The peace frenzy
In a climactic accelerated dash, the government and
the LTTE have signed on the dotted line to beat the February 24th deadline.
What was the magic of this deadline? It is hoped that this is not the classic
case of the shotgun marriage — of signing in haste and repenting at leisure.
It is understandable that the Norwegians want a feather in their cap. But,
this mad last minute dash, arouses suspicion among the public which has
been promised right along by the government that it will be kept informed
in advance of any decision taken by the government — and any document signed.
The government also understandably wants to display it's bona fide intent
to the international community, but what are the signals given out in the
process?
It is an old story that this country's political leadership has been
sending out the wrong signals. In the 1980s the then Finance Minister Ronnie
de Mel said "this war cannot be fought for more than one year – the country
would become bankrupt.'' The PA castigated all those who cautioned it about
"war mongers and traitors'', before they did an about turn in policy and
called anyone who wanted to talk to the LTTE a "traitor.'' The real traitors
in the meantime were in their own camp; the VIPs in the political and defense
establishment and their arms dealer buddies.
The UNF's similar refrain today is that the economy is bankrupt and
that the country cannot afford the war anymore – and that the Navy has
25 mm guns while the LTTE has 30 mm guns. Never mind that arms dealers
and officers connived to purchase gunboats that are unserviceable. Additional
luxury vehicles were purchased by the military high command. Never mind
that nothing has been done about all this. The refrain is "what is our
capacity to fight?'' This theme-song by successive political leaders has
been the oxygen for the LTTE all these 20 years.
The LTTE surely does not have the financial or military capability to
carve out a state of Eelam themselves, but have you ever heard of one LTTE
leader saying what is our capacity to win Eelam?
There must be an end to this defeatist attitude. The armed forces must
be on full alert, precisely because the LTTE probably wants the armed forces
to drop it's guard. How the LTTE reneged on the Premadasa peace talks by
killing 600 policemen in the East, and the subsequent Kumaratunga accord
which Prabhakaran also signed by attacking naval craft in Trincomalee,
cannot be forgotten. Very serious implications flow from this ceasefire
agreement. LTTE cadres can engage in "political work" throughout. A group
that has yet to renounce "Eelam" has no other political work other than
to advocate Eelam. A foreign state has been given powers of map making
in the North and East by allowing them demarcate areas between the state
and the LTTE, and without firing a shot they have not only got their a
the EPDP dissolved but also got the Army out of many of their garrisous
in Jaffna.
What we see on television now is a great deal of hoopla and hype about
the opening of the A9 highway. That particular circus is necessary, because
the people will finally take over from their political leaders. But whether
a fascist organization will permit that is a different matter. There is
no corresponding clauses in this agreement to permit the government to
engage in political work in LTTE areas. The building up of democratic institutions
in LTTE areas - courts of law, the voice of dissent, local council elections
is a sine-qua-non to allowing the LTTE to engage in political work. The
Prime Minister and his new government has, like his predecessor did, taken
a gigantic gamble - on trust. It's not just the highways and the coastline
that are strewn with mines, the entire peace process is a laden minefield
as well. |
