Sri Lanka has been told that it risks losing huge amounts of international aid if peace negotiations between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels fail to progress. The warning came from the Japanese special envoy to Sri Lanka, Yasushi Akashi, at talks being held in Hakone, Japan. In an interview with the AFP news agency, Mr Akashi said he stressed to both sides the need to demonstrate “sincerity and commitment”. “In the absence of some specific, tangible progress an outpouring of generosity from the international community cannot be expected,” he said. Peace talks are now in their sixth round since a ceasefire was agreed in February last year, and Mr Akashi warned that donor countries expected better compliance with that accord before a major aid conference in June. As the meeting Japan was continuing a Sri Lankan group, University Teachers for Human Rights, issued a report alleging that the rebels were still conscripting child soldiers, despite a commitment to the United Nations Children’s Fund stop the practice. Full Story
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