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One year has passed since the guns fell silent in Sri Lanka. How is this year different from the years that have made up the last two decades? During the last year people have stopped waging war and begun to build peace, people have stopped creating problems and have started solving problems, and people have stopped hurting each other and started trying to understand each other and live for each other. People have stopped asking if the war will start again and started asking how society can be made better. Fear and distrust is being removed and replaced with a feeling of increased safety and confidence. During the last year, the value of life in Sri Lanka has increased. The Government of Sri Lanka, the LTTE leadership and all the people in the country have started to experience the value of peace. Democracy is developing. Schooling for the population has improved. Security has increased. Freedom has increased. The international society has clearly shown it cares about the new Sri Lanka and at the same time Sri Lanka has become a part of the international community. These are dramatic changes and the speed of the development is even still increasing. People want more freedom, better living standards, more safety and a more stable political environment. To safeguard such developments they need a modern well trained police force they can rely on for maintaining law and order.

Extremists, Criminal Organizations and other Threats

Although the war has ended, some of the problems are still military in nature. However, the real threat to the new Sri Lanka now comes from the activities of extremists and criminal organisations. Those are the elements which are undermining the building of peace. All people in Sri Lanka must work together with the Government and the LTTE leadership, to protect society against these elements. Human rights violations are a destabilizing factor. Child recruitment, abductions and extortions are still a part of life in the North and East, according to complaints that SLMM is receiving. This is not the reality people like to live in and individual cadres must be active in supporting the LTTE leadership in stopping these activities in their areas. In the same way Government servants must support the Government in improving and strengthening its institutions and eradicating corruption. Democracy must be developed in the North and East as attacks on political groups cannot be tolerated. Certain groups and individuals will continue to commit crimes and hide themselves behind the main parties that are working on solving the conflict. This is dangerous as it will be used by extremists to undermine the building of peace. The changes in the country are however clearly for the better. Never since the beginning of its monitoring has SLMM received as few complaints as during the month of November. Ceasefire violations of LTTE during November were at a historical low and for the first time, not a single case was ruled as violation of the Government side. Among the reasons identified by SLMM is the progress in the peace talks and the increased dialogue and cooperation between the parties at all levels. Especially encouraging has been the problem solving spirit experienced in a series of important District meetings on De-escalation and Normalization chaired and facilitated by SLMM during November.

Changes of SLMM and The Importance of Information

SLMM has been monitoring facilitating and advising the parties in the peace process during the last year and has on occasions, hordered on exceeding its mandate. Nevertheless voices recommending increased powers for SLMM can regularly be heard from both parties and members of the public. Undergoing changes of SLMM depend on the decisions and agreements of the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, SLMM will do its utmost to inform the Government, the LTTE leadership and the public on what it sees, hears and believes, SLMM will strive to maintain its impartiality and credibility. There is increased need for both parties of the conflict to inform the members of their own forces as well as the general public on the developments. They must explain what they are doing and define all these new words and concepts that might sound difficult or even dangerous for some. The parties should encourage the people to be patient and accept gradual and controlled changes. The importance and responsibility of the Media is much more than in times of war. But it is not enough to accuse. Accusations must be supported by facts and arguments. The role of the media includes in-depth reporting and explanations, good judgments and healthy criticism on the course of events.

High Security Zones, Resettlement and Security

Resettlement in High Security Zones has received increased attention in the last quarter of the year 2002. This discussion is not only based on humanitarian concerns, but also reflects territorial concerns. Normalization and De-escalation are two concepts now guiding the way in the building of Peace in Sri Lanka. As SLMM defines De-escalation it is a reduction of the level of intensity of the conflict. Normalization is the process of returning to a friendly relationship without violence. People want normalization and security, but one must not undermine the other. Representatives of the LTTE have stated that maintaining their military strength is vital if they are to be successful in their negotiations. What applies to the LTTE in this context should also apply for the Government. The paradox in the peace argument is that the priority of normalization goes before that of security, while both rest on the present military balance. In order to build peace the forces on both sides must be kept stable. In Jaffna, simply dismantling High Security Zones for resettlement and handing over land for cultivation will decrease both security and combat potential of the Government forces. The balance of forces is the basis of the Ceasefire agreement and disturbing that balance is disturbing the Ceasefire. An unrealistic normalization program in the name of progress and development should not be allowed to come into force at the expense of security, as this could undermine the building of permanent peace. It is therefore clear that further implementation of the Ceasefire agreement is linked to the harmonizing of normalization and security. It is in this context that a modern civilian police is imperative.

Realism and The New Sri Lanka

There will always be difficulties and different views on the future. The new Sri Lanka has chosen to solve internal differences through dialogue and not confrontation. The Ceasefire agreement will continue to be the basis of the harmonizing of mutual interests. Different groups in the conflict should recognize that their individual interests not only can, but must be harmonized. In simple words, that means that all people should practise justice towards each other in their daily life. After a long period of stagnation and destructure we are now experiencing the initial phase of a country and society in transformation. Sri Lanka has entered a new era. The new Sri Lanka is no longer stuck in the vicious circle of war which has halted development for decades. These are times for changing and modernizing society. Sri Lanka has become a part of the development of the international community. This era will not end, it is not limited to a period of time, it is a birth of a new society. Do not expect great leaps of change without effort. Too rapid changes should be avoided as stability and predictability are the two most important ingredients in security. Expect gradual changes with the direct involvement of each and every one of you. For a society to change, every person of that society has to change his or hers behaviour, attitudes and expectations. The time has come when there will be more to lose from using force than from protecting the gains. The time has come to protect what you have gained during the last year. Each person has to share the responsibility for change. To share the responsibility with the Government and the LTTE leadership to form the new Sri Lanka. It is may belief that when history will look at the last twenty years in Sri Lanka, the year of 2002 will be considered to have been the best. I wish all of us a peaceful and prosperous new year.

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Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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