"Challenges Faced by Nations After A Conflict Confined to
Borders"
I thank the High Commission of the Islamic
Republic of Pakistan in Colombo and the LakshmanKadirgamar Institute
for International Relations and Strategic Studies for having invited
me to deliver the keynote address at this seminar. The topic chosen
for this seminar is a very timely and appropriate one. There are
many challenges that nations can face after the end of a conflict
confined to its borders. Having suffered from just such a conflict
for nearly three-decades, peace dawned in Sri Lanka less than four
years ago. The many lessons that can be learnt from the Sri Lankan
experience in dealing with its post conflict challenges are worthy
of close examination. They form the context of this address.
One of the biggest challenges that a Government
may have to face after a conflict is dealing with Internally
Displaced Persons. In most modern conflicts, large numbers of
civilians are displaced from their homes during the confrontations
that occur between the state and militant non-state actors. In some
unfortunate instances, combatants will also try to use the civilians
in the conflict area to their advantage. For example, during the
Humanitarian Operation to liberate Sri Lanka from terrorism, the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, or LTTE, used civilians in the
North as a human shield. As the Armed Forces advanced farther and
farther into territory it controlled, the LTTE moved the civilian
population out of their homes and moved them towards its strongholds
on the North Eastern coasts. During the last stages of the war, many
civilians escaped from the LTTE and crossed over to Government
controlled areas. By the end of the war, there were nearly 300,000
IDPs in the Government's care, most of whom had been with the LTTE
for a long time.
The handling of the IDPs emerging from a conflict
situation is a very critical issue. The first requirement is to
ensure their proper reception. A transparent system need to be
established to record the entry of IDPs into Government care, if
possible with the presence of representatives from international
organisations. This will prevent complaints later on with regard to
accountability, and is an important step to follow although it may
not always be practical in a war situation. Because the IDPs would
have undergone a very difficult time while they were inside the
conflict zone, they will be physically quite weak and in need of
assistance. It is therefore essential to ensure that proper medical
facilities are provided at reception points. The strategy adopted by
Sri Lanka provides a good example in this regard.
All those who crossed over to the Government
controlled areas during the Humanitarian Operation received
immediate medical care, irrespective of whether they were combatants
or civilians. Dehydration and other immediate problems such as
hypoglycaemia were treated at the initial point of contact by the
medical teams at each Reception Centre. Anyone with more significant
health problems was looked after at Advanced Dressing Stations
established near the front lines. A field hospital was established
at Pulmoddai with a 54-member medical team sent by the Government of
India. With the help of Navy medics, this hospital undertook the
initial treatment of people coming in via the sea. Those in more
serious condition were sent via helicopter for emergency medical
treatment at hospitals in Vavuniya and Anuradhapura. After the
initial health check, civilians not requiring medical treatment were
sent to the Welfare Villages, while LTTE cadres who surrendered were
taken for further investigations and rehabilitation.
One of the most serious problems with regard to
IDPs in most conflicts is that they are unable to return to their
homes for a long time because of the destruction of their property
during the course of the conflict. In the case of the Sri Lankan
war, this problem was compounded by two other factors. First, when
the LTTE took the people out of their homes for use as a human
shield, it forced the people to dismantle and ransack their
properties and take away any material that could be used to the
battlefront. Second, LTTE cadres then laid large quantities of
antitank mines, antipersonnel mines, and many different types of
Improvised Explosive Devices in the built up areas it left behind.
This was mostly in order to make progress very difficult for the
Armed Forces, but it also meant that the civilians could not go back
to their homes even after the war had ended. That is why, as with
most other internal conflicts, it became necessary for the IDPs in
Sri Lanka to remain in Government supported shelters for some time.
It is important for a Government faced with an
internal conflict to anticipate this situation well in advance.
Making adequate preparations to deal with the situation that is
likely to arise is a critical responsibility on the part of the
state. In the case of Sri Lanka, the Government knew that a large
influx of IDPs would be left in its care after the war ended, and it
therefore had a very clear plan to set up high quality Welfare
Villages for them in the North. It was planned well in advance that
these Welfare Villages would contain semi-permanent shelters as well
as high quality infrastructure and facilities. Accordingly, the
Government established high quality semi-permanent shelters at the
LakshmanKadirgamar Village and AnandaKumaraswamy Village in Manik
Farm. This was to ensure that the IDPs could lead comfortable lives
until their resettlement after demining and reconstruction were
completed in their places of origin.
The plans that the Government presented to the
funding organisations were, however, sadly misinterpreted. The
representatives of these international organisations did not
understand the extent of the problem that had been caused by the
LTTE in the areas the civilians had been displaced from. Therefore
they did not appreciate the time that would be required for demining,
reconstruction and resettlement. As a result, when they saw the
Government's plans to establish high quality welfare villages, the
representatives of the international organisations suspected the
Government of intending to hold IDPs in camps for a long duration
against their will. They argued strongly against the Government's
plans. This lack of trust in the Government's intentions on the part
of the representatives of these International Organisations was very
unfortunate, and it is still more unfortunate that such mistrust
continues to be voiced amongst some in the international community
even today.
Food and nutrition was a particular area of
concern, because many of the IDPs were suffering from various health
issues due to the situation they had faced while with the LTTE.
During the initial stages of their coming into Welfare Villages,
cooked food packets were provided to them. Dedicated medical
officers, nurses, pharmacists and public health officers were
appointed to each Welfare Village. Extensive healthcare facilities
and sufficient medical supplies were provided, and a proper
healthcare system inclusive of a primary healthcare centre as well
as a referral hospital was established. The international
humanitarian organisation, Medicine Sans Frontiers, established a
field hospital at MenikFarm to provide treatment to referred
patients. As a result of the high quality of medical care provided
at the Welfare Villages, most IDPs soon recovered from the ill
health they had suffered while with the LTTE. Between May and June
2009, the crude mortality rate fell from 0.7 per 10,000 per day to
0.5 per 10,000 per day, which is the threshold rate for South East
Asia. By July 2009, it had settled at 0.15 per 10,000 per day, which
is the threshold rate for Sri Lanka. In addition to physical health,
great care was also taken to provide psychological and psychosocial
support to the IDPs.
After the early stages during which the people
were settling down, life resumed a normal routine in the welfare
villages. Instead of cooked meals, kitchen facilities were set up in
each residential block and basic rations were issued free of charge
to the IDPs so that they could provide for themselves. Cooperative
outlets and markets were established, and banks, post offices and
communication centres were also set up. Special public
administration services were provided, including facilities to
reconstruct legal documents and issue temporary Identity Cards.
'Happiness Centres' were established for children, and various
activities including art, music, drama, yoga and sports were
conducted.
Many efforts were taken to promote religious,
spiritual and cultural activities, and places of worship such as
Kovils, Churches and Mosques were established through community
consultation, with special facilities being provided for all clergy.
Schools were established for students, and vocational training
centres were established for the capacity building and empowerment
of older individuals. Community centres and common areas were built
for adults, and young adults were provided with career counselling.
IDPs with a flair for entrepreneurship were assisted in setting up
home businesses.
While all of these efforts were being taken to
ensure the welfare of the IDPs, the Government also took adequate
measures to uphold security in the Welfare Villages. Even though the
LTTE leadership had been defeated, it was possible that cadres who
had evaded capture were still at large and seeking to infiltrate the
villages. It was also possible that there were undetected cadres
posing as civilians in the welfare villages, and hoping to escape
justice. As a result, it was necessary to put into place adequate
security mechanisms. However, I wish to stress that the civilians
were not harassed in any way by such precautions, and that they
developed a cordial relationship with the personnel who were
providing security.
While the IDPs were being looked by the Government
in the welfare villages, which were also assisted in numerous ways
by international organisations, donor countries and non-governmental
organisations, the next challenge was demining in the former
conflict areas. In total, it was suspected that mines had been laid
in more than five thousand square kilometres of land. Demining such
a vast area was a very difficult challenge, but the Government
unhesitatingly undertook it immediately after the war ended. Many
foreign organisations came forward to help, including the Danish
Demining Group, the Indian Sarvatra Group and the Horizon Group, the
UK based Mines Advisory Group and several others. These groups were
made responsible for demining various sections of land throughout
the North and East. The Sri Lanka Army took on the responsibility of
demining the largest area of land, comprising nearly 1,500 square
kilometres including most of the densely mined regions.
The entire demining programme was carefully
planned and executed. The first priority was to demine the towns and
villages. The second priority was to demine the agricultural areas
and paddy fields. Finally, attention was paid to clearing the
forested areas. The scale of the problem the Government faced in
demining was enormous. Nearly half a million antipersonnel mines,
1,400 antitank mines and close to four hundred thousand unexploded
ordnance devices have been recovered to date. The hard work carried
out by all the groups involved in demining is highly commendable,
particularly since the two main priority areas identified for
demining were cleared within three years.
Alongside the demining process, Reconstruction was
expedited in each area that was cleared of mines and rendered safe.
As a result of LTTE action and long neglect, many of the houses,
business premises, Government offices, schools, hospitals, other
facilities and infrastructure were in need of significant repair and
improvement. Despite the Government's continuous provision of
utilities and services, LTTE dominance had prevented long term
development from taking place in these areas for nearly three
decades. As such, the existing facilities and infrastructure were
quite poor before the Humanitarian Operation was launched in 2006.
After the dawn of peace in May 2009, bringing these towns and
villages to a level on par with the rest of the country was a key
concern of the Government.
The renovation of houses and construction of new
housing units was one of the Government's first priorities in terms
of reconstruction. The Government extended direct assistance for the
establishment of houses. The Army has been involved in several
programmes in this regard and has renovated more than 6,000 houses
and constructed close to 7,000 new permanent or semi-permanent
houses for the civilians being resettled. Other countries have also
assisted; the most notable being India, which provided a grant for
the construction of more than 40,000 new houses. Other nations as
well as voluntary organisations have also contributed a great deal
to the reconstruction and renovation of houses in the North.
Infrastructure development was another key
concern. Almost immediately after the war ended, His Excellency the
President appointed a Presidential Task Force for Reconstruction and
Resettlement in the North to expedite work in these areas. The
Government also launched a programme entitled "Northern Spring" to
undertake large development projects in the North. A similar
programme called "Eastern Dawn", had already been launched in the
East even while the Humanitarian Operation was still underway.
Infrastructure development, electricity, water supply and
sanitation, agriculture, irrigation, livestock development, inland
fisheries, health, solid waste disposal, education, sports, cultural
affairs and transportation were all areas addressed under these two
programmes.
The role played by the military both in demining
and in reconstruction activities deserves to be highlighted. For
many of the projects undertaken, especially those begun soon after
the end of the war, the military provided engineering expertise,
construction plant and equipment, as well as much of the necessary
manpower. While other state owned institutions undertook several
responsibilities, and while many private sector and foreign
organisations won contracts for projects, the fact remains that the
military was essential in facilitating the reconstruction activities
that enabled the return to normalcy. This is because the military is
the only institution in a country that has adequate manpower,
training, expertise and equipment to act quickly to facilitate the
return to normalcy.
Despite the grave challenges caused by the mines
and other explosive devices laid by the LTTE in the built up areas,
and the hard work that was necessary to reconstruct these regions
and bring them up to a good standard, I am pleased to note that
resettlement for all IDPs was completed in less than three and a
half years. It is particularly noteworthy that with the exception of
a very few, all the IDPs were resettled in their places of origin.
Resettlement was even carried out in areas such as Vellamullavaikkal
where the final battles took place. Certain political parties and
various activists claimed that this would never occur because they
alleged there were mass graves in those areas. However, resettlement
did take place, and the resettled people themselves can attest that
the alleged mass graves never existed. The rapid resettlement
accomplished in such a short timespan after the war is a tremendous
achievement by any yardstick, and one about which Sri Lanka can
justly be proud. Resettling the IDPs after a conflict situation is a
task that any
Government should undertake with great urgency,
because it is the best way to help the people who were most affected
by the war return to normal lives quickly.
In this context, paying adequate attention to the
ability of the resettled people to lead normal day-to-day lives is
another very important factor that needs to be addressed in any post
conflict situation. After the war in Sri Lanka, and resettlement of
the IDPs in their places of origin, Government paid a great deal of
attention to this issue. It had to be noted that as a result of the
war, many of the people had not had an opportunity to develop their
skills to a good standard. Vocational training was provided to young
adults, and financial and other forms of assistance were provided
for people waiting to return to their farms and small businesses. In
this aspect, too, the military played a very important role. It
helped the people to build irrigation infrastructure for
agriculture, provided tools, equipment, seeds and livestock for
farming, and donated fishing gear and fishing boats to help
fishermen return to the sea. Such measures greatly helped the
resettled civilians return to normal life in a very short span of
time.
Perhaps the most controversial issue that a
Government will have to face in the aftermath of an internal
conflict is with regard to the treatment of the combatants who
fought against the state. In almost all instances, these are
citizens of the country who have chosen to take up arms against the
state, and they need to be handled very carefully. It is very
important to bring closure to the conflict, and to ensure that ill
feeling is minimised so that whatever causes led to the conflict in
the first place do not gain new momentum once it has ended.
The approach adopted by Sri Lanka in this regard
is instructive. At the end of the Humanitarian Operation, nearly
twelve thousand LTTE cadres had surrendered to or had been captured
by the military. It is to be borne in mind that for nearly thirty
years, these LTTE cadres and their predecessors had waged a savage
terrorist war against the Sri Lankan people, killing tens of
thousands and causing incalculable harm to the country's prospects.
The natural tendency of most Governments would have been to severely
punish these cadres for their involvement in such a brutal terrorist
organisation. However, His Excellency the President had a different
view. He believed that the LTTE cadres had been misled and that they
deserved a chance to lead normal lives in a peaceful nation. As a
result, it was decided that the vast majority of cadres would be
rehabilitated and reintegrated with society as soon as possible, and
that only the cadres most involved in terrorist activities would be
prosecuted.
Accordingly, all the cadres who surrendered were
categorised according to the level of their involvement in LTTE
activities. The vast majority of them were sent for rehabilitation
programmes under the purview of the Bureau of the Commissioner
General of Rehabilitation. A 'six plus one' rehabilitation process
model was adopted for all beneficiaries. This process rested on six
pillars; namely Spiritual, Religious and Cultural Activities,
Vocational & Livelihood activities, Psychological & Creative
Therapies, Sports & Extracurricular Activities, Sociocultural
Activities and Education. Community awareness programmes were also
conducted, and efforts taken to sensitise the public to the needs of
the beneficiaries so that they would be more receptive to their
reintegration.
Special attention was given to the 594 child
soldiers who surrendered. A fast-tracked rehabilitation programme
was organised for them with assistance from UNICEF, and carried out
at the Child Protection Centre in Poonthottam and Hindu College
Ratmalana. Great effort was taken to provide proper counselling for
these child beneficiaries. Special spiritual development activities
and positive values cultivation programmes were conducted for them.
Formal education was provided, along with several 6 month long
vocational training programmes in subjects including information
technology, aesthetics, carpentry, masonry, beauty culture etcetera.
The child beneficiaries were reunited with their families within one
year, although 74 came back to Hindu College Ratmalana to continue
their education.
The adult beneficiaries of rehabilitation were
initially housed in 22 Protective Accommodation and Rehabilitation
Centres, all of which were built and maintained well. International
agencies and Non Governmental Organisations such as the IOM and
UNICEF were given free and unfettered access to the rehabilitation
centres. So too were diplomats, media personnel, lawyers, and the
family members of the beneficiaries. Special leave was also granted
to many of the beneficiaries to visit their families, and attend
religious and cultural activities at home from time to time. A lot
of attention was paid to the reunification of families, with married
ex-combatants being given the opportunity to re-join their spouses,
children and parents at special rehabilitation centres called 'Peace
Villages'. A special Protective Accommodation and Rehabilitation
Centre was established to cater to the reunification of married
beneficiaries.
