SEARCHING FOR PEACE IN A KINGDOM OF VULTURES
COMMENTARY ARCHIVES, 29 Aug 2009
“Peace is the wholeness created by right relationships with oneself, other persons, other cultures, other life, Earth, and the larger whole of which all are a part.”
The armed conflict in Sri Lanka came to an end by mid May 2009 – after more than three decades – with a ‘military victory’ of the Sri Lankan government. The Rajapakse regime won the Eelam War – IV, but a Tamil spirit for autonomy remains – as it occurred – due to misrule, an identity-based state patronage, exclusion and mismanagement of scarce natural resources, underdevelopment, and violation of human rights.
The Tamil people’s political aspirations were once again proved through the recent Jaffna Municipality and Vavuniya Urban Council elections (both districts are in the Northern part of Sri Lanka). Even though the government has won their battles, it has failed in the resettlement, reconciliation and reconstruction process so far. Whether nonviolent or violent, the struggle of Tamils is closely related to the denial of their basic human needs.
The international community has already failed to deal with the grievances of the Tamils. They actually have a moral responsibility and an obligation to protect the rights of the Tamils, at least within the present context, because they supported the brutal war, led by the Government of Sri Lanka, which destroyed nearly 400 thousands structural and cultural lives of the innocent Tamil people.
It was pathetic that the international community appealed to Tamil people to enter into the Government controlled territory at the peak of this war. In fact, the situation of Tamil people who came from their traditional homeland to military-run camps is appalling. Nearly 300 thousand Tamils are detained inside these internment camps. The war on the displaced people is persisting in a different manner. "This ‘war’ against civilians must stop," said James Ross, legal and policy director at Human Rights Watch.
Even after the defeat of the LTTE, the government has not yet terminated their military establishments despite the fact that grave sufferings of Tamil people affected by the war is still continuing. The defence-expenditures of Sri Lanka are increasing dramatically year by year. Only for 2009 it is $177.1 billion and growing. Sri Lanka is the most militarized state in South Asia, and has the greatest percentage of its GDP contributing to military expenditure in the world.
The current and immediate main responsibility for the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL), the international community and the Tamil Diaspora is to protect detained Tamil people and ensure their right to live. The role of the GoSL is to take appropriate action, such as to treat internally displaced persons in accordance with international standards, this includes guaranteeing their freedom of movement, access to international and independent local media, human rights and humanitarian organization to the internment camps and other war affected areas in the Northeast. Especially, to take steps to form a UN human rights monitoring body.
The international community should put pressure on the Government of Sri Lanka in order to bring about a state of normalcy on the island. This would ensure the fulfilment of all nations’ basic needs and that all nations are to be treated equally and respectively – with dignity. The Tamil Diaspora should re-strategize their activities in order to provide their kith and kin with a better future within both their soil and soul.
Graves are crying to create peace on this earth. Atrocities are being sought by justice. Victims are struggling for survival. Enough is enough! The oppressed people cannot bear further pains. The international community’s geopolitical interests and the self-interest of politicians based on “peace” approaches may divide polarized communities even more. There are wounds. We have to treat them properly, instead of hiding. Just and sustainable peace can achieved only through addressing the ‘real’ root causes of the conflict, not through deprivation of basic human rights. And this durable peace will be emerging with the victory of justice.
Hence, meaningful steps should be taken by the international community in order to facilitate a just peace. Steps which come about through genuine international intervention in Sri Lanka, which was earlier known as “the pearl of Indian ocean”. And while we are waiting for the international community to hear our solemn cries, we do by no means limit our involvement. The spirit for self-autonomy of the Tamil people is growing, even though they are facing severe challenges every day in the hope of a free and just home land.
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Nirmanusan Balasundaram is a Freelance Journalist, Election Observer and Human Rights defender. He is also closely associated with INGO, NGO’s, and Civil Society movements in Sri Lanka. He is currently pursuing his MA in Peace and Conflict Studies at the European Peace University in Stadtschlaining, Austria.
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