DAILY NEWS ONLINE


OTHER EDITIONS

Budusarana On-line Edition
Silumina  on-line Edition
Sunday Observer

OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals
Classified Ads
Government - Gazette
Tsunami Focus Point - Tsunami information at One PointMihintalava - The Birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhist Civilization
 

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.

FEEDBACK | PRINT

 

| News | Editorial | Business | Features | Political | Security | Sports | World | Letters | Obituaries |

 

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Manager