All beneficiaries underwent extensive programmes
that were designed to equip them with the ability to return to
normal life in society. The counselling programme was designed to
correct the mind-set of the ex-combatants and affect attitudinal
change. Much effort was taken to enable them to develop their
personalities as individuals. Spiritual, religious and cultural
rehabilitation programmes were also conducted, with an intention to
reacquaint the beneficiaries with cultural and family norms.
Psychological and creative therapy rehabilitation was provided,
including group counselling and therapy sessions, aesthetics and
drama therapy programmes. Beneficiaries were also encouraged to take
part in various sports activities.
A special programme for 'catch up education' was
provided in collaboration with the Education Ministry for young
adults who opted for the programme. Under this, they sat for the GCE
Ordinary Level and Advanced Level examinations even though they were
beyond the customary age of students sitting for the exams. 46
different vocational training courses were also provided to the
beneficiaries of the rehabilitation programme. The courses involved
many sectors, including agriculture, industry, services and
entrepreneurship. Substantial opportunities were provided for
training information technology.
A number of programmes were created to support
beneficiaries who wished to set up their own businesses, with
courses being conducted on self-employment, entrepreneurship and
micro enterprise development. A special loan scheme for
self-employment was also launched. Many rehabilitated ex-LTTE
combatants have also been absorbed into the Civil
Defence Force, and will be employed in development
activities in their areas of residence. The Reintegration of the
rehabilitees to society took place only after trained counsellors
assessed their preparedness to adapt to society and resume normal
lives. Reintegration programmes were conducted at various stages,
and periodic assessments are conducted amongst the remaining
beneficiaries to gauge whether they are ready to return to society.
The primary focus of the rehabilitation and
reintegration programme has been to equip the former LTTE cadres
with alternative means to a meaningful existence. Giving them a
chance to become productive members of society has been a very
successful way of deradicalising these individuals. According to a
study conducted by Dr.Kruglanski and Dr.Gelfland of the University
of Maryland, College Park, in the USA, even the hard-core ex-LTTE
cadres who underwent rehabilitation have significantly reduced their
support for violence.
These findings are not only very encouraging from
the point of view of restoring normalcy in Sri Lanka, but they also
vindicate the very generous and forgiving approach adopted towards
the rehabilitation and reintegration of the cadres who surrendered
at the end of the war.
These good intentions have also extended to the
LTTE cadres who were arrested and detained at various other stages
for their involvement in terrorist activities. Out of the
approximately 4,500 cadres who were arrested and detained since
January 2006, more than 2,000 were released after ascertaining that
their involvement in LTTE activities was at a very low level. More
than one thousand five hundred detainees were sent for
rehabilitation after being investigated and after preliminary court
hearings. Only a very small number of LTTE cadres have been
identified for prosecution, and are currently being processed
through the legal system. In fact, in order to expedite matters so
that the suspects do not remain in custody for an unnecessarily long
duration, a special High Court has been established in Mannar, and
courts in Vavuniyar and Anuradhapura have also been instructed to
take on these cases. This is because the speed at which Governments
deal with those it intends to prosecute for involvement in militant
activities is another critical issue in post conflict situations.
After facing all of these immediate post war
challenges, the objective of the Government in the long term has to
be to bring back stability to the country. In this regard, ensuring
that there is an end to the problems that led to the conflict in the
first place is critically important. Keeping some degree of security
measures in place is essential. Especially in countries such as Sri
Lanka where the conflict has dragged on for many decades, it would
be foolish to expect the situation to normalise completely
overnight. At the same time, the Government is very keen to remove
whatever restrictions had to be in place during the war so that the
people feel the benefit of peace as fast as possible. Balancing
these two conflicting imperatives-ensuring adequate security and
bringing back normalcy as fast as possible-is one of the greatest
challenges that a state has to face after a conflict.
In the case of Sri Lanka, there were restrictions
on travel to the North, restrictions on the transportation of
certain items, restrictions on fishing and restrictions in terms of
high security zones on the ground. Since the end of the war, all of
these restrictions have been removed. This has had a significant
impact on the lives of the civilians in the former conflict areas.
