Archives

Fine-honing the peace process

A US statement urging the LTTE to abide by the terms of the ceasefire accord, while pointing to rising international backing for the peace process in Sri Lanka, indicates a degree of concern on the part of the world community that the agreement be implemented fully and flawlessly by all parties to the conflict.

In a welcome development, LTTE, spokesman, Anton Balasingham was quoted saying that the LTTE remains fully committed to the peace process. He had the reassuring words that, "Those (LTTE) members who are found guilty of violating the ceasefire will be severely punished".

Barring a few individuals and groups, the majority of Sri Lankans are firmly for peace by peaceful means. We had proof of this not only in the electoral verdict of December 5th, but in an opinion poll conducted by the well-known local think tank, the Centre for Policy Alternatives.

The study conducted by the latter revealed that as many as eighty percent of Lankans are for a negotiated settlement. Given this opinion climate, the parties to the conflict have no choice but to work steadfastly towards peace-emerging challenges and setbacks notwithstanding.

No less a person than the Prime Minister spoke emphatically of the need to adopt a realistic standpoint while carrying forward the peace process. The national question, on the ethnic conflict is a complex, knotty problem which needs to be disentangled strand by strand.

Quick, spectacular successes should not be expected but we need to work tirelessly and patiently for peace, bearing in mind that setbacks and misunderstandings should only be expected. This is what is meant by approaching peace-making in a realistic frame of mind.

The worst that the main parties to the conflict could do right now is to get mired in an acrimonious round of finger-pointing and mutual accusations. In fact, this is exactly what the enemies and critics of the peace process are waiting for. Extreme care should be taken to walk away from this trap.

Now that the cessation of hostilities agreement is being monitored by a foreign facilitator who has won the respect of the principal local parties to the conflict, problems arising in the peace process should be patiently and discretely ironed out in collaboration with the monitor in a spirit of forbearance and understanding.

The monitoring mechanism, we believe, should be fine-honed, as we go along, to deal with perceived lapses and shortcomings in the peace process. The peace effort, being a dynamic process, should be given some time to evolve the necessary mechanisms which could expeditiously deal with setbacks which could give rise to misperceptions and differences of opinion.

Meanwhile, alarmist reactions to developments, which could be misused by the critics of the peace process, should be avoided.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager