Taking the fight back to SL’s critics

Sri Lanka will be taking the fight back to its critics several notches higher today with the telecasting at the UN in New York of its sharp riposte titled ‘Lies Agreed upon’, to the Channel 4 fabrication which helped in adding more spite and venom to the campaign of falsehoods which has been unleashed against this country in some Western circles. Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN Dr. Palitha Kohonne and his Deputy Maj. Gen. Shavendra Silva, we learn, will be at hand at the telecasting of Sri Lanka’s response, to elaborate on its contents to the international community.

As our front page news story indicates, Sri Lanka does not intend to take anything lying down in this connection. Sri Lanka would be going well armed with the necessary information and awareness-raising material to enlighten the world community at the UNHRC sessions to be held in Geneva later this month, about how efficiently, humanely and sensitively it has been going about the twin momentous undertakings of reconstruction and rehabilitation in the Northern Province.

The state is on record that it would not be responding to the charges contained in the Controversial Darusman Report, but it would be providing to the international community all the necessary informational material which would expose the baseless nature of the Report.

It is in view of this backdrop that we need to particularly welcome our news story today that the ‘Curtain is coming down on IDP camps.’ According to state sources, some 95 percent of the Displaced have been resettled in the North-East. Accordingly, we will be seeing an end to these camps over the next two months, apparently, with the resettlement and rehabilitation process gathering steam.

Herein we have more concrete evidence that the Lankan state has not been blind to its responsibilities over the past few months. The government has already elaborately documented its successful efforts at bringing development, peace and harmony to the one-time conflict-hit areas of this country. We understand that these reports are already being circulated internationally. One of the most concise and cogently worked out documents of this kind is the report titled ‘Humanitarian Operation - Factual Analysis, July 2006 - May 2009’, brought out recently by the Ministry of Defence. This report, among other things, puts the record straight on the steady succour provided by the state to the Northern people during the humanitarian operation which saved Northern lives in the tens of thousands.

Such efforts at putting the record straight on the continuing state-led moves to bring normalcy and stability to the North-East must continue until perfect harmony and joy of living is restored in the once conflict-affected areas of this country. These efforts are the most effective answer to the baseless allegations which are being leveled at Sri Lanka and constitute the most resounding rebuttal of the Darusman Report, for instance.

But the proverbial icing on the cake will be an expeditiously worked out political solution to the ethnic conflict. News of a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) which will be charged with formulating a solution to the conflict has been in the air for quite some time now and we hope no time will be lost in getting this process going. This exercise would, of course, need to be an earnest one which would have as its aim, a fair and durable solution to the conflict.

Time is of the essence. Sections of the Tamil community are skeptical about a solution coming out in double-quick time and it is the disappointments of the past on this score which are contributing to this frame of mind. The government must prove these skeptics wrong by getting down to the task of finding a political solution without further ado.

As we see it, a huge credibility gap has to be filled. All other parties to the conflict must be convinced by the state that it is in earnest this time round. The government would have no problem in meeting this requirement because it has the necessary legislative strength to go about this business of winning the peace, by evolving a political solution which will be fair by all relevant sections. There is also a President who is perfectly willing to go along with the PSC in its peace efforts. Let not this chance to win the peace be squandered.