Armed groups have been disarmed and their members have been
encouraged to enter politics and help people through democratic
means. Elections have been restored and political plurality has
returned. The high security zone has been dismantled. The visible
presence of the military has been reduced significantly and the
number of checkpoints has dwindled to a handful. The maintenance of
Law and Order has been completely handed over to the police. New
police stations have been opened and many more Tamil-speaking
policemen have been recruited to serve in these areas. All of these
measures have ensured that life is returning to normal in the former
conflict areas. This is one of the greatest benefits of the hard won
peace.
At the same time, maintaining security is of the
utmost importance. Even if the Government is able to completely
destroy the leadership of the militant groups, the globalisation of
these issues in recent years means that there are many sympathisers
and activists who have migrated to other nations. By using modern
telecommunication technologies including the internet, activists can
reorganise, regroup and pose a threat to the nation's security once
again. Furthermore, even in the post conflict situation, there can
be people from the defeated militant group who are still active
domestically, working in secret or sometimes more openly. In a
democratic country, when the security situation and restrictions are
relaxed, the allies of the terrorist groups can even work through
democratic political parties to propagate the same ideologies that
led to militancy in the first place. They may work towards rousing
the ideas and feelings of people once again to lead them down the
path to armed violence. Any responsible Government needs to be
watchful of such developments.
It is a well-known fact that during its height,
the LTTE had a vast international network that aided and abetted it
in its terrorism. This network was responsible for raising funds for
the terrorists, procuring large quantities of advanced arms and
ammunition and transporting these weapons illegally to Sri Lanka. It
provoked hatred against the country amongst the large Tamil
populations domiciled abroad and engaged in a vicious propaganda
campaign against Sri Lanka internationally. Although the LTTE's
military leadership was destroyed during the Humanitarian Operation,
it is important to understand that this was only one part of the
LTTE's vast organisation. The rest of the organisation is still at
large, and although it has adopted a democratic face in its
international dealings, there is no doubt that its members will try
very hard to restart the conflict in Sri Lanka. This is a threat
that must be guarded against, That is why the Government of Sri
Lanka will not compromise when it comes to providing security to the
nation.
However, it is important to bear in mind that the
provision of security in a post conflict situation does not
necessarily need to be overt. As in the case of Sri Lanka, the
military can step back from a visible and active role in upholding
security and commence passive operations through intelligence
gathering and surveillance. This helps the military achieve the
intended security precautions without being in any way felt to be a
problem to the people. On the contrary, one of the most critical
tasks of the military in the post war context is to win the hearts
and minds of the people from the former conflict areas. As described
earlier, by building roads, houses, assisting in construction,
providing materials and tools for agriculture and livelihood
promotion, the Sri Lankan military has done a lot to build bonds
with the civil society and win over the people. They have shown the
civilians in the North and East that the picture painted about the
Government by the LTTE during its heyday is completely false.
Apart from these measures, perhaps the best way to
bring truly long lasting peace, security and stability to a nation
that has recently undergone a conflict is through rapid economic
development. Most of the time in any conflict, whether it is ethnic
or religious, the background to it is that poverty, unemployment and
underdevelopment causes discontent amongst the people. This
unhappiness is exploited by militant leaders, who motivate and
organise them to take up arms. This is why it is essential that
post-conflict reconstruction should focus on promoting economic
activity. Infrastructure development, provision of proper facilities
and the strengthening of institutions are critical factors in this
regard. When all citizens gain the ability to work to build better
futures for themselves without any restriction, they will not resort
to violence means to achieve any objectives. Instead, they will
focus on what they need to do to improve their lives.
