What challenges Sri Lanka is not the same as what challenges the World

by Victor Cherubim

(March 26, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lankans have an ingrained habit of critical criticism. As someone commented, “talk to three Sri Lankans and you’ll hear seven opinions.” We call this democracy in action. Possibly, this is second to nature for us. As an island nation, our known world is Sri Lanka; so we often look at ourselves and our government, both with macro and micro vision.

After a period of 30 year war, there is quite naturally a deep sense of fatigue with our society. This is combined with an unwillingness to accept anything which is slightly even perceived as power hungry governance. There is hardly any comparison in the so called suppression of dissent in Sri Lanka, in relation to other despotic regimes around the world.

At the same time without a strong government at the centre, nothing can or will move forward to bring Sri Lanka into the 21st century. In fact multi-tasking is one innovative way how the government of Sri Lanka is attempting to resolve that which has not been addressed over these many years of neglect and stagnation.

What is becoming clear by the day is that the public has to patiently wait till a plan of action has been hammered out whether it is political reconciliation, human rights deliverance and/or national development.

Whether it was the subsidy on rice, or free education or even our independence, we got it without much effort, so we have got accustomed not to wait. We were the most literate nation in the whole of that region; we had a prolonged period of stability in many respects. But now, it is virtually impossible to expect the ordinary citizen to await the outcome of change from a state at war to a state at peace. With a litany of specific grievances, a combination of rising cost of living, unemployment, abuse of power over successive governments since independence, ethnic vulnerability, religious intolerance, all add to the tensions which drive the common man to redress all these grievances at the touch of a button.

Let us look at the flip side of the coin. It is indeed an indomitable feat to attempt to turn a period of decay due to war footing into a period of rehabilitation, responsible nationalism turning Sri Lanka as “the Singapore of South Asia.” To bridge the gap from a near feudal state, with the “mudalali’ mindset, and be able to join the leading members of the so called “Commonwealth of Nations,” in two years, is a formidable task which is hardly appreciated.

Today, Sri Lanka is proud to say that the violence is over, the efforts of the Government in rehabilitation of the majority of the IDP’s is nearly complete, the “enthronement” of English, the lingua franca of the world and the internet, is in the making, without uprooting the Sinhala and Tamil medium educated, and especially up skilling people from the village to the City with knowledge management, Sri Lanka is slowly but surely gaining respect in South Asia, if not in the corridors of power in the Commonwealth.

Of course, Sri Lanka is not moving as fast as China but fast enough, for a small island in the SAARC region. Today, we see Sri Lanka hosting the World Cup of Cricket, In the not too distant future, in 2013; it will host the Commonwealth Heads of State Meeting (CHOGM).It is bidding to host the Commonwealth Games at Hambantota in 2017. Who knows what is in store for Sri Lanka in 2020, at the pace of change it is moving today.

It is indeed very easy to discount the challenges Sri Lanka faces to organise these events within such a short timeframe Sri Lankans inside the country, find it hard to understand, the real motive behind so many of its critics outside its shores, demanding immediate and conclusive answers to such a variety of issues all at once? Tsunami and war crimes accountability, devolution of power, good governance, transparency, development debt, international alliances etc etc. and all other national sovereignty issues are now the open purview of the world at large, Unlevelled charges against the nation and its people are also on spotlight.

Let me take just one issue. There is no quieting of the war crime issue by international bodies. Sri Lanka’s own LLRC is in progress and scrutinising any and all transgressions. The UN Secretary General’s Panel of Experts is also simultaneously as we understand, investigating this issue. No conclusions have been reached as yet, but for some reason, world opinion wants to be both judge and jury on this issue.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa is awaiting the outcome of the LLRC report and the people of Sri Lanka wait how it will be implemented.Simultaneously, the UN Secretary General commissioned his Panel of Experts to tender their recommendations direct to him. It is up to him what he does with its findings. It is probable and indeed possible he does nothing with its recommendations as we are not privy to the mandate. of the Panel nor the intention of the Secretary General in respect of a Member State and its sovereign status.

Although there is much speculation, it is probable and indeed possible that Sri Lanka’s own LLRC may achieve more by way of redress. Sri Lankans expect to address the real issue without much fanfare. It may be a catalyst of change-, an ominous precedent with widespread popular resonance.

What may seem as a cacophony of confusion to the outside world, may due to blatant disinformation, unanswered factors intertwined with survival to one of accountability and hardening negative perceptions, be difficult to discern.

Whilst this conundrum is being unravelled, dramatically, and effectively one thing can change swiftly. President Mahinda Rajapaksa by showing visible leadership at various levels may command the political capital to live up to the popular expectations of all the people of Sri Lanka. This is the crucial test of leadership.

( Victor Cherubim , Freelance Journalist. He can be reached at: victorcherubim@aol.com )