Editorial

13th May 2001

Where we are now

As the apocryphal "they'' are wont to say, "there are press releases and press releases'', but the Foreign Ministry press release of last week asking the Norwegians to stay on board the peace talks was one of the most disheartening to date. The tone was one of desperation that seems to say 'please stay on board — please don't let go of the peace process.''

As our Defence Correspondent points out on the opposite page, the government oc-cupied the moral high ground when the LTTE purportedly made the palpably unreasonable demands of a cease-fire and a de-proscription as a precursor to negotiations. The LTTE's audacity seemed to upset even the generally cool Norwegians.

Then, the Army launched an operation aimed at gaining territory in the North. The modus operandi was to gain the state that magical "position of strength'' from which to launch the jaw-jaw with the Tigers.

But, the security forces badly let the government and the nation down on this count.

The operation was a flop, but more importantly, the LTTE succeeded in wresting the moral high ground from the government. In a moment, the government saw itself being painted as the terrible hawk that spurned peace and went back into the trenches.

The broker, the Norway, was livid as well. Now, the danger is that in our ingratiating mode to do damage control from that particular disaster, we may be inevitably getting the Norwegians to play a bigger role than that of a facilitator?

The Norwegians have played a clever hand. They have, in almost mythological fashion, dipped their heads into the cauldron as a facilitator, and then dragged along their bodies later as a "negotiator.''

The Norwegians, need some sort of legitimacy and a measure of detached clout no doubt to coerce the LTTE to the negotiating table.

This, considering that the LTTE is a somewhat schizophrenic lot today, attempting to transmogrify from terrorist organization to a semi-respectable and acceptable political outfit.

The LTTE knows that its strength is in the ordinary fighting cadres. This perennially hapless rank and file has to keep their chins up, and of course their morale also up to meet the challenge, when a sudden operation such as Agni Kheila is launched.

But, world opinion seems to be a persistent contrarian. The LTTE, say the pundits of the international arena, needs to abandon aggression, and knuckle themselves down to the negotiating table. So with the Sri Lankan government as well.

Over time, against this rather farcical backdrop, the armed forces of the government of Sri Lanka have been made as ineffectual and as effete as an unwieldy government department .

The forces delivered the goods in 1971 and 1989, so to speak, and quelled two virulent rebellions in the South. But, it is a different story in the North – thanks to corruption, political interference and a host of other such factors.

On the other hand, the LTTE is in a state of flux too, and in one sense crying out for some measure of international sympathy and understanding. The contradictory statements of Anton Balasingham in London via Tamilnet, and Thamilchelvam in the Wanni are symptomatic of the LTTE's current malaise, seen in this light.

The most poignant factor from a Sri Lankan point of view is that despite these hiccups within the LTTE, the political leadership in Colombo has consistently been unable to wrest the initiative to defeat terrorism.

Under the circumstances, it is now patently clear that the people of Sri Lanka, wedged as they are between these two bumbling behemoths, are clearly in a unenviable situation. This being the objective reality in a rather complex state of affairs, it is clear that the facts should be perceived as they are in order that a start could be made in getting out of this quagmire.

The Political Column

Editorial/ Opinion Contents