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| Sunday, 29 May 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Handling tsunami disaster in North and East by W. T. J. S. Kaviratne - Ambalangoda special correspondent Peace loving citizens of Sri Lanka irrespective of regional and ethnic diversity, found to be strong advocates of a negotiated settlement for both the issues related to ethnic conflict and also providing relief and launching rehabilitation and reconstruction projects for the benefit of the tsunami affected communities in the North and the East of the country. During my recent interviews with the affected communities just after tsunami catastrophe both in the South and the East of the country on the current political situation and issues emerged on the introduction of "Post tsunami operational management structure", a cross section of civil society representatives shared their sentiments on numerous aspects of these issues. All those interviewed were of the unanimous opinion that the North-East communities had been exposed to numerous forms of suffering and deprivations both by two decades of war and recent tsunami catastrophe and they attributed this pathetic situation mostly due to the non-availability of a negotiated strategy or a mechanism. Comments Civil society representatives of the North and the East pointed out that the racist war mongers in the South were always in the habit of putting up posters whenever an attempt was done or proposed for the benefit of the suffering people in the North and the East. The communal minded politicians in the south in numerous guises over the years ignited racism in the country and thousands of innocent civilians had to sacrifice their lives, they said. During the recent past just after ceasefire, several proposals on resolving the burning problems of the war affected communities were about to be negotiated, a group of communal minded politicians intervened they said. Much discussed Federal Systems and the LTTE's ISGA fade away into oblivion thus further aggravating the plight of the war affected North-East community, they said. These civil society representatives I met recently in Batticaloa and Kalmunai had strong doubts whether the proposed 'Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure' benefitting the affected communities could ever be implemented. Ven. Baddegama Samitha Thera said that it was the prime duty of the government in power devoid of party politics to disburse the relief funds and implement rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes for all the affected areas of the country irrespective of ethnicity and regional diversity. Referring to the LTTE controlled areas, he said that if the government was genuinely interested in providing relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation to the devastated areas some sort of mutual understanding should be established between the government and the LTTE. Even in the government controlled areas of the North and the East cooperation of the LTTE was necessary in the successful implementation of such a programme. Just like previous attempts in post independent Sri Lanka seeking lasting solutions for the genuine grievances of North-East community the latest attempt of the government in power was to find a strategy to solve the problems of the tsunami affected communities, he said. Government had designed a democratic form of mechanism comprised of all the stakeholders representing the politicians of the North-East, Government Agent, representatives of government departments, civil society members, NGOs, INGOs and LTTE, he said. Even long before the natural disaster of tsunami, several generations of children in the North and the East had been forced to continue living in refugee camps as a direct result of the political mistakes, he said. Humanitarian approach Referring to the humanitarian approach of diverse communities of Sri Lanka during the fateful day of tsunami he said all Sri Lankans worked as one forgetting all the differences. Both LTTE cadres and the members of the government forces helped each other with a fellow feeling he said. Tsunami provided a golden opportunity to renew the mutual understanding and re-establish trust and confidence among the stakeholders of the conflict, but no effective steps were taken by any of the parties to make use of this opportunity to promote reconciliation he said. Under the prevailing circumstances in the North and East, no strategy known by whatever name could be implemented effectively in providing relief for the tsunami affected isolating LTTE which was one of the key stakeholders of the conflict, he said. In addition to providing relief for the affected, such a mechanism could put an end to the stalemate found between the government and the LTTE and paved the way for the re-commencement of the stalled peace negotiations, he said. The Chief incumbent of Batapola Subaddarama Temple, Ven. Batapola Nanda Thera referring to the Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure said at the beginning there was not a contingent plan or mechanism to handle such a massive natural disaster of the magnitude of recent tsunami catastrophe in Sri Lanka. The government and the key officials found it extremely difficult to handle it in an effective manner and as a result numerous problems affecting the tsunami victims cropped up in all the affected areas of the country, he said. It was extremely important to envisage a system known as 'Post Tsunami Operational Management Structure' which could facilitate the provision of relief and