Sri Lanka Peace: Efforts, Failures and Lessons

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 February 2006, 12:40 GMT]
Volume two of "Negotiating Peace in Sri Lanka: Efforts, Failures and Lessons," edited by Dr Kumar Rupesinghe, chairman, Foundation for Co-Existence, was launched in Colombo Wednesday. Volume 2 deals with United National Front (UNF)– LTTE negotiations of 2002-2003, including a detailed chapter on the background to the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) and its security, implementation issues by former Defense Secretary, Austin Fernando.

Dr Rupesinghe has also organized a symposium of peace making which commenced from 22nd and is in progress at Colombo Inter Contintinental Hotel, where several internationally well known specialists including Ed Garcia from International Alert, UK, are participating. Presentations were made by Minister Sarath Amunugama, Prof. G.L. Peiris, Bradman Weerakoon, Prof. Jayadeva Uyangoda, Dayan Jayatilleka, Kumar Rupesinghe followed by discussions.

Mr Austin Fernando, in the chapter titled "Peace Process and Security Issues," says that UNF government of Ranil Wickremesinghe carefully balanced the security imperatives with peace making measures in formulating its peace strategy, and carried out the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) in an environment conducive to confidence building. He quotes Dr Saman Kelegama who has commented that UNF strategy was aimed at locking the LTTE into a negotiation process through economic incentives and internationalisation of the process. UNF's period of peace making was marked by risk taking and out of the box bold decision making, Mr Fernando says.

Peace Process and Security Issues: Austin Fernando

Press Release on Book Launch

Mr Fernando cautions that, "to achieve peace, having a CFA in place or several negotiating sessions will not suffice. It requires having a good understanding of the other’s needs, aspirations, ideologies, demands etc. Tolerance with firmness towards the misdeeds of the other party, patience, and total commitment to make a peace move to forge ahead."

Mr Fernando considers each security related Article of the CFA and reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the CFA. This information gains significance in the context of the current talks in Geneva between the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka and its focus on strengthening the implementation of the CFA. He also briefly addresses the effect of manipulative politics, occasional negative responses of the military, LTTE, media and international actors to highlight the threats of peace making.

On not taking President Kumaratunge into confidence during the pre-CFA period, Mr Fernando writes: "The CFA was a stepping stone for a political and negotiated settlement. However, the CFA contents were not divulged to the President beforehand, though she was the Commander in Chief, Head of State and Head of the Cabinet. With the political culture all parties have inherited, these cohabitation problems were inevitable. The justification to “hide” may have been the fear that she might derail the process for political expediency. Her later actions (i.e. takeover of three ministries inclusive of Defence on November 3rd 2003) proved how correct this assumption was."

Commenting on the current Sri Lanka Government's approach, Mr Fernando says, "The latest demand in Southern Sri Lanka is to redraft or review the CFA in order to attain peace with the ulterior motive of controlling the LTTE by strengthening the CFA. The experience with the LTTE shows that they are obstinate to such moves as their attention is limited to a clear cut objective, for which one individual takes responsibility.... ...Their demands are firm, and any attempt to revise them will be faced with similar difficult demands from the LTTE. Therefore, any change should be thought of only at a formal negotiation according to the CFA and that too very cautiously."

"The unseen security affairs are not minor in volume, and thus, what has been achieved so far could only be the tip of the iceberg. The need to find working arrangements to face certain issues has already commenced and more such interventions may be required as the process moves forward. In that event, the need to co-operate with each other and with the Monitors and Facilitator will become quite important. In doing so, consideration must be paid to revisiting the role, functions, powers and authority of the Facilitator and Monitors, and changes thereof, for more effective and efficient peacemaking. One should not lose sight of the fact that all these should be done only with consensus and not ex-parte," Mr Fernando adds.

A review of the two book volumes appears in the Thursday edition of Daily Mirror said, "Overall, these two volumes document the events leading to each phase of negotiations, explain or, try to explain some of the imperatives that drove the decisions, and draw lessons to be learnt to be used in future negotiations...This is essential reading for, especially, peace activists, politicians in decision making roles within party structures, media personnel, diplomats and high officers of the defence establishment."

For Book inquiries:
Foundation For Co-Existence
105/3, Fifth Lane
Colombo 03
Sri Lanka
Tel +94 11 4734395 /6
Fax +94 11 4734397
[email protected]

Related Articles:
15.01.06   Interview with SLMM Spokesperson Helen Olafsdottir
14.01.04   Cease Fire Agreement (CFA)


External Links:

LK:		Foundation for Co-existence
UK:		Sharing nonviolence: an interview with Ed Garcia