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After One Year,May Peace Continue.

The milestone of one year without the horror of destruction, the sound of heavy artillery, the acrid smell of gunpowder and the screams of the injured and the dying have mercifully dispersed from this beloved land of ours this gem Sri Lanka which now needs to be further embellished with the continuity of a lasting peace.How this will be accomplished within the norms of real peace in a climate which has not as yet subsided completely in turbulence rests on future decisions taken by whoever takes on the reins of office as the considerations for change seem to be manifest as reflected in the mood of the general population very thankful for what Sri Lanka has been transformed into presently.It cannot however be affirmed that a change in administration might necessarily deliver what is best for Sri Lanka in the present circumstances although there are very real needs still being overlooked by the administration almost pandering to a terrorist entity in the most prurient manner whose pogroms continue unabated at times despite many coverups.

However,credit must be given where due and the Administration has indeed accomplished the greatest need for all of Sri Lanka despite the skepticism by many that it may not be permanent within the divisions of ethnicity in Sri Lanka and to counter the misgivings of the foreign truce monitors who keep harping on the theme that "skepticism is the biggest setback to peace" it must be said that Sri Lanka is not as yet out of the woods in as far as the clandestine terrorists are concerned and as long as there remains a terrorist entity hovering in the background with its leader hiding in the backwoods, there remains the proverbial sword of Damocles hanging over Sri Lanka and its future.

The Scandinavian Truce Monitors are in no position to the skeptics and have not accomplished much by their presence in Sri Lanka with the exception of a wonderful holiday in a very touristy tropical environment and those who are aware of what these same individuals accomplished in Lebanon in the not too distant past will to the contrary reverse skepticisms on what they the monitors might accomplish in Sri Lanka and furrow eyebrows at what it costs the taxpayer to maintain them in their finery and all for near nothing!.

Despite those silent guns, the removal of roadblocks and the relaxing of security in the image of tranquility that all's calm on the horizon there is a gnawing enigma which seems to suggest that the LTTE in the North and North East are far from being averse to violations of the ceasefire as the jockeying for power in those regions continue while being separated by a fine line dividing the Security Forces hard pressed to avoid provocation as an ensuing confrontation would suit the LTTE fine thank you very much! and as the Norwegian Truce Monitor Frudhove has pointed out in contradiction to his finger pointing at the skeptics by saying, "The Biggest Threat To Peace Are The Extremists" whom he misguidedly contends are on both sides where he probaly meant in all reality, that the extremists are being represented by the LTTE and its factions taking advantage of the charade of a Peace Process to gear up and refurbish their military assets as pointed out vehemently by the President.

The common denominator in the balance between strife and peace logically has emerged after the September 11th attacks in the USA albeit the many pontifications about the merits and attributes of the Scandinavian Peace Monitors where the onus of normalcy being restored has had much to do with American involvement in Sri Lankan affairs and the ominous warnings against global terrorism where the Wickremasinghe Administration opted for the best choice in handshaking and embracing a fortuitous situation while correspondingly the LTTE decided to respond and cash in on what they believed was a way out of incarceration and what the world sees unwinding before them in Sri Lanka is a carefully orchestrated scenario of symbiosis between an Administration determined to stay in power and a terror group trying to assess which option is theirs for survival and the Nation reduced to one of insecure pawns for whom the prevailing calm and peace is a Godsend full of uncertainties.One which they have no choice but to accept considering past losses.

There have been recent upheavals in the City Centre indicating an abandonment of democratic rights, attempts to suppress the freedom of speech and the detraction from principles by an Administration which has spurred on violent retaliation against peaceful demonstrations and the general climate within the House of Parliament cannot be described as serene with sit ins, no confidence motions and protests against the incumbents based on the general state of affairs within the Nation and there can be no denying the fact that all the unrest seems to be stemming from the heart of the Nation of a multitude of disastisfied citizens unsure of where their leadership is headed, where basic issues are being by-passed in an effort to accomplish a peace of little known definition.

Until these most basic of issues relative to the economy, security of the State and its unitarity are resolved and Sri Lankans are assured that Peace is what they envision as their constitutional right with no fears that a panacea has indeed been found for the co-existence of the ethnic divides within Sri Lanka, the process will rather unfortunately remain tangled and constricted as the haggling goes on and the disparity is in danger of widening between the dissidents and the Government.

Nevertheless, Peace even in some small measure is a welcome change from strife and may it continue to project Sri Lanka into the future.

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