Japan peace envoy concerned at Sri Lanka rights abuses

COLOMBO, June 9 (Reuters) Japan's special peace envoy today voiced concern at human rights abuses blamed on both the Sri Lankan state and Tamil Tigers as police returned hundreds of deported Tamils to the capital in a U-turn.

However unlike Britain and the United States, which have both suspended some aid citing rights abuse concerns, Yasushi Akashi said Japan - Sri Lanka's chief financial donor - would continue with its multi-million dollar aid programmes.

And while during his five-day stay to Sri Lanka the police banished hundreds of Tamils to the war-torn north citing security concerns, nine mutilated corpses were found north of Colombo and the Tigers and military fought deadly battles, Akashi remains optimistic for the future.

''In the domain of human rights, much still remains to be done.

There are obviously deficiencies and shortcomings,'' Akashi told a news conference, listing ''that unfortunate action of eviction of Tamil residents from lodges in Colombo and many other acts of disappearances, abductions, extrajudicial killings...'' ''They are too numerous and they are unacceptable for a civilised country like Sri Lanka,'' he added. ''I very much hope these problems will be energetically addressed by all concerned.'' Rights groups have reported hundreds of abductions and disappearances blamed on both sides. President Mahinda Rajapaksa argues many of those reports are fake and designed to discredit his government and denies the security forces are involved.

OPTIMISM ''My meeting with the President of the country as well as other leaders has convinced me that the commitment for peace is still there,'' Akashi said. ''I am going back with a certain amount of hope and optimism as to the future of this country.'' ''The point is the government is seriously addressing these issues and I have faith in the commitment of this government to the rule of law and all principles of democracy and human dignity.'' Hours before Akashi spoke, police transported dozens of minority ethnic Tamils forcibly ejected from the capital by armed officers on Thursday back to Colombo after the Supreme Court issued an order blocking any further evictions.

Police had justified the deportation as a security measure following attacks blamed on the rebels in and around the capital in recent months, saying it was also an effort to eject any potential Tiger infiltrators from Colombo. Government ministers argued the evictions were voluntary.

Following the court order and amid widespread international condemnation of the move, Rajapaksa's office issued a statement saying he had launched an inquiry into the police operation and would discipline anyone found guilty of wrongdoing.

Authorities had wanted them to cross into rebel-held territory and return to their villages at a time when the foes are fighting artillery duels.

Akashi said he hoped a cross-party initiative to come up with a consensus devolution proposal to end the conflict would eventually bear fruit.

However the Tigers have already dismissed the proposals of Rajapaksa's ruling party, which offer the Tigers less autonomy than they have already, and analysts see no winner on the horizon in a war that has killed nearly 70,000 people since 1983 and displaced over 500,000 people.

REUTERS GT BD1249