
Prime minister’s strategy to disturb international participation
“Soon after I am elected as President I will re-examine the ceasefire agreement with the LTTE. For this I will seek the assistance of the regional powers including India”–Presidential candidate and Prime minister, Mahinda Rajapakse, said this in his campaign speech in Puttalam-
The ceasefire agreement involves two parties, the government and the LTTE. One of these parties cannot unilaterally decide and re-examine the ceasefire agreement. The other party the LTTE has stated categorically that the need of the time is not the re-examination of the ceasefire agreement but the full implementation of it. Parts of the ceasefire agreement like, gradually returning the land, held on by the military in the name of high security zones, so that the land owners can resettle there and disarming the paramilitaries and removing them have not been implemented. The government has not only failed to implement these ceasefire agreements, it has handled these issues in total violation of the ceasefire agreement, and as a result put the ceasefire agreement itself into a questionable state. Prime minister of this same government that has brought the ceasefire agreement to this state saying that he will re-examine the ceasefire agreement is blatantly dishonest. It is important and urgent to ensure that the ceasefire agreement does not break. For that it is essential and urgent to implement the agreement fully. Prime minister does not have the courage to say that he will do that. Through saying the he will re-examine the ceasefire agreement and that he will involve the regional powers, including India, into the ceasefire agreement, he is trying drag the regional powers into it to assist him. India has already burnt its fingers by involving itself too much once. After that experience India has maintained some distance from the affairs of this island. Today, the facilitation responsibility for the peace process, including the ceasefire agreement, is with Norway. Beyond this, donor countries like the USA, EU, and Japan have formed a group calling itself, “donor countries of Sri Lanka”, and are demonstrating interest in the peace process. Rajapakse has pushed all of these countries aside and is saying that he will re-examine the ceasefire agreement with the help of regional powers, including India. Rajapakse’s plans and ideas are paving the way for creating confusion about the international forces trying to manage the peace efforts. Only three days remain before the Presidential election. The election is a closely fought one between Rajapakse and Wickremasinghe. People who are watching to see what can be expected if Rajapakse wins can come to one definitive conclusion. He is going to cause confusion through the manner of his handling the international forces involved in the peace efforts and thus also cause disharmony among them. As far as Tamils are concerned the peace efforts are dragging on without any benefits to them. Tamil freedom struggle has demonstrated its success in many ways. Behind the moves to drag out the peace efforts is also the hidden plan to weaken this freedom struggle. Plans that lack vision, like that of Rajapakse’s, will cause confusion about the international participation in the peace efforts. The truth is, it will help the Tamils to come out of the pointless peace efforts, which are deliberately dragged out and follow a more productive path. Editorial – Uthayan Nov 14, 2005
14 November 2005
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