2009   2008   2007   2006   2005   2004   2003

Will the international community deliver justice?

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Members of Parliament for nearly one month have traveled to various European capitals and met with high-level leaders and diplomats to explain the impasse of the peace process and the hidden motives of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). Below are the TNA parliamentarians’ main points.

The leadership of the GoSL is making decisions without a concrete plan for negotiations or reaching a consensus with the Tamil side to address the ethnic conflict of this island. The GoSL is carrying out a dubious plan, basing its decisions on two points:

(1) The GoSL is placing blockades for peace efforts behind the scene
(2) The GoSL is instigating the LTTE by forcing the LTTE into a corner in which the GoSL believes will eventually make the LTTE begin war. The GoSL will then find it “easy” to place the blame on the LTTE.

By this scheme, the GoSL is misguiding the international community and skillfully carrying out their hidden agenda of forcing the LTTE into a corner and encouraging violence against Tamil civilians and the LTTE. Since the Mahinda Government came into power, steps to ensure the progress of the peace process have not been implemented. Instead, the GoSL has portrayed themselves as eager to engage in the peace process while their actions are contradicting their public statements and reports.

The international community made tireless efforts to pressure the GoSL to participate in Geneva I in February 2002. Even after the GoSL participated in Geneva I and pledged to disarm paramilitaries and take the peace process forward, the international community had to continuously give their time and energy in coaching the GoSL to implement their agreements. However, after Geneva I the GoSL unleashed violence against Tamil civilians through the army and its paramilitaries and also launched various attacks against LTTE positions in the East. Despite the GoSL’s provocative actions, the LTTE maintained their restraint and patience for nearly one and a half months of violence. In his report to the Donor Co-chairs for the peace process, the Head of SLMM, Maj. Gen. Ulf Henricsson stated that the LTTE took restraining measures during times of violence and expressed appreciation for positioning themselves on higher ground. Mr Henricsson stated that the GoSL should take responsibility for the failure of the Geneva talks.

Following the EU ban, the GoSL and Sinhala chauvinistic elements unleashed a new wave of violence against Tamil civilians and the LTTE. The GoSL is operating under the false notion that they have the support of the EU to carry out violence, since the EU has appeared to isolate the LTTE by proscribing them. Not only must the GoSL immediately cease violent actions under this pretext, but also the EU should realise how their ban has been counter-productive to the peace process. The EU should seek necessary solutions to remedy the situation that the LTTE has been placed in as a result of the EU ban. The international community can then only impartially address the conflict of this island with justice.

The international community must exert maximum pressure on the GoSL to ensure that the GoSL will constructively engage in the peace process without any hidden motives.

Will the international community deliver justice?

19 July 2006

Print this

Email this