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Featured Article: PeopleÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s expectations and anxieties

Friday, 01 December 2006

President Rajapakse has returned to Sri Lanka after a five day visit to India. This visit to India is of great importance because India has been voicing its concern over the sufferings of the Tamils.

LTTE Leader Pirabaharan in his historic address on the Heroes’ Day, stated that the Tamils have no option other than establishing a separate state to regain their freedom. Since Lankan President was meeting the Indian Prime Minister immediately after this address on the Heroe’s Day, their meeting is considered to be very significant.

It is reported that India conveyed to Sri Lanka that it was committed to merger of North-East while recognizing the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Sri Lanka. It was also conveyed to Sri Lanka that India is very disturbed over the violations of human rights, abuses fundamental rights excesses by the security forces and other sufferings perpetrated on the Lankan Tamils.

Meanwhile Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has raised the problems of the Sri Lankan Tamils with the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Tamil people have expectations. They have their own anxieties over the recent developments in the country.

An English translation of the Editorial in Virakesari, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo

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Eelath Thamil Raj said:

All the advice given to the GoSL is like pouring water over duck back. Rajapakse is on a one way street without any sign of deviation with reason. GoSL will regret for their actions.

2006-12-02 01:35:56

A Well Wisher said:

Recent developments have clearly demonstrated that it was GoSL's military attrocities which had stood in the way of peace returning to Srilanka and to bringing an end to the ethnic strife in the North and East provinces, the homeland of the Tamil population. This has prompted retaliations from LTTE. The International bodies from the UN, the EU, the US and India have all expressed shock and condemned the offensives by both parties. Due to international pressure, Rajapakse appear to have relented to the devolution of power to the Tamils which they rightfully deserve.

Although the LTTE has said that Rajapakse's viscious actions had made the 2002 CFA defunct, most Tamils feel there is still hope for negotiations for a just settlement to end the ethnic strife. It is time for both parties to exercise maturity and take extreme caution not to further escalate the violence but to return to the negotiating table. The parties in conflict should address the issues logically, rationally and in an acceptable manner with the utmost importance centered on alleviating the sufferings of the people and to cover the aspirations of the affected party, in this case, the Jaffna Tamils. After all, it is the ill treatment and denial of rights by the successive Srilankan governments to the Tamils which are the root causes of the whole problem.

As it is, the government has said they have has no immediate proposal but are working on it; it is ironic for them to say this after almost 50 years since independence. The LTTE on the other hand, appear to be very clear on their stand and their proposal on how to manage the affairs of the Tamil people of the North and East provinces is presumed to be already with the CFA package. Therefore in the absence of a common agenda, the best option for both parties is to fall back to the 2002 CFA, which should be the base platform for all intents and purposes and whatever new developments must be built on the CFA upon agreement by both parties. Norway is still the best hope as a peace broker since they have been doing the peace efforts for years and is well aware of the details and also because it has the backing of all International Institutions and countries of the world.

- Whatever points in the CFA which had been discussed
and agreed upon must be taken in good faith as
redisscussion would be a wste of time

- GoSL can come with their own proposal of a credible
package on total devolution of power for the Tamils
for discussion at the talks. Whatever points ageed
by both parties can be amalgamated into the final
agreement and those which are not agreed be left
out.

- The LTTE's version of the proposal may be part of
the CFA, which are perhaps being discussed.

- The peace broker must see that the discussions/
negotiations are carried out in appropriate
fashion. Issues that do not have the consensus of
both parties, the best way to resolve it is to have
a referundum among the people of the North and East
under the auspices of the UN and whatever the
outcome from it should decide the course of action
on that issue.

- Both parties of conflict should refrain from all
offensives and cessation of hostilities must be
maintained and supervised by International peace
monitors.

In this way, it is hoped a just solution with a win-win situation for a lasting peace without anyone losing face can be reached.

2006-12-02 04:41:13

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