Building bridges by train to Jaffna….

“People would hope for early resumption of rail services between Colombo and Jaffna. The donor community can help make this happen faster in case the demining of A9 is going to be a time-consuming exercise.”
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By Vipul

(January 29, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Military victory does not ensure permanent peace. Successes in battlefields would not mean much in the long run if people do not feel secure. Also, moderate Tamils are still not ready to come forward to participate in public life and provide an alternative to the Tamil Tigers and other paramilitary groups.

Analysts point out that the problems are larger and deeper than the LTTE and should be addressed immediately at a national level.

It is believed that 250,000 people have become caught up in the end-game of the island’s bitter civil war as the military continues to drive the Tamil Tigers into an ever-diminishing area of jungle following the capture of Mullaittivu.

The terrified population is in need of protection, medical care and basic assistance, says the ICRC.

But the government led by President Mahinda Rajapaksa has claimed that Tamil Tiger sympathisers are spreading rumours about the army killing innocent civilians.

The military has in turn accused the Tigers in turn of barring ambulances to bring wounded civilians to hospitals outside the war zone.

But the troops have a moral duty to safeguard the innocent people. They need to set higher standards in upholding people’s rights.

Large sections of the Sri Lankan ethnic Tamil population are also concerned their security as a people will be compromised in the absence of the LTTE as a strong entity.

Issues of civilian safety dominated the recent discussion held in Colombo between the President and Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The government also reiterated its commitment to a political solution during the talks.

According to media reports, President Rajapaksa has assured the visiting minister that his government was ready to even go beyond the 13th amendment as part of a political solution to end the northern conflict which has been raging for the past 25 years.

Analysts have, however, pointed out that while most Sinhala people differentiate the Tamils from the Tigers and are ready to address Tamil concerns, the government and the political forces aligned with it are not yet inclined to do so.

They also say that a level playing field where merit should be the only concern should prevail in all areas of public life if Sri Lanka is to achieve prosperity.

The Indian foreign minister, meanwhile, said that during his discussions with the president he had stressed that military victories offer a political opportunity to restore life to normalcy in the Northern Province and throughout Sri Lanka.

Mr Mukherjee, who arrived in Colombo on Tuesday night on an unscheduled visit accompanied by Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, called on President Rajapaksa for a comprehensive discussion on India-Sri Lanka relations, including the humanitarian crisis in the North.

“An early restoration of normal democratic life in the areas affected by the conflict would be a major contribution to peace and stability,” the minister added in his statement, according to media reports.

The opposition UNP has also voiced concerns about the plight of the trapped civilians, while hailing the military victories.

“The responsibility to protect these civilians is not only an issue but is something to do with conscience. How the government addresses this critical challenge will determine the quality of a durable peace,” he said in a statement a few weeks ago.

Ahead of his talks with the Indian minister, the president said highlighted his keenness to offer a fair deal to the Tamils.

According to media, he said: “I have learnt to address Tamil people in Tamil using my little knowledge of that language to give leadership by example.”

It is hoped that these remarks by the president would go a long way in healing the scars of communalism.

This clearly shows that the time has arrived for the nation as whole to stand up together and speak in one language - the language of unity.

The president must also take urgent steps to build a national consensus on an enduring political solution based on substantial devolution of power to the Tamils within a united Sri Lanka.

Reports, meanwhile, said more than 400 people including Jaffna Bishop Rt Rev Thomas Saundaranayagam, Catholic priests and nuns took part in a protest fast, urging the government to stop the artillery barrage and aerial bombardment on Vanni civilians and to bring an end to their continuing displacements.

The protests came as Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told the BBC that he had a policy of “zero” civilian casualties.

He charged that both the ICRC and UN were wrong about the situation in the North. The two organisations have repeatedly urged the warring factions to let civilians leave the combat zone.

As the government and the Tigers trade allegations over civilian deaths and injuries, the common man would hope and early end to the hostilities.

People would hope for early resumption of rail services between Colombo and Jaffna.

The donor community can help make this happen faster in case the demining of A9 is going to be a time-consuming exercise.

India has also pledged its support to rebuild the north faster.

Smooth land transport links could also promote reconciliation between the North and the South. - Sri Lanka Guardian