The conflict the Sri Lankan Government and the Tigers have to face, in Geneva Talks

Will the Geneva talks succeed? This is the burning question in the minds of many. These talks are to commence in a situation where the implementation of the Cease Fire Agreement remains uncertain even four years after the signing of it and a third regime assuming power. The CfA was signed by the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers Of Tamil Eelam to create a conducive atmosphere to find a solution for the ethnic issue and on the basis of the strength of the liberation tigers.

During the UNP regime, Ranil Wickremasinghe, its premier, was a signatory to the CfA. While he had failed to implement important aspects of it, situations leading to confrontation had also prevailed due to the then president of Sri Lanka.

Situation worsened with Chandrika capturing the government by dissolving the parliament. Exploiting the peace talks, the UNP regime had already drawn Karuna away from the Tigers Organisation.

The Peoples Alliance cashing on this split, created the Karuna faction and embarked on a shadow war against the Liberation Tigers and the Tamils.

Though the CfA specifically stipulates the disarming and expulsion of the Tamil bands from the North, East regions, the non-implementation of this aspect until now, has become a serious threat to the agreement itself.

Though the CfA had prevented a serious war it had not helped to prevent the shadow war waged by the government. The Tamils accuse the government vehemently that the government exploits the CFA for its shadow war.

Though peace talks were held on the basis of the CfA, the failure of the UNP government to implement even the basic conditions agreed in the CfA, led to the talks breaking in the early 2003. The situation did not improve even after two years had passed.

Four years have gone and a third regime is in power. Even this too, is bent on intensifying the shadow war instead of creating a conducive atmosphere through the proper implementation of CfA, vital for beginning of the peace talks.

Whenever the Tigers grow in power and amass victories in the north and east, armistice and peace processes are cunningly launched to counter them. The past shows that such an interval was exploited by the government to strengthen its forces and to create confrontations by violations of the CFA.

Actually, peace process should have gone a long way making use of the four year armistice. But the present situation shows that attempts at peace had been dropped, paving the way for the violation of the CFA.

The government, which can neither opt for peace nor war, is engaged in a process of dragging its feet. Its main aim is to prevent war from beginning with the help of the international community and some neighbouring countries. The Sinhala nation, in its entirety, is fully aware that victory is impossible in the event of a war breaking.

The international community cannot understand that the Sinhala politicians, who seek the assistance of it to suppress the Tamils' Struggle, will never venture to solve the ethnic issue with the support of the international community.

It is because of this deplorable state where it is necessary to discuss on the proper implementation of the CfA even after four years after the signing of it!

But now, the government says it wants changes and amendments in the CfA. This was signed after much deliberation, analysis and improvements. But the non-implementation of the agreement in all its aspects, the very aim of signing the agreement has become questionable.

Many agreements and pacts were made since the inception of ethnic issue, only to be abrogated later. Should the CfA be discarded in the same manner, war will break the very next day!

This is why, it is attempted to remove the specifications of the CfA aimed at creating normalcy in the north and east. Attempts, to obstruct the creation of normalcy by continuing the military occupation to avoid a permanent solution for peace, are intensified.

It is certain that the Geneva talks would clearly reveal one thing, i.e. either the CfA will be fully implemented or a war would break.

Tigers have said that they will not allow any alteration or amendments in the CfA. They are specific that the subject of the talks would deal only with the proper implementation of the CfA.

Removal of the High security zones, withdrawing troops from residential areas, disarming and expulsion of the Tamil paramilitaries from the north and east are to be the main points of the talks.

The shadow war had caused the militants engaged in political activities in the military controlled regions to return to their areas and normalcy in the military controlled areas is affected.

The government and its forces maintain they have nothing to do with the shadow war. They are trying to create an impression of the presence of a Tamil paramilitary force functioning within the military controlled region but not within the control of the military.

The government and its forces had adamantly maintained in the past that these paramilitaries were functioning only in areas out of their control. They have now begun to admit their functioning within the military controlled region. They think that a solution to the ethnic issue could be made impossible through the paramilitaries.

All these moves are possible only in a time of cease fire. In a war, both the military and its paramilitaries are in the same boat; they cannot face the attacks of the Tigers and they know this.

The CfA is the very basis for the peace efforts. When the basis itself is in danger there would not be no place for peace talks at all. It is therefore the full implementation of the CfA is stressed by the whole world on both factions.

It is customary to adopt changes and amendments in pacts. These are made only when the pact in question is in force. But here, the government is trying to bring changes in an agreement which is yet to be implemented.

The first thing to be done is to create an atmosphere of normalcy in the north and east by implementing the CfA fully. The Tamil faction argues that only after the implementation of the accord, changes could be considered.

Neglecting this and attempting to stipulate conditions for an accord to implement the agreement may result in abrogation of the original pact. If the aim is to have the government forces vacate the high security zones and to make the artilleries of the Tigers ineffective, should not the armed forces move about without arms, to guarantee the lives of the people in the north and east?

In this context, the Geneva conference would not be a proper debating place. The main thing to be examined is how to fully implement the CfA. As the Political head of the Liberation Tigers S. P. Thamilchelvan has requested, the government delegation should understand the problems of the Tamil people before engaging in the talks.

The important question is:

In what manner is the government going to contribute to the proper implementation of the agreement?

If it tries to avoid this question and dabble in debating changes and amendments, it will be held solely responsible for the failure of the talks.

| The article is written by Vithuran and translated by Mathini |

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