Welcome Vote of Confidence

Sri Lanka could take heart from the fact that her efforts to resolve her conflict peacefully are being fully endorsed by the Tokyo Donor Conference Co-Chairs. This is a strong Vote of Confidence in Sri Lanka by the international community, which should inspire us with all the necessary moral courage and fervour to endure unflaggingly on the road to a negotiated settlement.

Since the Co-Chairs consist of Japan, Norway, the US and the EU, Sri Lanka could consider herself as being backed by the world's foremost powers. However, she cannot give herself up to a sense of complacency that all would be well from now on, merely because we have won Co-Chair backing for our conflict-resolution efforts.

As our front page lead story yesterday indicates, the Co-Chairs laud in particular the commitment by the State and the LTTE to the CFA and its obligations but stress the importance of the parties implementing these undertakings on the ground.

For, the latter is important from the point of view of building confidence among the parties and establishing an environment which is conducive to taking forward the peace process.

This is a position no right-thinking person could dispute. While the overall result at the recently-concluded, Geneva ceasefire talks is most welcome, there is no question of Sri Lanka lulling itself into a false sense of security from now on and allowing things to drift on the ground.

On the contrary, we would need to redouble efforts to keep the peace effort ticking. Simply put, the State and the LTTE should respect and implement their commitments under the CFA.

No doubt, winning the support of particularly the Co-Chairs is an important political gain for the State but it needs to be constantly aware of the need to steadily push the peace process forward.

It is doubtful whether we would enjoy the same degree of international backing if we fall back on our CFA commitments. May this not come to pass, is our wish.

While it could be said with a degree of certainty that the Security Forces and the Police would be respecting the all important CFA provision to refrain from violence, equal zeal needs to be shown in bringing to heel illegal armed formations in the North-East.

As for the LTTE, any continued recalcitrance on its part would only win for itself world disapproval and provide the international community with clinching evidence that the Tigers have been the chief violator of the CFA. Close on the heels of such a disclosure would probably come punitive sanctions and concrete efforts to isolate the LTTE.

Therefore, there is no getting away from the great responsibility of forging ahead with the peace process. Sri Lanka cannot afford to drag its feet in this undertaking.

The push for peace must come from the State and it could be assured of international backing as long as it endures on this path earnestly and resolutely.

A political solution is the need of the hour and the State would need to pursue this objective with visionary zeal if it is to garner for itself the support of the moral majority, locally and internationally.

Meanwhile, the Lankan polity would need to refrain from the destructive tendency of engaging in opportunistic politics - a dangerous preoccupation which has scuttled many a peace move.