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Peace moves and reconstruction must go hand-in-hand

The international spotlight may be on Iraq, but that has not stopped Lanka's friends in the international community from actively working towards a peaceful resolution of the ethnic conflict and the reconstruction of the war-battered North-East.

Their steadfast support for the peace process was reaffirmed on Monday in Washington, where donor countries and agencies pledged financial as well as moral backing for Sri Lanka.

They agreed that the peace negotiations would be the "last chance to heal the scars of war and draw back from the brink", as articulated by Economic Reform Minister Milinda Moragoda.

The government and the LTTE alone cannot handle the momentous task of reviving a war-torn country whose economy had reached a nadir after decades of war. Although the present government has managed to improve the economy, Sri Lanka still does not possess the enormous resources required for the herculean task of reconstructing its war-ravaged regions.

Fortunately, the world community has come forward to add collective weight to Sri Lanka's "momentum of peace". Norway took the first step by acting as a facilitator for talks between the two parties, which have now gone through six rounds.

A permanent ceasefire is in place and despite several incidents, both sides have shown remarkable restraint and maturity in opting to continue with it. Thailand, Japan and Germany have hosted the talks and several other countries are keen to follow suit.

Two other nations, which have always been Lanka's friends, have taken a hands-on approach to solving the ethnic conflict. The US and Japan are in the forefront of international efforts to direct millions of dollars for reconstruction efforts in the whole of Sri Lanka.

US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Japanese Peace Envoy Yasushi Akashi have visited Sri Lanka to experience the island's agony first-hand. They have personally taken an interest in our peace process and briefed foreign donors on Sri Lanka's needs. Japan will host a two-day donor conference in June.

The June conference is already being tagged as an "event of critical importance" by the international community, because Sri Lanka will not be able to rise from the ashes without a substantial monetary allocation on the re-development of war-torn regions.

In his presentation to the Washington parley, Minister Moragoda identified some key factors that will enable North-East civilians to resume their normal lives: the removal of landmines, restoration of basic services, relocation of internally displaced persons and the resumption of education and work. These do not look so daunting on paper, but the ground reality is different.

But the rehabilitation process must move forward with the help of Lanka's friends. The peace talks per se will be seen in a negative light if they are not accompanied by tangible dividends on the ground, not only in the North-East but also in the rest of the island. This is why Minister Moragoda appealed to donors not to wait until a final settlement is reached to grant assistance to Sri Lanka. In his words, "if we are unable to demonstrate now the dividends that peace brings, we risk frustration among the parties, the breakdown of negotiations and the resumption of hostilities".

That would indeed be a tragedy for a country which is just trying to heal the wounds of war and regain itself. The international community and of course, the two parties to the conflict must therefore ensure that peace prevails.

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