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Two solutions, for two problems..
One a Military solution, and the other a Political solution.
By Charles. S. Perera
The International Community, the UN, and all the Humanitarian Organisations,
do not seem to know that there are two different problems in Sri Lanka.
One is that of terrorism, and the other, the so called ethnic problem.
These are two different problems diametrically opposed to one another.
The problem of terrorism has one solution, and the so called ethnic
problem, has another solution. The International Community and the rest
of the pontificators have embroiled the two problems, one with the other
to such an extend, that one finds it difficult to separate one from
the other. In this tangled state, finding a viable solution to the problems
has got still more complicated.
It was the CFA, and the incompetence of the Norwegian mediators, that
undeniably contributed to this confounded confusion of the two fold
problem of Sri Lanka. With the CFA now abrogated, thanks to the President,
and the Norwegians removed from their interfering role of a mediator,
the two problems can now be separated from their entangled
state, to be perceived in their correct perspective.
The problem number one, is the problem of terrorism, and the solution
for that is undoubtedly a military solution. The problem number two
is the ethnic problem, the solution to which is definitely a political
solution. If the International Community and the UN Human rights Commission,
and the other Humanitarians, care to see the two problems in their correct
perspective, they will see that they had been, so far , barking up the
wrong tree.
Now, when the two problems are separated, and placed plainly in view,
the Western Humanitarians and power blocks, cannot possibly tell the
government of Sri Lanka that," the solution to the problem is a
political one, and therefore both parties should negotiate for a peace
settlement. " If they say that now, it is because they are unable
to see the reality through their meaningless amalgam of two different
issues, or they deliberately refuse to see what is evident ,and parrot
words that have no meaning as far as the problems the Government of
Sri Lanka is faced with.
One cannot, in evaluating the two problems in Sri Lanka, take both
the terrorists and Tamils as one entity. Because as much as the problem
is two fold there are also two different parties concerned with each
one of the two problems.
the two parties concerned with the first problem of terrorisms are
(i) the terrorists, and (ii) the Government of Sri Lanka.
the two parties concerned with the ethnic problem are (i) the Tamil
people, and (ii) the Government of Sri Lanka.
Let us take each problem in turn, to see what possible solutions there
are, to each one of them.
What are the available solutions to the first problem of Terrorism
? The Western Countries have a policy with regard to terrorists, which
is that there are no negotiations with the terrorists. Why should it
be different when it comes to terrorism in Sri Lanka ?
However, let us see, despite the policy of the West, the other solution
to terrorism in Sri Lanka . The Government of Sri Lanka, unlike the
West, is more flexible, and genuinely interested in peace. Therefore,
with the Norwegians as the mediators, it under took to negotiate a peace
settlement with the terrorists. But the several rounds of peace negotiations
with the terrorists met with failure.
Though negotiation for peace is an alternative to a military solution,
there is the fundamental problem of the terrorists backing out from
negotiations. Negotiations are between two opposing sides, but when
one side drops out, negations are impracticable, like trying to clap
with one hand, as the Chinese saying goes. Much ink had been spilled
on the subject, and I need not use further of mine to add to it.
The terrorists want a separate Eelam carved out of Sri Lanka, nothing
less nothing more, like the pound of flesh claimed by Shylock, and therefore,
there is nothing to be expected from negotiations with terrorists. The
terrorists are all out for an armed confrontation to realise the Eelam
State. The Government of Sri Lanka cannot accede to their unjustified
claim. Therefore, the only solution to the first problem of terrorism
in Sri Lanka is unfortunately a military solution.
In this armed confrontation between the Government forces, and the
armed terrorists, the civil population, caught between the two warring
sides, are inconvenienced, and cannot properly exercise their human
rights. But their plight is no worse than those civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan,
Lebanon, and Kenya . The International Community and the Western Humanitarian
Organisations cannot hold the government of Sri Lanka responsible for
these inconveniences ( and even deaths) to the civil population brought
about by the stubborn determination of the terrorists to shun negotiations
to establish their Eelam by force of arms.
Therefore, the solution to the first problem of Terrorism is a military
solution and the West can only help the government to militarily eliminate
terrorism from Sri Lanka, without making it difficult to the government
by ritualistically asking the non violation of human rights in the affected
areas.
Now with regard to the second problem of the minority Tamils, the government
has to negotiate with the accredited representatives of the Tamil, Muslim
and Sinhala Communities for a fair and reasonable devolution of political
power on the report submitted by the APRC. In this latter case of the
problem of the minority Tamil people, the terrorists have no voice,
unless they lay down their arms and agree to negotiate for devolution
of political power in a Unitary Sri Lanka, without geographical separation.
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