The session titled “For a Peaceful and Stable Sri Lanka” at the Sri Lanka Economic Summit 2008 drew mixed opinions from the panellists. Minister G.L. Peiris, representing the government stated that while the military component of the solution for the problem is more apparent and hits headlines more often, the political stategy is also active adding that the 13th amendment is the foundation of the political strategy. “Without the military action that preceded it, the Eastern elections would not have been possible,” Prof Peiris said adding that since all proposals brought by various previous governments failed, the current administration decided to begin with what is already started.

- Serious times? Minister G.L. Peiris and Ven Bellanwila Wimalarathana Thero.

The Minister also gave his personal views of the weaknesses in the peace process, stating that erosion of public confidence because many thought that the LTTE made use of the ceasefire to re-arm and re-group themselves. Another reason, he noted, was the difficulty in inculcating public confidence in the process due to the LTTE’s absolute refusal to lay down their weapons at one point in the process.
Finally, he stated that the terrorist organisation claim to exclusivity in representing the Tamil people has left no room for a political group making it difficult to sell power sharing. He stressed that these were his own observations and not the government’s. Firebrand MP and leader of the JVP Somawansa Amarasinghe addressed the business community about the key features acceptable to the JVP in a peace package and said the party’s roadmap to peace was open to negotiations.

He said that terrorism should be defeated but also said that government shouldn’t wait until the last LTTE cadre is captured or killed (in pursuing peace). Any peace solution should be within a unitary state and negotiations must commence under strict conditions, he said. Communalism and racism must be defeated in a process similar to the denazification that was carried out in post World War 2 Germany.

he JVP also advocated the setting up of several commissions, among them the National Truth Commission, National Integration Commission, a commission to deal with people’s grievances and another to deal with racial and religious discrimination. Restoration of democracy in the North and East is also imperative, Mr Amarasinghe said adding that the proposals he made are not final and are open to improvements. UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake berated the local chambers for their lack of unity, pointing out that the chambers in countries like Egypt and Bangladesh make decisions for the government. “If we win the economic war, we have won all wars” he said.

At the moment the military solution costs the country Rs 612 million a day and said that this sum is acceptable if there is a co-lateral benefit to the country. Speaking of the recently held Eastern election Mr Karunanayake said a disappointed Muslim community has been made into a militant faction adding “The East should be supported and developed but not with a para-military group”. The solution for the ethnic problem should be to the Tamils, Muslims and Sinhalese, not to the LTTE, he went on to say.

The 13th amendment is as dead as a door nail,” R. Sambanthan, leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) said stressing on the importance of the ruling party and the main opposition coming to an agreement. Stating that the Tamil struggle for equal rights should not only be associated with the armed conflict of the past few decades, he said that until and unless this happens the LTTE will distrust the government and not approach the discussion table. He questioned whether there will ever be consensus among the two main political parties to solve the Tamil problem. Ven Bellanvila Wimalarathana Thero, Chancellor of the University of Jayawardenapura and Secretary of the Congress of Religions criticized the involvement of the Buddhist clergy in party politics. He said the clergy should have a proper stand on what is right and wrong, and involvement in a particular political party clouds their judgment.

The respected monk also stressed the importance of the two main political parties coming to a consensus to solve the country’s problem. Speaking on the debate on the use of “federal” and ‘unitary’, he said that the word is not important, action is. (LP)