Japanese peace envoy to visit Sri Lanka tomorrow

Japan’s special peace envoy, Yasushi Akashi, will arrive here tomorrow on a four-day visit in an attempt to push forward the stalled peace process in the island nation.

A Japanese embassy said in a statement that Akashi was planning to discuss with the government and the parties concerned the current situation of the peace process and its future.

During the visit, Akashi is expected to meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa and several other senior government officials.

Extracted from,
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/June4131637JV.html

President orders full-scale inquiry

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has ordered a full-scale and immediate inquiry into the deaths of two Red Cross volunteers whose bodies had been recovered from Kiriella with gun shot wounds.

Presidential Secretariat sources said that although an attempt has been made to make the Government responsible for the alleged abduction and the killing of the two Red Cross volunteers, the sources was emphatic that the Government was not involved in the incident at all.

It was also clearly evident that there was no involvement on the part of the police or security personnel into the alleged abduction and killing of the two volunteers, sources added.

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http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/06/04/news12.asp

90% of abducted had returned: Rajapaksa

Accusing interested parties of exploiting abductions to tarnish the image of his government, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that according to the Mahanama Tillekeratne Commission on Abductions, in 90% of cases brought before it, the person allegedly "abducted" had returned.

At a meeting in Colombo on Friday, with the relatives of those "abducted" Rajapaksa said that as per the Commission, the persons who had disappeared were either domestic servants who had wanted to escape; lovers who had eloped; or men and women who had left their spouses after a domestic dispute.

"Due to a large number of complaints of abductions being made for narrow political reasons, police investigations into the genuine complaints about abductions had been hindered," the President said.

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http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=

Atapattu may be recalled for Bangladesh series

Marvan Atapattu is likely to play his first Test for Sri Lanka in nearly 18 months later this month when Bangladesh arrive for a series of three Tests and three ODIs. Atapattu has been a near-permanent presence in most squads but has played little part in Sri Lanka’s recent resurgence.

He was part of the World Cup squad but failed to get a game in the Caribbean. That may be about to change now, with Ashantha De Mel, chief selector, backing Atapattu’s return. “Marvan Atapattu will definitely be considered for the Test and the one day series against Bangladesh,” said De Mel.

“I think Marvan is too good a player to be left out considering his experience and ability. We will initially look at him for the Tests and, depending on his form, will consider him for the one-day games too. He was left out of the matches against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, but we have decided to reconsider him,” he added.

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http://lankacricket.wordpress.com
/2007/06/04/atapattu-may-be-recalled-for-bangladesh-series/