ISSN: 1391 - 0531
Sunday January 13, 2008
Vol. 42 - No 33
News  

Best thing for some country to offer Prabhakaran asylum: Rajiva

Prof Rajiva Wijesinha

The Secretary General of the Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP). Prof Rajiva Wijesinha says the decision of the Government to abrogate the CFA will strengthen the peace process by making it a pluralistic process and that his secretariat would continue to work towards it goal of building confidence in the process despite the absence of the CFA.

In an interview with The Sunday Times , he spoke on some related issues. Here are excerpts of the interview:

Q: The Government has abrogated the CFA unilaterally. Does this strengthen or weaken the peace process?

A: It has strengthened it. The peace process has to be about negotiations and the main task of the CFA was for that purpose. Certainly we have tried to re-start the negotiations. As I started out, we installed a hotline to Kilinochchi and tried to make contact with Puleedevan (Head of the LTTE Peace Secretariat) but the LTTE sent word through the SLMM they were not interested. After Thamilselvan was killed, we tried again with both the SLMM and I thinking this might be an opportunity as there was a new political wing leader for the LTTE but there was no positive response to our overtures.

This Government believes a political problem needs a political solution and has made it clear it must be a pluralistic process with all other Tamil parties as well as Muslim parties part in it. Negotiations must encompass all stakeholders and that opportunity is there now. The Norwegians and the co-chairs will be released from the symbiotic tie that bound them only to the LTTE because of the CFA.

Q: Does the abrogation of the CFA assist the security forces in any way in their quest to defeat the LTTE, militarily?

A: What has been happening on the military front has been happening for the past 17 months and it will continue. There was an escalation of violence after the elections in 2005 and the LTTE engaged in two major offensive operations in Muhamalai and in Mutur. The CFA permitted defensive operations and that is what the security forces have been engaged in.

Q: What then is the role of the Peace Secretariat in the present post CFA scenario?

A: The role of the Secretariat is to promote a negotiated settlement to the current conflict as well as develop confidence in the peace process. The SLMM have now gone so the first part of our role is gone. The role of the Norwegians is to be redefined and that has to be decided by the two sides. If required we will facilitate contacts with other Tamils parties, members of the Muslim community with the intentional community assist the APRC lend the expertise we have within the Secretariat to areas like human rights which need to be strengthened and make humanitarian interventions where possible.

Q: The Government says it has not abandoned the peace process on the one hand, it has also made it very clear that the peace process remains suspended until the LTTE decides to come for talks. will the military campaign to crush the LTTE prevail.

A: You can’t let up on the actions against the LTTE and you must let the LTTE know there has to be a full stop to their actions. There is an increasing perception internationally that Prabhakaran must be eliminated if the peace process is to succeed.

My view is that best thing that can happen is if some country were to offer him asylum. Then the greatest barrier to negotiations will be removed. That is the ideal thing to happen and it could allow potentially democracy persons within the LTTE to come forward and there will be no more sole representative of the Tamil people.

Q: The media is inundated with material from the Peace Secretariat often signed by you, containing a very high level of vitriol against the LTTE. Critics have suggested re-naming your institution the war secretariat. How does this kind of thing help your role as a confidence builder in the peace process?

A: Calling us a war secretariat is absolute nonsense. All we have used are words. I have not seen anyone criticizing the LTTE Peace Secretariat which features pictures of suicide cadres on their walls. That is the war secretariat.

Q: The Government says its goal is to defeat LTTE fascism and then, is it fanning fascism elsewhere. For example relatives of TNA MPs were abducted prior to the budget vote, Minister Mervyn Silva stormed into the Rupavahini Corporation etc? What’s the purpose of a peace process that defeats fascism in the north and east but introduces it in other parts of the country?

A:This is a selective view of things which does not distinguish between government policy and acts of particular individuals, some of whom support the government and some of whom don’t support the government. When matters related to the Peace Secretariat are brought up, they are all followed up as we have an obligation to do so and appropriate action taken when possible.

Q: The militant approach of the government has not endeared itself to the outside world that is pushing for what is a “political settlement”. While this certainly is an international problem, can the government seriously proceed without outside help in defeating the LTTE, militarily?

A: We need to do more to explain ourselves to the intentional community, particularly because this government has come under unparalled attacks from those within the country who want to tarnish the government’s image abroad.

The LTTE’s lobby is fantastic, but the Government does not have unlimited funds to lobby in the same manner. The Foreign Minister has given an excellent explanation for the government’s decision to abrogate the CFA. The Government is open to criticism but most of what is happening today is politically motivated criticism.

Q: You have challenged foreign human rights bodies making disparaging statements about the Sri Lanka. But are they always wrong? Isn’t there afairly high degree of human rights violations and suppression of democratic rights under the present regime?

A: We have never said there is no problem. We know there is a problem, but objection is the use of it for political reasons. There are reports of attacks against journalists and they have to be investigated fully. There are some productive reports put out by many organizations but the positive aspects about the country are not highlighted in the media. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has been criticised but it has sought the assistance of the UN Human Rights Council to assist in its work and is doing some good work.

Q: Are the proposed local government elections in the East part of the peace process or will it exacerbate the volatile situation there?

A: Elections will help the pace process because there is absolutely no substitute to people having the opportunity to express their wishes in a democratic manner.

Q: Will there be peace in Sri Lanka in 2008?

A: Yes, I am optimistic that there will be peace this year.

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