At the same time, it is important to bear in mind
that the political challenges after a conflict can be immense. The
Government has a very grave responsibility to identify the issues
that led to the conflict in the first place. These issues have then
got to be resolved through political will. In the case of Sri Lanka,
one of the biggest issues in the North and East has been the lack of
mainstream political parties operating in those areas because of
LTTE dominance. The LTTE ruthlessly destroyed all opponents, and
groups that were not affiliated with them had no chance of working
for the benefit of the people. Restoring political plurality in
these areas has been a major challenge because it is not easy to
find and motivate suitable people to come out and join the political
process. However, strengthening multi party democracy in these areas
is a critical factor to combat the doctrine that has been fed to the
people by the LTTE for many decades. Although it is only beginning,
the work that has been achieved by the mainstream political parties
as well as newly established groups in these areas is commendable.
It is doing a lot to dispel the LTTE's false doctrine and restore
proper democracy in these areas.
Yet another challenge that a nation will face
after an internal conflict is in its dealings with other nations.
The emphasis placed by the international community on various issues
changes over time. Today, the issue of human rights has become one
of the most critical topics in the relationship between states.
Militant groups can be very skilful in using their activists around
the world to exploit these issues in order to create problems for
the Government in the post conflict situation. During the course of
long conflicts, people will leave the country and seek asylum
abroad. Over the years, these asylum seekers will end up getting
citizenship in these foreign countries and become a powerful
political voice there. For example, the large number of Tamils who
migrated to Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia
and many European nations over the last three decades now comprises
a powerful lobby in those countries. Because of the many LTTE
activists amongst these Tamil expatriates, an incorrect picture
about what took place during the Humanitarian Operation is conveyed
to their Governments.These Governments in turn exert pressure on Sri
Lanka at various forums, including the United Nations Human Rights
Council over the last few years. This is a major challenge that the
Government has to face not just today but in time to come.
The greatest irony of this situation is that those
who cast various allegations against the Government are most often
people who were connected to the LTTE, which was internationally
recognised as a brutal terrorist organisation. During the last
stages of the conflict in Sri Lanka, the LTTE callously employed
tactics that are completely against international laws and norms
relating to combat. It used human shields, launched artillery and
mortar attacks from amongst civilian encampments, fought in civilian
attire and massacred the civilians who were trying desperately to
cross over to the Government controlled areas. The Armed Forces
sustained thousands of casualties because the use of heavy weaponry
was curtailed for fear of endangering civilian lives. Immense care
was exercised by the Armed Forces to keep civilian casualties to a
minimum, while the LTTE relentlessly kept putting civilians in
harm's way. And yet, despite all this, it is the members, activists
and sympathisers of this same LTTE that have now become champions of
human rights and make allegations against the Government in foreign
capitals and at international forums. And despite the obviousness of
their motives, they have been successful at generating considerable
pressure against the Government of Sri Lanka. In today's
increasingly globalised world, it is possible that other Governments
emerging from internal conflicts will also face similar challenges.
The international pressure faced by the Government
of Sri Lanka is particularly problematic in the context of its
effort, after a conflict that lasted three decades, to bring back
normalcy and accelerate the country's economic development.As
mentioned before, ensuring that its people have the ability to build
better futures for themselves is the best way to create long term
peace and stability in a nation that has suffered for so long.
Unfortunately, the international pressure brought to bear on Sri
Lanka especially by western nations misled by LTTE sympathisers can
cause international investors and even tourists to stay away from
the country. This will have a very adverse impact on the country's
economic situation, which will be most felt by the people in the
former conflict areas. Instead of narrowing the scope of their
engagement with Sri Lanka because of the many misrepresentations and
lobbying affected by special interest groups in their own countries,
the nations that are pressurising Sri Lanka internationally should
engage constructively with the Government. It is only then that they
will see for themselves the good work being carried out here despite
significant constraints.
Sri Lanka's journey since the dawn of peace has
seen the country transform itself from a nation in the throes of
many post conflict challenges to a country that is amongst the most
peaceful, stable and secure in the world. The unwavering commitment
and resolve of the Government to overcome all the challenges that it
faced in the post conflict situation has laid the foundation for a
prosperous future for all our citizens, irrespective of their
diversity and differences. It is this commitment to deal with any
and all difficulties that arose after the conflict that lies at the
heart of Sri Lanka's success today. That, more than anything, should
be the lesson to be drawn from the Sri Lankan experience of dealing
with its post-conflict challenges.
Thank you. |
