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Sri Lanka's future in peril, Jaffna editorials say

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 May 2005, 13:32 GMT]
Saturday editorials in Jaffna's popular dailies, Uthayan, Namathu Eelanaadu and Valamapuri, carried ominious messages reflecting an unpredictable and potentially explosive future facing the Tamil people as well as Sri Lanka. Quoting LTTE Head of Political Wing, Thamilchelvan who said recently, "If Sinhala leadership continues to impose majoritarian hegemony on Tamil people without pursuing peaceful solutions to satsify Tamil aspirations, there will soon be an end to this state of affairs," Eelanaadu editorial Saturday said.

The editorial added that Thamilchelvan's message indicated clearly that Tamil people, having lost faith in Governments of Sri Lanka to deliver a settlement to the conflict peacefully, now firmly believe that they have to fight to obtain their rights. "The LTTE leadership is very close to taking a final decision on this matter," the editorial opined.

During the 5th Graduation ceremony of the Tamil Eelam Law College, Thamilchelvan warned the International Community and Sinhala people in the South that, despite sincere efforts by the LTTE for the past three years in seeking a just and fair solution to the Tamil National question, there has been little discernible change in the mindset of Sinhala Nation and the chauvinist Sinhala leadership, Eelanaadu editorial said.

"After three and a half years of relative peace, the situation has reached a precarious state. Escalating tensions in Trincomalee reflect the perilous path Sri Lanka is taking towards an unpredictable future. Avenues seeking peaceful resolution to the ethnic conflict have been sabotaged or stalled and have reached a state where no progress is possible. Even the Joint Mechanism which presented an opportunity to open doors to more durable peace is about to be jettisoned after much positive rhetoric from Sri Lanka's President Ms Kumaratunge," said Saturday Uthayan editorial.

Valampuri editorial pointed to the dangerous situation prevailing in Trincomalee said, "The statue of Buddha constructed clandestinely during a night has created racial tensions that will adversely impact the peace climate there. The Government of Sri Lanka is reluctant to enforce the decision of the District Court which ruled for the removal of the statue."