Colombo adopting Machiavellian approach to Karuna, inevitable- SLMM Head

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 May 2006, 12:33 GMT]
On Colombo disarming Karuna Group as agreed in the Geneva-I talks, the Head of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), Ulf Henricsson asked, "Well, I think they (Security Forces) will have a lot of problems, if they do it [disarm Karuna]. Further I don't see any reason for the government to do it. To be honest. If you have a warring faction against you and if your enemy is split why should you try to stop that. Have you read Machiavelli?," in an interview appeared in the latest edition of Sunday Observer.

In the interview, the SLMM Head blamed both sides for the current violence and said that confidence building is key to resolving the conflict. Henricsson said, "I have a recommendation for the two parties to read the Vienna Document implemented in Europe. That was the key issue that stopped the cold war. That document is about confidence building," and added that, "You never achieve peace, if you don't make bold compromises. It is just a matter of will."

Speaking on the controversy surrounding SLMM's press release which "charged the SLA of extra-judicial killing," and later "toning down of the statement" after discussions with Colombo, the Retired General said, "we still feel that [security forces are involved with extra-judicial killing]." He then added that after talking to Colombo, "we hedged that avoiding going back on the issue."

"We never said it was security force as a whole, we think there are parts of it, small groups or individuals, we don't know. That is why we said individuals belonging to the security forces are involved. Involved, does not mean they have done it. But they have not done anything to prevent it. They have not seen anything. They have not heard anything that is a problem. If you can commit a murder one hundred meters from the check point and if they don't see anything, don't feel anything, that is a cause for concern. That is the problem," Henricsson explained.

On LTTE side of the violence, Ulf Henricsson said SLMM has criticized the LTTE in press statements including the suicide attack in Colombo, but that they cannot make a formal ruling without facts. "Because we have not got facts from the police that we need," Henricsson said.

When asked if it is possible to remove the High Security Zones and allow the people to resettle, Henricsson said, "If you can get parties to lay down their weapons and go back to the camps, if you can build a little more confidence between them, then, I think you can also open up high security zones," but admitted that it is critical issue and added "even in Balkans it has not yet finished, even though there it is on for over ten years."

The book Principe (The Prince) in 1513 written by Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) with hopes of securing the favor of the ruling Medici family, focussed on practical success by any means, even at the expense of traditional moral values.This earned Machiavelli's scheme a reputation for ruthlessness, deception, and cruelty.

External Links:

Wikipedia:		Niccolò Machiavelli
SO:		Extra judicial killings hot potato for govt. - Henricsson