Editorial

Security

Politics

World

Letters

Sports

Obituaries

Archives

by Tom Plate

LOS ANGELES - If there is one country in Asia that can serve as a metaphor for all the good and the evil in the world, it may well be little Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon.

This physically gorgeous island nation off the coast of India is a mess. A few years ago, after some two decades of civil war, its people experienced an unaccustomed respite: a rather well-observed, virtually unprecedented, long-overdue ceasefire.

'Two decades of civil war' makes it sound as if the people were cannibalizing each other in this island; the truth is that the war was far from civil (!); it was waged, it needs a reminder, by an organization that has been called 'terrorist' in the USA and much of the civilized world.

Why does Tom Plate bastardize the word civil; if he must tamper with the English language, should he do it with reference to this country, one that has been ravaged much without Tom Plate getting his teeth into it as well?? How long would a ceasefire really last a few months, a year or two or perhaps four at most? But while it did last, it suggested that Sri Lanka had a splendid future, that it could mature into a gem like Switzerland or Singapore, that it could offer the rest of the world an exemplary measure of hope that our planet is moving toward a higher level of civilization rather than descending into a Hobbelsian state of nature wherein life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

Its not as if the ceasefire is over in that sense; the two parties are meeting in Geneva to talk about precisely the point salvaging a damaged battered ceasefire, one that was perhaps nasty and brutish, but not short as far as ceasefires go, lasting now for over 4 years even though now in its most rudimentary form. You have to understand, this is a nation of tremendous promise.

Its people are, by and large, talented, educated and ready for the globalization experience. Why else would the Japanese always so savvy about investing their time and money in a prospect have invested so much in trying to help all parties maintain the ceasefire? And why else would those near-saintly Norwegian peace negotiators be so prodigiously devoted to mediation efforts? Sri Lanka, everyone realizes, is well worth the attention.

Canonized the Norwegians

Even Pope John Paul never canonized anybody with the god speed that Tim Plate canonized the Norwegians here; and the departed Pope was not known for holding back his halos. But the Norwegians must be proud; they bestow titles such as "Excellency'' with tested practice, so why not be canonized by Tom Plate done to a turn, eh?? But to realize its potential, it has to begin helping itself if others are to realize success in permanently helping it out of its nightmare.

If it does not, then all of the outside parties which include the United States and other nations and organizations that came to its aid after last year's horrid tsunami are going to walk away from Sri Lanka as if it has never existed. For at a certain point, it is only rational to say that it is impossible to help someone who so stubbornly will not help himself.

The United States has issued the sternest warning against the LTTE, which it has called a stubborn reprehensible terrorist organization and Tom Plate says Sri Lanka is not helping itself? That's like saying a man caught in a torrential downpour is a wretch because he couldn't help himself by stanching the clouds and stopping the heavens from opening. Right now things are getting worse in Sri Lanka.

Recently elected President Mahinda Rajapakse is demonstrating astonishing ineptitude. Paramilitary forces allegedly repeat, allegedly linked to the SL Government have just abducted a handful of nonviolent humanitarian aid workers and have stored them who knows where (assuming they are still alive).

And the various warring parties practically had to be begged by the international community to send representatives to Geneva where the next multiparty peace chat has been scheduled.

Even assuming that paramilitaries did abduct the LTTE's humanitarian workers, how does it show President Rajapakse's ineptitude? In the first place, there is not enough credible evidence to prove it's the paramilitaries that ran away with the said aid workers.

But does the writer think that President Rajapske instructs paramilitaries all the way from the President's quarters, to scuttle the talks and abduct people?!!! Tom Plate has not heard of things that are mutually excusive such as overzealous anti LTTE forces acting on their own, and a President who despite all the provocations and impediments is trying his darndest to arrive at pace.

Journalistic ineptitude anyone? Since December more than 100 people have died in Sri Lanka in the renewed round of fighting. Some 60 to 80 Sri Lankan Sinhalese troops have died, as have some 40 to 60 Tamil civilians.

The latter is from the minority ethnicity of Sri Lanka that largely inhabits the northeast portion of the island-nation. Its inhabitants, fearful of oppressive rule by the Sinhalese leadership, by and large would settle happily for some kind of Quebec-like federal status in a bicultural Canada-like Sri Lanka.

Two decades of war

In two decades of conflict, more than 60,000 people have died. Land mines, grenade attacks and what-have-you have converted this tourist postcard island into an Asian Gaza Strip.

The U.S. Embassy in Colombo, the capital, should be congratulated for playing a steady mediator's hand. Oppressed by the Sri Lankan state? Tom Plate quotes the US embassy selectively (see this next sentence) and why does he sweep the US Assistant Secretary of State Nick Burn's statement under his carpet of verbiage? Didn't Burns say it was the LTTE a reprehensible terrorist group which wants war in Sri Lanka - not an oppressive government? Da,da, Mr Plate, congratulate the US Government if you must but for the correct reasons...

When the 10 aid workers of the nonprofit Tamil Rehabilitation Organization were abducted last week, the embassy issued a forthright statement expressing Washington's alarm and urging all the parties to show up in Geneva later this month to attend to the business of making peace.

An ominous recent study, made public after a renewed effort by the governments of Britain, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden (backed by the World Bank and the Asia Foundation), declared that "the potential for a return to war is inherent in the current situation.

The study's authors who include a University of London expert argue that the key to peace in Sri Lanka is to be found in a renewed effort in Colombo by the majority Sinhalese government to magnanimously accept many of the expressed wishes of the minority in the northeast.

Magnanimity has been offered by many Sri Lankan governments; and one government which was around some years back will remember that when it wanted to talk of Federalism (express wish of the people of the northeast according to tom Plate) the LTTE took a walk, taking the negotiating table with them almost.

The study calls for "a more inclusive approach to conflict resolution," including a recommendation for greatly increased humanitarian aid to the minority northeast, the hardest hit region by the tsunami: "Sri Lanka's current situation may be characterized as a 'pause in conflict.' " The pause seems about to end, and the country would appear to be on the precipice of a descent into hell like that of Darfur.

A more inclusive approach to conflict resolution would be realized if the LTTE deigned to include itself in the resolution process. So, veteran commentator Tom Plate gives his credibility over to the LTTE on a plate - nay a platter.

UCLA professor Tom Plate, a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy, is a veteran journalist who has worked at TIME, the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and CBS.

Job Opportunity - Jarir Marketing Co.

| News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security |
| Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries | Junior Observer |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.