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| Sunday, 17 October 2004 |
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Ven. Tibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera meets the TNA : Moving beyond traditional limits by Ranga Jayasuriya For the peace process hit by a growing Sinhala nationalist opposition, the Mahanayake Thera of the Malwatte Chapter, Venerable Tibbotuwawe Sri Sumangala Thera could make a difference.
The Mahanayake Thera early this week braved the nationalist protesters to meet Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians whose sympathies to the Tigers are well known. The meeting with the TNA itself is a significant gesture on the part of the Mahanayake Thera and an indication of his readiness to move beyond the traditional limits of his predecessors to heal the old wounds of the ethnic conflict. He is using his good offices and influence as a foremost Buddhist monk in the land in bridging racial differences and healing ethnic enmities. A meeting with the TNA is a classic example of the monk's courage and commitment to reshape the ethnic relations in the country, even at the cost of infuriating nationalists who would protest before his residence. Indeed soon after his inauguration the Mahanayake Thera echoed sentiments on the peace process which sounded amenable; he even accepted an invitation by the Up Country People's Front leader, P. Chandrasekaran to visit the Wanni. When the seven member TNA delegation met Ven Sumangala Thera this week, they urged him to intervene to resume peace negotiations and renewed the invitation to visit the North. TNA Parliament group leader R. Sambanthan told the Mahanayake Thera that the Tamil people did not want a division of the country and went on to assure him that the country would not slide back to war despite the stalemate in the negotiations. LTTE proxy MPs too sounded conciliatory, carefully choosing words and giving up rhetoric. Sambanthan admitted that it was not only successive governments that were to blame for the ethnic violence, "We, Tamils are also responsible". Sambanthan said he had never touched a weapon in his life, nor did he ever think of taking to arms, so had 95 per cent of Tamils. The Mahanayake Thera regretted the LTTE attack on the Dalada Maligawa, but added now it was history. Indeed, the visit by the TNA parliamentarians is part of the party's campaign to win Sinhala public opinion. Both the Tigers and the TNA are very much aware of the influence enjoyed by the Maha Nayake Thera in shaping public opinion. A flexible approach by the country's foremost monk on the peace process will diminish the influence of the anti-peace front where radical monks are now playing a frontline role. The Mahanayake Thera will also be a deterrent to radical National Bhikku Front spearheading an anti-Norway and anti-peace campaign. He will also be a counter-balance to JHU monk MPs. Equally important, in his moderate approach, the Mahanayake Thera can be a bridge between the North and the South, and also between the Government and its parliamentary Opposition. He invited the TNA parliamentarians to attend the deliberations of National Advisory Council for Peace and Reconciliation. However, Sambanthan's response was that even though such conferences were held since J.R. Jayewardene's time, little progress was achieved in resolving the National Question. Small but well organised crowds who protested the meeting, forcing police to deploy reinforcements and chanting slogans and raising black flags, also underline the fact even the Mahanayake Thera is not spared the wrath of the ultra-nationalist elements. But the inability of the protesters to bring in large numbers, some reports said only 27 including four monks participated in the protest, underlines the fact that ultra-nationalism could not call the shots, even in one of the nerve centres of Buddhist heritage. One fundamental point which brought the peace process to its all time low point is the increasing number of killings of LTTE activists. The Mahanayake Thera lamented the killings, which bore all the hall marks of the Tigers and hoped this trend would stop. The LTTE delegation visiting four European country's had to face much stronger criticism of the movement's involvement in ceasefire violations, mainly political killings and child recruitment. The International Commission for Jurists, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International urged the Tigers to end political killings and child conscription. "We appealed to the senior LTTE leaders to show the world that they are both willing and capable of respecting the lives and rights of all Sri Lankans," said Nicholas Howen, Secretary-General of the ICJ. The rights groups were concerned that the Tigers have escalated the killings of Tamil opponents at a time, the two parties should go back to peace talks. "This climate of fear, especially in the east, will make it even more difficult to find a lasting peace in the country," warned Peter Splinter, Geneva Representative for Amnesty International. Indeed, the LTTE's intensified crack down has made the ceasefire a non event for the rival Tamil political activists. The Tiger pistol gangs operating with greater freedom of movement brought by the Ceasefire Agreement have already gunned down 143 opponents, according to some estimates. EPDP spokesman Nelson Edirisinghe says 163 EPDP activists have been murdered by the Tigers since the truce agreement. The absence of correct statistics of the victims is clearly illustrative of the magnitude of the problem. Thamilselvan would continue to deny the responsibility, as he did in Europe during the meeting in Geneva with the human rights activists. But, who will believe him or the Tigers in this regard? Will his hosts in Geneva, Vienna and Hague be ignorant of the Sri Lankan developments to be taken in by LTTE political chief's explanation. Unless the Tigers give up their old habits, such visits by the TNA at the Mahanayake's residence or Thamilselvan touring in Europe would not help redeem the LTTE's reputation. Only the Tigers can salvage the peace process and inject a bit of optimism to the peace front by translating its words in to action. |
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