N.A de S. Amaratunga 

Title of this letter suggests reconciliation and peace are not complementary to each other but are antagonistic. Usually in most post conflict situations it is not the case and reconciliation paves the way for peace and vise versa. In Sri Lanka, however, when one looks at the process of reconciliation one wonders whether it could bring peace or perpetuate conflict and hatred. One wonders how a process that appears to be a malicious witch hunt that is designed to apply tremendous pressure on the government and the majority community could result in peace. This process is engineered by the Tamil diaspora which is a LTTE rump and assisted by the Western powers and their local agents in order to force the granting of unfair demands pertaining to land that belongs to everybody and security which would threaten the very existence of the majority community in this little island.

Contrary to what the authors of this process claim, at the present moment, there is peace in Sri Lanka. It is much more peaceful than India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, France, Belgium not to mention the Middle East which is a perpetual killing field courtesy the Western powers. Peace in this country is possible because the previous government had annihilated the LTTE terrorists for there was no other way. The Tamil Diaspora (aka LTTE rump), the Western powers, local Tamil separatists and their agents, all of whom helped the LTTE to prolong the war for their own different reasons and agendas, are not happy about this outcome because it has upset their plans and designs. They have ganged up to take revenge from the national leadership that led the war and the war heroes of the armed forces. Reconciliation is one of the tools they use to bludgeon the national leaders of the previous regime and the war heroes. But more importantly they desperately want to rejuvenate all their agendas; the West want to pursue their geo-political hegemony, the local Tamil separatists want a separate state, the Tamil Diaspora want to enjoy the good influential life abroad and local agents want to remain in power. Reconciliation, Human Rights, Humanitarian rights, War Crimes are all tools in their hands which they use via the UN, Ban Ki Moon, Prince Hussain, Samantha Power, Bishwa and such others to achieve their different goals. Though these goals are different they are complementary to each other. And that is why the enemies of Sri Lanka are ganged up together and help each other. The final winners would be the imperialists and not the poor Tamils or the Sinhalese who want to live peacefully in Sri Lanka.

How could reconciliation be achieved when one side of the conflict is selectively accused of committing atrocities, war crimes, rape, torture, bombing hospitals, depriving civilians of food etc.? And when these accusations have no basis and evidence and identity of witnesses is not going to be revealed how could there be reconciliation? And if these investigations, legal enquiries and judgments are to be carried out by foreign prosecutors, lawyers and judges appointed by the UN which is nothing but a tool of the Western powers how could there be reconciliation? If the TNA which is the main political party that represents the Tamils endorses all this anti-national, unfair, illegal and one-sided procedures how could they ask for reconciliation? When they say there cannot be reconciliation until and unless these illegal deeds are done how could they expect a positive response from the Sinhalese? When they adopt resolutions in the NPC to pronounce that genocide has been committed against the Tamils which is a blatant lie how could there be reconciliation? Could reconciliation be built on such lies, such betrayals, such intentional distortion of the truth? How could there be reconciliation when the Tamil leadership is demanding a federal state? Could there be reconciliation when the Western powers have linked their aid programme with the granting of federal powers to the North and East and the cash strapped Government is showing signs of capitulation?

How could there be reconciliation when retribution is demanded against one side to the conflict only and the other side which was by far the greater offender is allowed to go scot free? How could there be reconciliation when there is no recompense demanded of the LTTE, no accountability demanded from the LTTE? Isn’t it the responsibility of the TNA to see that there is repentance and retribution for the brutal atrocities openly committed by the LTTE against civilians, clergy and places of worship? There must be hundreds if not thousands of LTTE cadres who are guilty of such offences still active and bidding their time. Should not they be brought to book if the past is to be dug to the bottom and justice meted out fair and square? If not could Tamils ask for reconciliation with the Sinhalese? If a settlement is forced on the Sinhalese by the joint effort of Tamil separatists, Western powers and local agents could there be reconciliation?

It is clear that for reconciliation to happen both sides must forget the past, forgive each other and work towards it. It is clear that what they want is not reconciliation. What they want is a situation where the peace that prevails at present is gradually eroded and the threat of war hangs over our heads so that the country capitulates to the dictate of the West and Tamil separatists. Finally, the country would be torn asunder and another Middle East created in the Indian Ocean which would perfectly suit the agenda of the imperialists.

N.A de S. Amaratunga