'Towards Lasting Peace and Stability'

The majority of the local public is likely to consider it of deep interest that a three-day international defence seminar on the broad theme of 'lasting peace and stability' would be getting off the ground in Colombo today, under the auspices of the Sri Lanka Army. Reports indicate that defence personnel from at least 40 countries would be in attendance along with numerous other sections with an interest in defence and security concerns.

Those with an interest in this country's future are likely to find it gratifying that the seminar would be focusing strongly on concerns, such as, resettlement, reconstruction, rehabilitation, reintegration and reconciliation, the hot topics of today. In fact, one cannot speak of 'lasting peace and stability' without reference to these subjects which go to the heart of the normalization process in Sri Lanka.

Accordingly, the Sri Lanka Army could not have hit on a better theme for their seminar and we hope we will have deliberations which would do absolute justice to the subject areas just outlined. No doubt, Sri Lanka arrived at an epochal moment in its post-independence history on May 19, 2009, by militarily defeating LTTE terror, under the guidance of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, backed by the exemplary military skills of the Armed Forces and other sections concerned with the security of this country. This was a unique moment in the history of warfare in the South Asian region but an entirely different set of issues confronts Sri Lanka in the present post-conflict times.

While military skills played a major role in eliminating terror, what is called for now is peace-making. Accordingly, what is needed of the sections concerned with the future of this country is the capacity and will to heal the wounds of war and bring lasting harmony among the different communities of this land. This is no easy task and is likely to be prolonged, perhaps even go into several decades. As observed by some sages, it is easy to engage in war, but much more difficult to successfully 'wage peace'.

But make peace we must, if this country is to experience completely stable times in the future. It must be admitted that a durable security environment is an absolute must for future stability and Sri Lanka has to remain strong militarily. Accordingly, one cannot squabble with the state for spending considerably on the country's defence and security needs. As often pointed out by some, there could be no development and progress without stable security and the latter is impossible without a formidable military capability.

Accordingly, there could be no squabbling over remaining militarily strong but sound investment should be also made in peace and a considerable budgetary allocation should be made towards this end. On this score too, though, Sri Lanka's record cannot be faulted because, according to the authorities, almost all our IDPs have been resettled and fended for. Besides, the North-East is seeing unprecedented development activity and there has also been a revival of the democratic process in the regions concerned.

But making peace also means touching hearts and minds with a gracefulness of touch and of transforming the consciousness of people into receptacles of love and charity. This is a formidable task and one that should be carried out by the state, its agencies and concerned sections of civil society, including the clergy. The 30 year conflict exacted much from our communities in the form of disrupted harmony and marred fellow feeling, but the onerous challenge now is to establish brotherly ties among the different sections of our body-politic. Essentially, this is tantamount to 'waging peace.'

The people of this country could have peace in the more enlightened sense of the term, discussed above, or the proverbial 'peace of the graveyard'. One could have stable security without fraternal bonds among our communities and this condition is evocative of the latter situation. But let us move on towards love and caring, for herein lies peace in its fullest sense.