Keeping the peace in the North-East
The North-East of Sri Lanka is emerging
as the cynosure of most political watchers in the run-up to the November
17 Presidential poll for reasons which are quite understandable. For
one, the region is home to a considerable number of Tamil speakers and
has been the scene of the bulk of our ethnic turbulence.
Accordingly, the political preferences of the voting population of
the region would prove exceedingly crucial and interesting.
Second, the North-East is likely to capture the attention of many an
observer on account of its human rights situation.
As is well known, the tyrannical arm of the LTTE has been responsible
for an ominously-rising plethora of rights violations in the past and in
the polls context, these have taken the form of voter intimidation and
even vote snatching.
At the April 2004 general election, for instance, no less a person
than TULF President V. Anandasangaree complained of being prevented from
voting by armed LTTE cadres. At that time, the North-East air was full
of acrid rumours that the LTTE was nonchalantly perpetrating
election-related offenses which had a close bearing on the voter
turnout.
It goes without saying that given the despotic degree to which the
LTTE controls the population in its areas of influence, an overwhelming
number of rights abuses may be perpetrated by it during the period of
the election.
It is for these reasons that we need to welcome the SLMM announcement
that it would be doing its utmost to prevent polls-related violence in
the North-East. What makes this statement particularly important is an
incident of violence which was reported immediately after Prime Minister
Mahinda Rajapakse's recent visit to Ampara, which claimed two lives.
Apparently, armed groups are increasingly active in the region and
this could have grave implications for the security of the North-East
which could in turn have a deleterious impact on the poll and on the
democratic process as a whole.
As we see it, the SLMM has no choice but to ensure very firmly that
the terms of the Ceasefire Agreement are observed by all parties
concerned, specially the LTTE, whose withering presence spells agony and
torment for all in the North-East.
We believe we are duty-bound to mention that the SLMM would need to
be proactively involved in ensuring the peace in the North-East. By
saying this we do not intend to subscribe to the ill-intentioned
criticisms which have been time and again unleashed against the SLMM by
the more ill-informed and simple-minded sections of this country.
There is no questioning the self-evident truth that the SLMM is here
to only enforce the Ceasefire Agreement. It is certainly not the SLMM's
brief to end criminality and improve the general law and order situation
in the North-East. There is no questioning these basic terms of
reference of the SLMM.
However, it is also true that the LTTE is on a maniacal killing spree
and that there has been no restraining hand on it by those who are
expected to enforce the peace in Sri Lanka.
There is no denying that the LTTE-inspired crime wave is not only
heightening the atmosphere of fear, suspicion and acrimony in the
North-East but stretching the ceasefire to the maximum possible point of
flexibility. It is the exemplary restraint shown by the Lankan Security
Forces and the Police which has been sustaining the ceasefire.
However, the LTTE cannot be allowed to commit its heinous criminal
acts with impunity. It needs to be impressed on the LTTE that the
ceasefire should be scrupulously observed in action, word and spirit.
It needs to be pointed out that continued violation of the terms of
the ceasefire undermines all efforts at bringing peace and goes against
the interests of the Tamil people. Only the SLMM could take on these
tasks. |