Friday, 18 October 2002  
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Coming to grips with the facts

Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission chief Gen. Trond Furuhovde has, perhaps, given us one of the most sober, clear-headed and down-to-earth assessments of current developments in the peace process.

In a statement released after a recent meeting with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, the SLMM chief said that while the top leaders of both the Government and the LTTE were determined to push forward the peace process, it was some elements among the rank-and-file of both parties which were responsible for the temporary aberrations which have occurred in the peace effort so far.

These observations confirm suspicions among seasoned observers that not all sections among the rank-and-file of both parties are constructively supportive of the peace effort. "A soldier or an LTTE cadre was sometimes involved in violent or irresponsible behaviour," Furuhovde was quoted as explaining.

There is food for thought in these comments for those sections of the opposition which are now exerting every sinew to make out that the LTTE leadership in particular is not sincere in its professions of finding a peaceful end to the conflict. The SLMM chief, who should be knowing fully well what he is talking about, has ruled out this possibility, thus exposing the infirm foundation of the opposition allegation.

Thus the accusers are completely wrong when they apportion responsibility for some recent disturbances in the North and East to the LTTE as such. It could very well be that irresponsible individuals are behind them in an effort to militate against the major policy plank of bringing peace by peaceful means, and bringing leaders and groups into disrepute.

That disgruntlement among some minor personalities could take on disturbing dimensions, shouldn't take anyone by surprise because the onerous task of keeping the peace process going calls for mindset changes among the lower ranks of the major parties, besides other requirements. It should be remembered that the principal parties to the conflict were at one time engaged in a horrendously bloody war for military supremacy. It should only be expected that the militaristic outlook fostered by these conditions would persist into the future for some time among some sections, until a peace culture takes firm root.

We agree with the SLMM head that continuous dialogue among the main parties and closer rapport between commanders and cadres, on both sides, could ease some of these tensions and make the priorities of the peace project clearer.

There is a great transition to be made in the minds of cadres in particular - that is, bridging the chasm between the mentality of the warrior and the spirit of the peace-maker. The challenge before leaders is to help in effecting this important transition. The cadres, for instance, should be made to realise that they are not demeaning themselves nor their leaders and groups by accommodating reasonable requests from the other side.

By keeping a restraining hand on their weapons, they are by no means, "bending over backwards" to give in to the other. It only means that the larger interests of the peace process are being given priority.

All this points to the urgent need to nourish and sustain a peace culture in the country. The peace committee, which we were told would be set up in Trincomalee, needs to be replicated in other parts of the North-East too. There is an urgent need to bring the civilian populace into these committees because they too play a substantial role in keeping the peace.

As we pointed out a couple of days back, the need is urgent to nip potential conflict situations in the bud. There is a dire need for arrangements and procedures which enable alarm bells to be triggered at the first sight of conflicts, so that urgent remedial action may be taken. These mechanisms have to be activated both at the community level, as well as at the security forces - LTTE level. In other words, constant interaction between all relevant parties is an urgent need.

Mutual accommodation and acceptance are not signs of weakness but essential features of a civilisational ethos which gives pride of place to the development of the inner man.

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