EDITORIAL

Stable Platform

Sri Lanka's 18th amendment is vital for peace

As the start date for the first direct talks between the Liberation Tigers and the Sri Lankan government nears, the related diplomatic activity is gathering pace. As Thailand prepares the venue, which - like the agenda for these preliminary discussions - has been mutually agreed upon, the negotiating teams for both sides are being assembled. There is growing confidence - both in the island and abroad - that the talks will be constructive and successful - last week France was the latest of several members of the international community involved in Sri Lanka to welcome the talks scheduled to start on September 16. So much so that some focus is already being given to logistic and other issues involved in the next phase of the Norwegian facilitated peace process.

In the meantime, the process of de-escalation is continuing, albeit with continued resistance from sections of the Sri Lankan military, particularly the Navy, whose personnel this week reimposed fishing restrictions in Jaffna, assaulted civilians and continue to refuse to withdraw from public places. Despite resistance by military units in other places also - often on direct orders by President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the armed forces' Commander-in-Chief - there is nevertheless a justifiable sense that the ceasefire is being steadily entrenched. With the truce now being taken as a natural part of conditions in the north and east, efforts to normalise life are being stepped up. The meeting this week between political leaders of the Liberation Tigers and a delegation of senior Sri Lankan and Japanese bankers headed by Mr. Bernard Gunatillake, Secretary General of the Peace Secretariat, is a key step in this regard. The exchange of prisoners of war expected this weekend is another goodwill gesture that will help build confidence in the peace process.

But these causes for optimism should not detract from the immediate problems in Colombo where the standoff between President Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's cabinet is coming to a head. Hectic horse trading last week has seen the United National Front (UNF) government consolidate MPs' support ahead of the tabling of the 18th amendment to Sri Lanka's constitution. Such is the certainty that the President will dismiss Wickremesinghe's government at the earliest opportunity, that fear of being forced into a punishing election is rife in the ranks of Kumaratunga's main opposition People's Alliance (PA). Furthermore, diplomatic pleasantries aside, it is clear that the international community is supportive of Mr. Wickremsinghe's government and opposed to President Kumaratunga's efforts to destabilise both the UNF administration and - by extension - the Norwegian peace process. It is also equally clear that the peoples of Sri Lanka now have high expectations of the Norwegian peace process and the rising optimism regarding Oslo's initiative is as much to do with the UNF administration's new determination to curb the President's powers as in the demonstrable readiness by both protagonists in the conflict to sincerely pursue the peace process.

As UNF ministers have repeatedly pointed out recently, the stability of the government is a prerequisite for its ability to negotiate an end to the conflict. President Kumaratunga's protestations this week of the need for 'southern political consensus' and 'checks and balances' for the success of the peace process are duplicitous: the UNF has struggled to implement the least contentious of its policies due to Kumaratunga's disruptive authority. Whether Sri Lanka's Parliamentarians abide by the explicit wishes of their electorate - which unequivocally rejected the PA's hardline policies and endorsed the UNF's peace platform at three polls - remains to be seen. But the long term stability of the island - which is contingent on a lasting peace and rapid economic revival, both of which will foster ethnic harmony - is dependent on them collectively doing so. The island's peoples - and the international community - await the outcome of the 18th amendment with keen interest.

Eagle’s Eye

Mr. Armitage’s visit furthered peace

The visit to Jaffna last week by the United States Deputy Secretary of State, Mr. Richard Armitage, as part of a rapid five-nation tour of South and South East Asia, is the highest level US visit to the island's since the 1950s and has understandably provoked considerable interest and speculation. Undoubtedly, the most significant impact of Mr. Armitage's visit has been to reinforce US endorsement of the Norwegian peace initiative in Sri Lanka. As such, whilst the Sinhala hawks have gleefully claimed the visit was directed as a caution at the Liberation Tigers, the Tamil perspective is quite different. The present international support for negotiations between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE is reflective of an emergent appreciation abroad that issues linked to ethnic rivalry have provided the antecedent to one of Asia's most protracted conflicts - and subsequently exacerbated and prolonged it.

Since the mid-nineties, the United States - predominantly - has been acutely involved in training, arming and otherwise assisting Sri Lanka's military, even through the high intensity conflict that the island's war became under President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Inline with the 'war for peace' strategy pursued by President Kumaratunga, the international community accepted Sri Lanka's argument that the island's conflict was merely a form of terrorism based on fanaticism and that militarily marginalizing the LTTE was the only practical - even moral - way to end to the conflict. As such, from a Tamil perspective, Mr. Armitage's declaration last week that "enough is enough" reflects the international community's rejection of the 'war for peace' strategy and those who extolled it.

Furthermore, and much to the chagrin of critics of the Liberation Tigers, international backing for talks - by extension - endorses the LTTE as the partner in peace with the Sri Lankan government. That the lifting next month of Sri Lanka's proscription of the LTTE also has implicit international support underlines prevailing foreign attitudes. Indeed, Mr. Armitage's visit - like the meeting between Sri Lankan Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe and US President George Bush a few weeks ago - has primarily bolstered the pro-peace United National Front (UNF) government in its ongoing standoff with hawkish President Kumaratunga.

Mr. Armitage's visit to the Jaffna peninsula, albeit a brief one, nevertheless provided him with an opportunity to hear opinions from the disparate elements of civil society and the spectrum of political views. Thus, there was an expectation that the US Deputy Secretary of State would have met organisations and prominent individuals who reflect public sentiments in Jaffna today. As such there has been criticism that Mr. Armitage did not meet the Liberation Tigers' political section in Jaffna, or organisations of standing in the community. Whilst the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians would have presented the views of the Jaffna people, the recognition given to some marginalized individuals and organisations by their meetings with Mr. Armitage has drawn understandable criticism amongst local actors and press.

The international community's increased interest in resolving Sri Lanka's conflict has provided much needed transparency to events in the island and has undoubtedly strengthened those seeking a lasting and just peace through sincere negotiations. However, it is incumbent on those seeking to further the search for peace in the island to establish with accuracy the sentiments and aspirations of the peoples of Sri Lanka.

A step forward

Tamil mine clearers finally get foreign help

The provision by a British demining agency - with assistance of the Canadian International Development Agency - of protective gear to the Humanitarian Demining Unit (HDU) and the training provided by British and Norwegian NGOs are welcome and long awaited. De-mining has regrettably long been a politicised issue in Sri Lanka. The lack of the necessary mine detection equipment has resulted in unnecessary heightening of danger to both mine clearers and the public.

Whilst the expansion plans put forward this week by HDU seem ambitious, they are by no means unreasonable and compared to the scale of the problem are extremely modest. And with rehabilitation a key part of addressing the existential problems of the Tamil people demining now has an increased urgency.