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15-09-2006

Sri Lanka - seeking a tryst with peace

Will the Government in Colombo and the Tigers heed the advice of the international community and return to the negotiating table soon? Will the Government in Colombo and the Tigers heed the advice of the international community and return to the negotiating table soon?

THE HOPE created by the August 12 announcement by the Co-Chairs on Sri Lanka on the possibility of early resumption of talks could fade if the parties concerned - particularly the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - do not heed the world's counsel. The Sri Lanka Government seems to have serious reservations over some of the elements of the Co-Chairs' statement. Some are understandable but over-emphasis on others could prove costly for all. The Co-chairs, representing a group of 58 donor countries, include Norway (official facilitator of the Sri Lanka peace talks), the European Union, the United States, and Japan. The backdrop of the statement is the threat of a full-fledged war. The death of more than 1,000 people and the displacement of 2.25 lakh because of the undeclared war are unmistakable signs of a humanitarian disaster. India is, like the rest of the world, worried and in recent weeks has emphasised the need for immediate cessation of hostilities and resumption of dialogue while conceding Colombo's sovereign right to tackle military challenges to its unity and integrity. "Please seize the opportunity and resume talks," was Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's appeal to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa at their meeting on Wednesday. The pleaby Mr. Chidambaram, the first senior member of the Manmohan Singh Government to visit Sri Lanka after Mr. Rajapaksa became President last November, amounted to whole-hearted Indian endorsement of the Co-Chairs' statement made hours before in Brussels. However, Colombo does not seem sufficiently impressed with the reasons advanced by the international community for a return to the dialogue path. This was evident from a statement issued by the Government Peace Secretariat hours after Mr. Chidambaram called on Mr. Rajapaksa. "It is important to note that the peace process in Sri Lanka is conducted between a democratically elected government of a sovereign State and an armed group practising terrorism. It has been the experience in the past that the LTTE has always used peace talks as a period to enhance its military capabilities. The Government hopes that the Co-Chairs and the Facilitator will do the utmost to ensure that the past practices of the LTTE are not repeated in this instance. In this regard, the Government would urge the international community to put in place a practical mechanism to prevent the illegal procurement of arms and an effective blockade to the induction of weapons by the LTTE. This is an essential element to ensure a successful progression towards a political settlement," the Government said. Familiar track record No one familiar with the LTTE's track record will dispute the Government's contention. Mr. Rajapaksa had also articulated this a few weeks ago to Colombo-based envoys of the Co-Chairs. But the question is: how can the Government expect the international community to "put in place" a practical mechanism to ensure the Tigers do not exploit yet another round of talks to strengthen themselves militarily? A tall order for anyone given the ground realities. The Government's line appears to be that there can be no engagement with the Tigers as long as they pose any kind of a military threat to the state. As the Peace Secretariat spelt it out, "the Government reaffirms the declaration of President Mahinda Rajapaksa on 22 August 2006, following a meeting with the Co-Chair Ambassadors in Sri Lanka that the Government remains ready to engage in talks with the LTTE following a clear commitment by the LTTE leader to a comprehensive and verifiable cessation of hostilities. The Government is pleased that the Co-Chair members have endorsed this approach and stated that the LTTE must abide by all agreements and renounce terrorism and violence." There are some disturbing aspects in the reaction of some of the layers of the Rajapaksa Government to the Brussels meet. The statement by Defence Minister Keheliya Rambukwella is a case in point. He was particularly harsh on the Norwegian Special Envoy, Erick Solheim, and even accused him of "misleading" the Co-Chairs, the international community, and the general public. The Minister took exception to the reference made by Mr. Solheim to the North and East merger. "However, de-merger is a matter constitutionally vested with the general public of the country through a referendum. Furthermore, the 1987 Indo-Lanka peace accord deals with this issue in detail. The matter is also currently being challenged before the Supreme Court. Under these circumstances the facilitator making any statement with regard to an internal matter of Sri Lanka is unacceptable," he said. References to the merger by Mr. Solheim flow out of the Brussels declaration that states that the problem of northeast cannot be resolved through military means. Mr. Rajapaksa should give serious thought to the Brussels message and pay closer attention to elements within his establishment out to isolate Sri Lanka from the rest of the world through unnecessary statements.