Grassroots Grant Aid to Sri Lanka

January 6, 2003

The Government of Japan has decided to extend a grassroots grant aid and a grant assistance for Japanese NGO's projects, totaling 152,759,926 yen, for three projects of international NGOs which are clearing land mines in Sri Lanka and for one project of a Japanese NGO for helping internal displaced persons. The contract for the donation was concluded on January 6 (Mon) in Colombo between Mr. Seiichiro Otsuka, Japanese Ambassador to Sri Lanka, and a representative of the NGOs, in the presence of Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Jayalath Jayawardena, Sri Lankan Minister of Rehabilitation.
The following are the NGO projects and the amounts of assistance:
(1) Grassroots Grant Aid for International NGOs' Mine Clearance
1. Mechanical Assistance for the Mine Clearance in Vanni Area (Mine Advisory Group, 43,131,392 yen) This is to provide equipment for developing pastureland while checking mines for the NGO which is clearing mines in an area controlled by the anti-government Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
2. Transport Support for the Mine Clearance in Vanni Area (NPA, 56,564,934 yen)
  This is to provide emergency vehicles and others for mine clearing personnel of the NGO which is working with the Mine Advisory Group.
3. Support for the Purchase of the Equipment for the Mine Clearance in Jafna Area (the Halo Trust, 43,163,600 yen)
  This is to provide equipment to clear mines buried in rubble debris by crushing them for the NGO which is clearing mines in the Jafna Peninsula, a conflict area under government control.
(2) Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO's Projects
Rehabilitation of Public Facilities in the Northern Area (Bridge Asia Japan (a Japanese nonprofit organization), 9,900,000 yen)
This project is to reconstruct and repair two elementary schools and construct a public hall that can also be used as a classroom, with a view to improving the basic living conditions in the northern region, which was devastated by conflicts, and to promoting the return of internal displaced persons.
In Sri Lanka, the government and the LTTE agreed on a truce in February 2002, and the peace negotiations that started in September have been steadily progressing. In this situation, Japan, in response to a request from the Government of Sri Lanka, appointed Mr. Yasushi Akashi, former Undersecretary of the United Nations, as the Representative of the Government of Japan for Peace-building, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction in Sri Lanka, in order to actively engage itself in the process to bring peace to Sri Lanka. As it is estimated that about two million land mines are buried in the conflict areas in the northern and eastern parts of the country, the Government of Sri Lanka regards it as an urgent task in these areas to clear land mines and to have internally displaced persons return. Taking such a situation into account, the present assistance is extended in response to requests from the NGOs which are working in those areas.

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