To Bridge the Difference in Sri Lanka

A viewpoint

by Victor Cherubim, March 27, 2006

Sri Lanka’s Navy on 21 March, 2006 denied a charge that it fired indiscriminately at a rebel-held village in Trincomalee, in northeast Sri Lanka, stating, as expected, that it was a retaliatory strike in self defence.

The agreement last month by both sides, GOSL and LTTE, was to scale down any violence, ahead of another round of talks at the venue in Geneva, Switzerland, next month to save the troubled truce. Despite this, both sides have exchanged sporadic skirmishes. Each has blamed the other, further disrupting the life of the people, particularly in the northeast of Sri Lanka.

The forthcoming ‘Peace Talks’ in April 19-21, are not, according to analysts, about whether there is going to be war or peace, but, about the borders of the areas under the control of the Sri Lankan government (GOSL) and the LTTE. What comes to mind is that a “new war,” if there be one, could be about boundaries. If one accepts this analysis, is it safe to assume that the Tigers want to expand areas under their control to encompass all areas where Tamils live? Are they then suggesting that the CFA be abandoned, in favour of a war at this stage?

In the interim, a spate of new Tamil parties has sprung up both in Sri Lanka and between the Diaspora. They all claim to be new and moderate. They, however, appear to have one thing in common - they are against, all 'anti-democratic' Tamil political parties.

The very people, who are now searching for - or masquerading for - democracy as saviours of democracy and freedoms for Tamils, also lived in a land where for many years fundamental rights were denied to the Tamils. Some of those who recently met in the U.K. House of Commons seeking the support of British M.P.s and passed resolutions condemning extortion of funds by the LTTE, are the same persons using public funds to propagate new parties, perhaps quasi-military groups in Sri Lanka. Is this a different form of conflict management?

These new-born Tamil activists were, in fact, not long ago, part and parcel of “LTTEers” or their supporters and have, for one reason or other, fallen out with the mainstream, perhaps due to internal squabbling. By infighting are they not weakening the struggle for winning the rights and freedom and security of all Tamils to live as equal and free citizens with the Sinhala people?

A noticeable trend in the reverse is in the making with President Mahinda’s ”chintanaya,” where to preserve the Buddhist way of life, all free-thinking people, of all shades of opinion, who not so long ago were at loggerheads, are coming together, to “Save the Nation” from the destructive Tamils.

The insatiable desire for personal publicity in the media (radio and T.V.) by some Tamil political spokesmen bears no relevance to the desire of the majority of Tamils in Sri Lanka and around the world, for an early resolution of the conflict, with dignity. They are neither interested in the diatribes of these self-made politicians, nor in their vainglory. They want to move on from being mourners to being equals.

Did you know that parties to the conflict in Sri Lanka are beginning to realise that a negotiated peace remains the only way for Sri Lanka’s integration into the global economy?

That continuation of the crippling freight and insurance charges to and from Sri Lanka, the war expenditure (over US$ 20 billion and rising to date), the overt advertising costs to attract foreign tourists and propaganda to nullify the LTTE is just a waste, and more so unsustainable, in an economy with a national debt at over 115% of GDP?

The lessons learned by the government by the current drought, the decline in foreign investment, accompanied by international disquiet on aid “with strings” on forcing a solution, is enough reason for a rethink to alleviate the suffering of the ordinary citizen.

Irrespective of the rhetoric of supporters of the GOSL both within and without, there is a growing tendency to heed the wishes of the ordinary voter of President Mahinda’s “chintanaya”, who are growing tired of the shenanigans of party politics. They are demanding a respite, but not on their knees.

There appears to be a general consensus between both the GOSL and the LTTE of the limitation of their strategies whether "war for peace” or “peace for war”. The body-bags of Sinhala soldiers returned for internment to their villages in the South and the mass migration of all able bodied, educated Tamils abroad, has created a vacuum in the demographical map. This is becoming more than apparent to both contenders to the conflict.  How productive are war expenditure and war as a strategy for both parties, at least for the present?  In the face of breakdown of government and governance, rising poverty, malnutrition, dwindling numbers of recruits for each army, desertions, splinter groups, and more so of GPRS global surveillance, will a rethink come sooner rather than later?

It is well known that the military-driven war economy in Sri Lanka, although having had many twists and turns, has only enriched the few these last 23 years or more. It has acted as an obstacle to peace purely because of the vested interest of the military. It is anybody’s guess whether it can be sustained for another 23 years, without dire consequences.

The hope of the majority is to save the nation for Buddhism and to maintain traditional values while containing runaway development in a Digital Age. The hope of the Tamils is to live in dignity with freedom and justice. The fear for many is whether a point of no return may be reached when a void may be created and inevitably be filled by forces outside of Sri Lanka, as history will reveal, of destroying all which has been preserved at such sacrifice.

It is one thing to desire but quite another to achieve .Working to bridge this dilemma is the will of the people, Sinhala and Tamil, which we hope, is what matters for the government of President Mahinda of Sri Lanka.           

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