CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

Sri Lanka's Peace and International Community

Manoj Lanka Hettige

When I heard the recent suicidal bomb blast killing four military personnel and government inaction over that, I am surprised of Sri Lanka's peace process reminding me a popular kids Cartoon movie ''Tom & Jerry''. It is a play between Tom - big cat & Jerry - a small mouse and children are enjoying by watching at ''Tom'', which always used to get the tough strikes and blasts from the small mouse - Jerry. Government of Sri Lanka is successfully portraying the ''fool Tom'' role on the face of dreadful LTTE attacks but begging the peace from them while world community is playing the childish role issuing the condemning statements. Can a responsible government become a fool cartoon star to mealy appease the bloodthirsty terrorists and selfish world community?

Sri Lanka's foreign minister Mr. Mangala Samaraveera pledged in India that war is not an option for Sri Lankan government and Indian prime minister admired the approach. SinhalaNet reported on 27th June that the Government of Sri Lanka has taken steps to tighten the securities after recent explosion but avoided from retaliation due to international pressure especially from India. But, can government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) do what it meant by ''security'' without establishing the law & order in the country?

What is the limit of this security measures without the option of disabling the terrorists while they are allowed to organize and perform military operations freely in one corner of the country. In the worse scenario, should the GOSL extend its security measures to construct the bunkers in Colombo to hide from the terrorists and provide the citizens with bulletproof uniforms to escape from the explosions? Or else, would it be the extent to ask the citizens to take care your own security as the former president J. R. Jayawardana did one time. What is the logic behind this trend of the present government? Would this not amount to the same what Mr. Ranil Wikramasingha, opposition leader openly promised to give LTTE peacefully without victimizing anybody?

Why so called ''international community'' does not disarm LTTE for peace instead of giving instructions to GOSL not to do so. Can the world community enjoy the '' real peace'' when one corner of the world getting repeatedly exploded from the terrorists.

India's pain & LTTE's peace are two sides of one coin. When the LTTE's illegal Vanni regime is shaken by war, India gets heated & pained. Main reason could be the inflow of refugees to Tamilnadu from Sri Lanka. In J. R. Jayawardana regime in 1987, GOSL was stopped by India from doing its duty to establish the law & order in the North from the military operations. But, India was on blind eye when the fighting was escalated and around 40,000 soldiers were encircled by LTTE in Jaffna peninsula during the period of 2000-2001. This time too, India seems to be getting involved in a similar game causing to prolong the Sri Lankan's worst Terrorist problem.

In this way, India is loosing its credibility on international dealings with neighbouring countries. As a closest & historical friend, what India should do today is to tolerate the inflow of the refugees from Sri Lanka and support Sri Lanka to bring the LTTE to negotiated table as a non-violent partner by goodwill or force to find a political solution acceptable to all communities. Political solution cannot be discussed with the people holding the guns and bombes and any instruction to deal with such people for a political solution is senseless. If India does not understand this truth this time too and act in such a responsible manner, no doubt that the same terrorist problem will return to them spreading a similar havoc in one day.

The people living with terrorists are inevitably vulnerable to any harm likely to loss even their valuable lives but they will not fall into suicidal category as they do not do so intentionally but as no other option is available only. International community are far away from the threatened land but still Sri Lankans should bear & continue with the situation, as the government of them is committed to leave the terrorists alive to appease the so-called international community. If President Mahinda Rajapaksha waiting until LTTE kills all the military & political leaders and later comes to negotiation table for peace, people will really feel that they have done a suicidal mission by getting appointed him to the office of His Excellency in Sri Lanka.

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