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The Embassy of Japan wishes to set the record straight on media reports in a Sunday news paper on 26th January 2003 and a subsequent editorial in another newspaper on Monday the 27th of January 2003, alleging that “Japan has decided to grant Rs.35 million as an outright gift to the LTTE Secretariat at Kilinochchi” and thereby “funding terrorism.”

The Embassy of Japan categorically denies these reports and states as follows;

1 In response to the request made by the Government of Sri Lanka, the Government of Japan decided to approve the utilization of the fund amounting to Rs.35.23 million for the support of the Secretariat of SIHRN (Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs in the North and East). The fund is to be used for the purchase of required office furniture, office equipment and transportation facilities needed for the Secretariat’s activities. Furthermore, the fund is released from the counterpart fund of the Government of Sri Lanka, generated by Japan’s Food Production Grant Aid.

2The Sub-Committee for Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs in the North and East (SIHRN) was in fact established jointly by the negotiators of the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE at the first and second round of talks held in Thailand last year for the primary purpose of "identifying humanitarian and reconstruction needs of the population and prioritize implementation of activities to meet these needs." Currently the Sub-Committee is composed of Mr. Bernard Goonetilleke, Director General, SCOPP and others from the Government of Sri Lanka and Mr. Tamilselvan and others from the LTTE. This Secretariat is, therefore, not an LTTE secretariat but a joint Secretariat formed for the sole purpose of coordinating the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in the North and East for which Japan has pledged its fullest support.

EMBASSY OF JAPAN
NO: 20, Gregory's Road
Colombo 7, Sri Lanka
TEL: 94-1-693831~3
FAX: 94-1-698629
E-mail: cultujpn@sltnet.lk