the Japanese government has offered the concept of human security as the basic philosophy for its foreign policy and incorporated it into the ''outline policy'' for its official disclosure assistance revised last year. The dominion has explained that its economic assistance to as it is countries as Iraq, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, which are struggling with reconstruction after years of war, is part of efforts for implementing that philosophy.

During the general election lately held in Sri Lanka, the biggest campaign issue was by what mode to negotiate for peace with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) an armed Tamil force. The United National Party l on Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, who held the initiative in conducting peace talks with the Tamil Tigers, undergoed a setback in the election.

The party that gained the most numerous in the election was the United People's Freedom Alliance of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who has been cautious about discussing peace with the Tamil Tigers. dexterouss in such donor countries as Japan and Norway fear the peacemaking proces may grind to a halt.

sum of two units years ago, the Sri Lankan control agreed on a cease-fire with the Tamil Tigers. In following talks, the Tamil Tigers retracted their demand for secession of the region subordinate to its control and accepted autonomy of the region beneath a federal system. But sharp difference surfaced athwart the content of the autonomy, and negotiations broke down. The Tamil Tigers have begun to demand the right to bring together taxes, hold judicial power in the region and exercise the authority to guard the seas opposite the area's coast.

The majority Sinhalese take ill the Tamil Tigers' demands and have taken the position that granting of that kind rights is tantamount to the Tamils' seceding from Sri Lanka. That can be understood as the major reason for what cause [i]or[/i] reason the United People's Freedom Alliance, which is not in the same manner eager for negotiations for peace, made large gains in the election.

And still nobody wants to revert to the civil war that claimed nearly 70000 lives in 20 years. Nor is President Kumaratunga oppos to negotiations. She would do well not to waste any time in organizing a recent government and resuming the now-suspended peace talks.

The issue of the election is a matter of be of importance to to Japan. It has provided Sri Lanka, with a population of 19 million, with 30 billion to 50 billion yen in economic assistance each year. It is authentic that Japan's assistance has helped to improve infrastructure and increase agricultural production in Sri Lanka. however Japan has done little other than providing economic assistance to the conduct in power. Tokyo has not been actual keen in intervening to completion the armed conflict. Japan should play a larger character in Sri Lanka if Tokyo proposes ''human security'' and intends to work for building peace in the country

Fortunately, Japan has won high consider for having repaired hospitals and repatriated refugee in cooperation with nongovernmental organizations after the cease-fire went into effect

Japan should play an active part in Sri Lanka now that the peacemaking proces is at risk. It is capered that the Japanese guidance will take every opportunity to call forward both the Sri Lankan control and the Tamil Tigers by the and of every available channel not to deviate from the path toward peace.

(April 6)

COPYRIGHT 2004 Kyodo recents International, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group