Supreme challenge for Norway

THE HOPE in the hearts of the majority of Lankans is likely to be that the setback the country has experienced in the form of the LTTE deciding against participating in the second round of peace talks scheduled for 'April 24th and 25th, in Geneva, is only a temporary, fleeting one.

There is certainly cause for remorse over the LTTE's act of backsliding, but the country would be only compounding its problems by allowing a mood of dejection to descend on it.

Rather, the people should be firmly behind the State, which has reconfirmed its commitment to the peace effort, despite the LTTE's disappointing decision to keep away from the talks.

However, even with regard to the LTTE's decision to pull out, it must be noted that the Tigers are in no way suggesting that they are withdrawing from the peace process.

Their decision is only against meeting the State next week. This does not amount to a renunciation of the peace process as such.

So, amid the negatives there are vital positives which need to be built on. Rather than being seen as a problem, the current, exacting situation should be viewed as an opportunity which should be seized.

Besides, the public needs to be emphatic about the need to forge ahead with the peace effort, obstacles notwithstanding. Public pressure should be brought to bear on the Tigers, with the express wish that they earnestly cooperate with the State.

As we have been emphasizing over the past few days, our foreign friends should put their best foot forward on this issue.

With the Government expressing complete willingness to push ahead towards peace, what is left to be done is for the international community to exert substantial and concerted pressure on the Tigers to cooperate in jump-starting the peace exercise.

The present juncture could also be looked upon as an important opportunity for our Norwegian facilitators to prove themselves, along with the SLMM, who are obliged under the terms of the CFA, to play a substantial role in bringing about reconciliation among the main parties and ensuring the forward movement of the peace process.

Since peace facilitation is Norway's principal responsibility in the context of the Lankan conflict, Lanka expects it to spare no pains in ensuring that the Tigers participate fully and willingly in the peace effort.

In fact, Norway's effectiveness as a peace facilitator would be judged on the basis of how quickly it could bring the Tigers back to the negotiating table. It is our hope that Norway would live-up to the trust Lanka has reposed in it.

Likewise, the present should be viewed as a supreme moment of challenge for the SLMM too.

It should be having a clear and comprehensive grasp of the ground situation in the North-East and is well placed to convince the LTTE of the need to cooperate in the peace effort.

It would be needed to be pointed out to the Tigers that it would be in the interests of all in Lanka for the peace process to be advanced.