reconstruction in the tsunami affected areas of the North and the East. Some of the war affected communities living in the refugee camps found in the North and the East once again became the victims of tsunami making their lives further miserable he said. The flexibility shown by the LTTE movement for negotiations on a mechanism by whatever name could be considered as a healthy transformation at this juncture when the peace negotiations were held up he said. Those who denied the existence of LTTE administration in certain parts of the North and East of the country were living in their own imaginary world and realizing the ground situation, a negotiated joint system was a prerequisite in providing relief he said. It was inhumane to ignore a section of the Sri Lankan community when they were exposed to untold misery and agony as an outcome of two decades of war and recent tsunami catastrophe he said. If by any chance this opportunity provided by tsunami for a joint discussion between the government and the LTTE was lost, LTTE could be further distanced he pointed out. The image of Sri Lanka might be tarnished before the eyes of the International Community as a country full of discrimination ignoring the tsunami affected North - East community. Further such a scenario could create an opportunity for the LTTE to win over the sympathy of the International Community, he said. Promoting racist sentiments in the country by whatever sections should be rejected by all the peace loving people living in multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi cultural pluralistic society of Sri Lanka he said. Mr. Bandula Fernando, Secretary, Government Servants' Welfare Society said that the Eastern province of Sri Lanka was the worst affected during tsunami. And whatever form of development programme for the affected in the North and the East, the cooperation of LTTE now appeared to be of great importance he said. The proposed mechanism should be a device to assist the tsunami affected communities but it should not be misused to gain political mileage he said. At this sensitive moment all communal minded groups of the country should refrain from instigating the masses to create instability in the country, he reiterated. Referring to the effective role the civil society of Sri Lanka should play, he said unfortunately instead of guiding the masses on correct path whenever the warmongers tried to create tension, the representatives of civil society always maintained a passive stance. Mr. J. L. M. Fernando UC member (UNP) Ambalangoda UC said if LTTE was willing to work jointly with the government on a mechanism to help the tsunami affected civilians in the North and the East, that opportunity should not be missed. International Community constantly persuaded the Sri Lankan Government on the formation of a mechanism agreeable to all the stakeholders. Only JVP and JHU were engaged in activities opposing the joint mechanism providing relief for tsunami affected communities. JHU neither represented the whole Buddhist community nor Maha Sanga of Sri Lanka, he said. It was very absurd to try to convince that the opinion of a handful of communal minded Buddhist Monks as that of the opinion of all the Buddhists of Sri Lanka he said. Provincial Correspondent Divaina (Ambalangoda) Chandrasiri Jasenthuliyana said that a democratically appointed government irrespective of racial, religious or regional differences should provide necessary assistance for the benefit of all the citizens of the country. Diverse communities should not be treated separately he said. During tsunami catastrophe, all communities lived on the coastal belt of South, North, East and West were affected equally he said. During the past before the ceasefire agreement it was not possible to visit the North and the East of the country. All the governments which were in power tried to find a solution for the ethnic conflict but the same political party when in the Opposition were not cooperative in seeking a solution with the government in power and this unfortunate trend over the years prevented in seeking a solution, he said. Chief Incumbent of Madampe Chaityagiri Purana Vihara, Ven. Bambalapitiye Anandatissa Thera said that President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga was given a mandate by peace loving people of the country. President should never resort to anything affecting the territorial integrity of the country as certain communal minded sections of the country tried to convince the people through their poster campaigns and demonstrations he said. The Eastern province was the worst affected during tsunami and just as the Southern Coastal belt had been identified for development, steps should also be taken to rehabilitate and reconstruct the damaged infrastructure in the tsunami affected areas on the East coast he said. Besides, the affected communities living in the LTTE controlled areas were undergoing numerous hardships. The proposed Mechanism should be implemented without further delay he said. Dharamasiri Ginige a retired principal, a journalist and the Coordinator of the Ethnic Affairs of the Southern Province United Media Association said tsunami affected communities living in the LTTE controlled areas of the North and the East should be provided relief assistance by the government. Both the government and the LTTE should have to reach some understanding on supplying certain essential items for these affected communities and on rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes he said.
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