LANKAN GOVERNMENT IS NOT READY
FOR PEACE NOR FOR WAR
By Shyamon Jayasinghe
Stuck in the middle of a most intractable impasse of its own making,
the current Sri Lankan Government (GOSL) is not ready for peace; nor
is it ready for war.
The government of Mahinda Rajapakse is hamstrung by an impossible fence
erected by the JVP/JHU givisum. Binding conditions of the Mahinda Chinthanaya
include, no Norway, no non-unitary constitution, no PTOMS, no recognition
of LTTE as sole partner in negotiation, and, now, no Oslo as venue for
talks. It is some achievement that the new President has managed to
retain Norway mediation against the inclinations of his Norway-hating
coalition partners-JVP/JHU. That was a plain concession to reality because
the global powers including India wants Norway to stay. It puzzles me
to think how JVP/JHU sympathisers have demonised Norway when all others
want that country’s mediation.
The point we are immediately making out here, however, is that in view
of the above restrictions there is little that the government has to
bring to the negotiating table. When one starts with a “no”
on the core issues, there is simply no point in moving over to the table.
This has been realized by global powers and that is why the latter have
become reticent over the new government’s pleas. Furthermore, that
is why the Indian government made a power-point presentation of that
country’s model of federalism to the recent Presidential delegation.
India has even backed out of the defence pact that Ranil Wickremasinghe
had mooted. The adamantine stand of the GOSL on the core issues is seen
as a reflection of the new Sinhala extremist influence on it. By bringing
in a government tied to demands of parties known for their communal
attitudes, Mahinda Rajapakse has played right into the ploy of the Tiger
supremo. Already, in Tamilnadu Vaiko and his band of incurable liars
is busy spreading the false word that the new GOSL is a threat to the
Tamil race. This is why Jayalalitha cancelled the appointment she had
given the Lankan President to meet her during his recent tour. Now,
if this Tamilnadu factor continues to develop things are going to be
very hard for Sri Lanka. The government must therefore tread with great
caution. As an illustration,The hunt for Tigers in Wellawatte and other
areas is something that was long overdue; something that Ranil and CBK
had ignored. However, when the word is spread that this operation was
Kotakadeniya- planned, once again the hand of the JHU is seen.
If the peace process cannot take off the ground due to considerations
such as the above, then war should be a possible option. However, the
GOSL has not budgeted for war and so war will not work. Any budgeting
at this stage would heap imponderable burdens on the people and nothing
of Mahinda Chinthanaya promises could be fulfilled. Nor are our defence
forces mentally ready for a sudden escalation of war. Furthermore, if
the war option were chosen, all manner of global sanctions would come
down on Lanka and aid would come only in trickles. The US ambassador
in Sri Lanka, Jeffrey Lunstead recently told a gathering of Colombo
businessmen that it is Washington policy to allow islanders to realize
themselves that the war option is going to be at great cost to both
parties. Washington does help Lanka militarily in many ways-by way of
military training, by assistance programs including efforts to help
with counter-terrorism initiatives and by blocking financial transactions
of overseas Tigers. All this to enhance the capacity of the GOSL to
deal with the situation. The rest of it is left to the GOSL.
Various self-styled “professors”, “Dutugemunus”,
and “Perakums” can write in online news columns urging the
GOSL to go to war. However, they do so totally oblivious of the bitter
reality that the global dimension of this twenty-year conflict is a
most serious one to contend with. This is not the time for Dutugemunus.
We have to fight the LTTE not with the idea of preserving the state
for the Sinhalese people but to preserve the integrity of the small
island without letting it break up. The country needs not emotional
rabble-rousers but sensible, pragmatic and intelligent leaders who get
about the task of building a nation from among a plurality of ethnic
and religious groups that have historically inhabited in the land.
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