Comments on: In Search of a Peace Package

By: jumbo

jumbo — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 23:08:22 +0000

TVMP now represents a greater majority of Tamils than the hypoctitical tiger proxy; TNA, representing 200 000 people (2%). The ground realities have changed, people are sick of race based politics and war. Many people in the newly liberated areas care mainly of good livelyhood, fascilities for education, health, infrastructure. The local authorities/provincial councils have more funds and authority th deliver these. The issues of language inequality no longer exists and do not appliy and are what happened over 30 years ago. The political problem has to be solved through this investment in people and the terrorist one is dealt currently in a fine fashon. All regions in SL should be entitled to pratice many of their customs in so far as it does not hinder the collective progress of the country. This right should be based on regionalism rather than on racism, this is the way foward that will address not only communalism but also the class divide.

By: Sarath

Sarath — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 16:40:55 +0000

Sorry Mr Gunadheera, but I didn’t see a point in your list where your provided an opportunity for the Sri Lankan masses to voice their opinion – as in a referendum. Doesn’t any solution, especially one aimed at solving the 25+ year old crises need the consent of the majority of Sri Lankan population? And by majority I mean around 60+% of the vote regardless of ethnicity etc. A survey just does not do any justice (it can also be manipulated). People need to vote with their own hands.

By: nathan

nathan — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 10:26:11 +0000

As a first step, implement the existing laws of the land including the full acceptance of tamil too as an official language. Remove anti social legislation which is mainly used against minorities – such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Normal laws are sufficient. Implement the 17th amendment to restore giood governance which is the bedrock of social justice and fairplay for all communities. Abolish the most obnoxious aspect of the constitution – the presidential immunity – which is hated by all people except the corrupt politicians who are protected by it.
If all this is done most else will automatically fall into place.
After this phase, there can be an reppraisal of what more is wanted.
The ethnic problem, which is due to social injustce, will fade away.
This has been seen to happen in other countries.
I am sure that all will agree, except those who thrive on disorder, injustice, fraud and corruption.

By: Ekcol

Ekcol — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:13:38 +0000

Somapala,
Your goal is noble, but the process you propose does not take into account the history of similar process that failed. The soulbury constitution entrenched the section 29 which the Tamils and the Sinhala leaders accepted. But you know it was dishonoured by the Sinhala leaders soon after independence, in 1956 and done away with in 1972, and there was no neutral person, institution or country including Britain to ask the reason why. I need not remind you what happened to the minimum Tamil request that two Sinhala Prime Ministers accepted but could not get their electorate to agree.
Then there was the minimum that all Tamil Leaders put foreward at Thimpu and the Sinhala Leaders rejected it. The Indo-Lanka Accord lost its meaning when it got translated into the 13th amendmend. It was not put to the people at referendum for fear that it would be rejected. It was never implemented and Varatharaja Perumal had to run to India.

Then there was Neelan T and GL P who worked out the August 1995 proposal, which they had to water it down a few months after publication, and in 2000. It was finally rejected by the SLFP convention and Chandrika tabled it in Parliament to gather dust in its archives!

You ask for a Tamil of Neelan’s reputation to propose what Tamils will accept as a minimum. Neelan’s academic reputation is not questionable, but his assessment of what Tamils will accept as a minimum is far from realistic. Though you did not propose who you would hold as an ideal candidate to state what the the Sinhala will accept as a minimum, I am glad you did not hold GL as the model.

Why not call on the TNA to nominate three Tamils who are not in Parliament to prepare a paper outlining what the Tamils will accept as a minimum solution. Also let the leaders of the two major Sinhala Parties and the Mahanayaka’s nominate three Sinhalese who are not in Parliament to prepare a paper outlining what the Sinhala would accept as a minimum solution.

I find it difficult to identify an NGO or academic institution in Sri Lanka that is impartial to the outcome of the form of a solution. You may have to look for an academic institution in another country or within the UN that has no preconceived form of a solution.

It is best to get Sinhala and Tamil organizations such as the farmers, teachers, doctors, clerical, to respond to the respective Tamil and Sinhala proposals would be more practical than getting individuals to respond directly.

Instead of one constitutional expert, it is best to get one Tamil, one Sinhala and one international consitutional expert to be a Panel to draft the fundamentals of the constitution that would take the submissions from the various organizations into consideration. The idea of APRC never worked. Why try to waken a dead dinasaur.

Rather than a statistical survey with samples, why not a UN statistical team conduct a survey of all Tamils, Muslims and Sinhala voters separately. If a two third majority of each of the three community accept the draft constitution, the international community including the UN should consider it as the verdict of each of the community.

By: Bruno Umbato

Bruno Umbato — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 06:40:48 +0000

There are many ideas, concepts, peace agendas floating around the socalled ‘ethinic’ problem of Sri Lanka. Even people in our concerned neighbour, Tamilnadu is also conducting surveys/opinions about what to do with Sri Lanka. But, people in Sri Lanka has now realised that this is simply a terrorism problem. Anybody go to Colombo can not ignore the reality that how sinhalese/tamils/muslims..etc live peacfully there. In Colombo, I heard that more tamils than sinhalese live in there. If they could live like that under extreme provocations by terrorists, outsiders (mostly terror sympathisers) do not have to give solutions as there is no problem ethnically.
Luckily, Sri Lanka now has a responsible government who could eliminate this terrorism not only from south and east but also from north so that people in north could enjoy the freedom.