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The
Lankaweb Weekly Editorial
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Presidential Resolve Towards Peace In The Manner He Envisions It, Comforting For The Nation!In his usual pragmatic style H.E. The President Rajapakse has asserted
in no uncertain terms in a bulletin to the Reuters News Agency that
peace talks would take time. Perhaps being fully aware of the realities
involved and the unpredictabilities of the LTTE who continue to remain
fully armed terrorists his pragmatism has suggested a slow but realistic
approach towards resolving the Nation's ethnic related woes with all
the hurdles the Nation faces particularly from the LTTE Terrorists. As would seem a normal trend of thought the Sri Lankan President Mahinda
Rajapakse has unequivocally ruled out Tamil Tiger demands for a separate
homeland in the island's North and East,while promising to " rein
in armed groups" which also incorporate the Tamil Tigers logically
being an armed group themselves and perhaps a message to them which could
turn tables on an LTTE demand with a touch of the sublime to the ridiculous
as the interpretations on two sides of the demand suggests that, indeed!
the Government needs to rein in all armed groups including the LTTE while
the LTTE believe they are exempt from the classification of being armed
terrorists and that the only armed groups in question are the Paramilitaries
of the Karuna Faction ! something which is on the fait accompli menu of
the LTTE! but not so if the realities are viewed objectively and the word
play of the President is indicative of tactical cunning!
It is an idealogical cocktail of paradigms pleasing to the listener of patriotic intent to be assured verbally that "There's only one country, we can share power. Not a separate state. That idea must be taken off ... it is completely out,This is a small country, where you can't have two states. I won't allow the country to be divided, You have to give up the concept of having two nations, or two countries ... There is no Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka. There cannot be an Eelam."" albeit somewhat confusing as to whom the president is prepared to share power with while making every effort towards preserving the unitarity of Sri Lanka. Whether it be with the fully armed Terrorists now maintaining a de facto control over parts of the North and East or the overall Tamil Community whose bounden inherant right it is to share the Nation with all citizens and clarification once again needed from the President for both the Nation as well as his supportive audiences around the globe towards the affirmations! If the prudent anticipations of the JVP prove to be correct and the LTTE are indeed preparing for another insurrection there seems to be a huge challenge in store for the President where it may no be in the greatest hindsight to guarrantee any disarming of paramilitaries and to the contrary might prove to be the very catalyst needed to persuade the LTTE that as long as they continue to be fully armed unrelenting terrorists toward their Eelam aspirations the dialogue which may take centre stage in Geneva in the near future might not necessarily be a compromising of the responsibilities by the Government towards any anti Wanni progression which would be in the Government's favour though not acknowledged in so many words! Furthermore the LTTE have to be made aware that the so called paramilitaries were a fallout towards LTTE disadvantage by their own creation and is a matter for them to deal with rather than making it an issue towards negotoiations for Peace as long as they the LTTE choose to continue as terrorists! It seems comforting for the Nation also that the President has sounded his projected intentions for the Nation's well being if one reads between the lines. He has said that quote "I am a peaceful man. I am not a warmonger," For two months I was keeping the military on a tight leash. How long can I just keep my eyes closed? You must never corner a government leader, and him push him to the wall. If I am pushed to the wall ...," he said, ending his words on a note which indicated great resolve, determination and his fervent hope towards achieving peace in the manner he envisions it.
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