EDITORIAL

Fraying Fabric

Kumaratunga is successfully delaying direct talks

Amid the protests last week by the Sinhala far right against the Norwegian peace initiative in Sri Lanka, we cautioned that Oslo's efforts faced a key challenge in the form of a concerted campaign to block the de-proscription of the Liberation Tigers.

We reiterated that the influence President Chandrika Kumaratunga wields over the military could also prove problematic in implementing the terms and conditions of the permanent ceasefire. Regrettably the events of the past week have proved this to be case - much earlier than many had anticipated.

As the officials of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) will no doubt concur, a plethora of problems emerged in rapid sequence in the past few days. Some were serious. The standoff between the Sea Tigers and the Sri Lanka Navy last Wednesday could easily have resulted in heavy loss of life and irreparable damage to the ceasefire and the Norwegian initiative. The planned interception by the Navy of an LTTE convoy whose path and timing had been prearranged with the SLMM was undoubtedly intended to raise tensions - as it duly did. The sudden and arbitrary declaration by the Navy of the islands off Jaffna's west coast as a 'military zone' which the LTTE's political cadres could not enter is as absurd (the islands are home to tens of thousands of Tamil people) as it is provocative. As this edition goes to print, the SLMM's ruling on the matter is outstanding. There are numerous other incidents against the letter and spirit of the ceasefire initiated by the Sri Lankan military across the north and east.

The Sri Lankan military's demonstrable aggression in the past week has placed other problems with the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in a new context. The LTTE informed the Norwegian government on April 17 that it was not happy with the sluggish pace of the military's implementation of several key aspects of the agreement. Sri Lankan troops should have vacated the temples and places of worship within 30 days of the truce coming into effect on February 23, but most still remain occupied. There has been no move to remove armed forces personnel from occupied schools and hospitals. Tamil paramilitaries have not been disarmed by the military, the rhetoric and the showcasing of some weapons surrenders notwithstanding. The persecution of the large Tamil fishing community is continuing unabated.

There is no doubt that President Kumaratunga, the commander in chief of Sri Lanka's armed forces, is - whilst publicly extolling the virtues of peace - rolling out her strategy to torpedo the Norwegian initiative. The reckless actions of the military in the past week along with the slipping of most deadlines stipulated in the truce agreement are successfully thwarting the establishment of conditions of normalcy. The cumulative effect of the military's actions is therefore to push back the convening of direct talks between the United National Front (UNF) government and the LTTE. Meanwhile the SLMM is clearly feeling the strain, with additional monitors being sought from suitable European countries.

In a second line of assault on the Norwegian peace initiative, the Sinhala far right is mobilising itself for further protests against actions the government needs to take to pave the way for talks. The extremists are insisting on the maintenance of the ban on the LTTE. They are demanding that the interim administration proposal - designed to provide a 'cooling off' period before negotiations of core issues - be discarded and the military campaign against the LTTE resumed. The scare mongering that the country is about to be split has panicked Sri Lanka's fanatical - and influential - Buddhist clergy. The Sri Lanka Army this week also put a dent in confidence in the peace process when it suddenly announced it was going to recruit thousands of new soldiers and train its units harder than ever before.

Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe has been scrambling to contain the fallout, soothing the prelates ruffled feathers and assuring them of his Sinhala credentials - and thereby raising Tamil suspicions in the process. Although his government is belatedly preparing its ground to challenge the President's powers, with key legislation scheduled for debate in Parliament later this month, Mr. Wickremsinghe is clearly under rising pressure. But to stabilise matters he needs to rein in the military immediately. The question of requisite authority is irrelevant. The Premier enjoys considerable international and domestic support for his policies - support he needs to actively invoke. The indefinite ceasefire is the first agreement between the new Sinhala government and the Tamil leadership. Its status now deserves the scrutiny of all concerned with establishing lasting peace in Sri Lanka if it is not to be eventually consigned to the scrap heap of earlier deals subsequently destroyed by the implacable Sinhala-Buddhist supremacists.

Helping Hands

Rebuilding the Tamil homeland is a community effort

In the wake of the indefinite ceasefire in Sri Lanka and the lifting of the economic embargo on the Tamil areas, a new determination to rebuild our shattered homeland has emerged amongst the Tamil community. But after decades of neglect, deprivation and destruction, there is much that needs to be done. The Tamil Diaspora distributed across many countries has, over the years, collectively acquired much expertise and skill, the deployment of which can considerably improve the lives of many of our people. From the construction of roads and bridges to the provision of medical care and establishment of information technology infrastructure and communication networks, there is much that the Diaspora can achieve in the Tamil homeland.

On the other hand, the lack of even basic facilities in these areas does not justify the supply of work and equipment of unacceptable quality. Our community is justified in expecting the very best we can contribute. Furthermore, despite the widespread and substantial want, there is a pressing need for concerted and coordinated action. Piecemeal and haphazard efforts by individual organisations will undoubtedly fail to make the meaningful strategic improvements required. Many Tamil charities and organisation established in the Tamil homelands have over the years striven valiantly to provide much needed support and assistance. The Diaspora's efforts should be channelled through their infrastructures for maximum effect.

The abject poverty to which large sections of our community were reduced by the actions of successive Sri Lankan governments will take considerable time to alleviate. But the eventual provision of self-sufficiency - and the dignity this brings our community - is a task that deserves our committed engagement.

Social Science

Tamils seek culturally sensitive order

Having re-established a presence in Jaffna and the other major Tamil population centres, the Liberation Tigers have begun cleaning up. In Jaffna, the dismantling of the local pornographic industry - and the illicit brewing business - began in earnest last week. Since the region came under Sri Lanka Army control in late 1995, the spread of porn, illicit alcohol and even narcotics has been tolerated - and in some cases, even encouraged - by the military authorities. The LTTE's new campaign will undoubtedly strike a chord in conservative Jaffna society. Having lived for many years in the anarchic lawlessness of Sri Lanka Army run administration, many of Jaffna's residents are looking forward to the culturally sensitive security prevalent in areas under LTTE control.

Naturally, the movement's detractors have been quick off the mark with alarmist tales of the impending imposition of Taliban-like Puritanism and suggestions of a threatened 'cultural revolution' - one newspaper this weekend even claimed that the wearing of sarees would be made mandatory for women. The idiocy of the scaremongers will no doubt be amply demonstrated in the coming period. But the obvious logic underpinning the concept of 'hearts and minds' - that a grass roots movement will inevitably adopt the policies that will earn it the broadest swathe of support from its surrounding population - seems to have escaped the self appointed - and somewhat premature - defenders of individual choice.