Peace and development

There is no trade-off between peace and development and President Mahinda Rajapaksa did well to underscore the mutually-reinforcing nature of the two factors. Addressing the cosmopolitan audience aboard the Fujimaru ship recently which weighed anchor at the Colombo harbour under the Ship for World Youth programme, the President stressed that there is no peace without development and no development without peace.

This truth is now almost universally acknowledged and accounts for the bulk of the UN's operations worldwide, but is swiftly forgotten by those major powers which tend to think in Realpolitik terms, especially in connection with their self interest. These considerations need to be dwelt on because not all the powers of any considerable weight seem to be guided by them in their handling of international relations. For instance, it does not seem to dawn on some of them that developing countries should now be given the opportunity to grow and prosper. Sri Lanka, for instance, has just come out of a prolonged spell of conflict and instability and is badly in need of more space and opportunity to grow and prosper but not all sections of the international community seem to place any primacy on these needs.

The persistence with which some sections of the West in particular are intent on deriding Sri Lanka in some forums of the world, indicates a malicious intent on their part to deny this country even the slightest 'breathing space' to concentrate on the task of development. We have in mind the upcoming UNHRC sessions where some well known nebulous allegations are expected to be hurled once again at this country.

Of course, Sri Lanka is in the process of putting things right on the domestic front and is making the LLRC report the basis of national reconciliation moves but attempts by some of the preponderant powers of the world to brow beat her on perceived rights questions could hamper this country's efforts to establish normalcy at the desired pace.

Essentially, what Sri Lanka's critics are aiming at by keeping so-called human rights and connected issues alive, is the spurring and sustenance of divisive political issues within this country. For instance, by making the issues at the centre of the controversial Darusman report the continued focus of domestic politics, Sri Lanka's critics could keep some of our communities at loggerheads with the state. Thus, Sri Lanka would be denied the opportunity of ushering development and sustaining it, provided swift, vigorous moves are made in the direction of implementing the important recommendations of the LLRC report.

But Sri Lanka needs a breather from divisive politics. It is no secret that the forces of communalism are far from spent in this country. Efforts to keep divisive politics alive in this country could have the effect of energizing ethnicity and such a consequence bodes ill for this country. But this is the bald truth and this is why the ongoing machinations of some of the bigger powers with regard to Sri Lanka must be closely watched, exposed and defused.

Besides, no more time should be lost on the question of restoring complete normalcy in this country. We have a handy tool in the form of the LLRC report. This needs to be implemented post-haste to enable domestic peace and calm to flourish. It will help in frustrating the inimical moves against this country by Sri Lanka's critics both locally and internationally.

But the issue of equal and great significance is the interdependence of peace and development. This applies in equal measure to both domestic and international politics. If the international community does not consider it important to help constructively in the rejuvenation of developing countries, it would be only paving the way for an increasingly unstable world where nobody would be safe. This principal truth needs to be borne in mind by all as we go along. Hopefully, the world would prove wiser.