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TWENTY-FIVE years ago, Sri Lanka s conflict suddenly transformed into a violent civil war when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), then barely more than a couple of dozen persons, ambushed an Army convoy killing a dozen soldiers in Jaffna on July 23, 1983. Instead of targeting those who carried out the attack, state-backed goons went after Tamil civilians throughout the country the following day it resulted in a week of violence and bloodletting.

Since then, the separatist rebellion has been transformed from one that involved ragtag groups fighting a parade army to a high-intensity conflict that employed air-strikes, artillery, naval units, bombings and suicide attacks. Even as we lament it is really hard not to what we as Sri Lankans have gone through, it would be useful to share lessons learnt about the ethnic conflict from Sri Lanka s efforts to go from a war situation towards peace. The lessons relate to two basic questions: what is an ethnic conflict and how do you resolve it?

The civil war in Sri Lanka consists of three distinct conflicts: the ethnic conflict between Tamils and the Sinhalese, and other groups the armed conflict between the Sri Lankan state and the Tamil Tigers and the political conflict for power among the main forces that have the capacity to influence political rule in Sri Lanka the governing Sri Lanka Freedom Party, the opposition United National Party (UNP), and the rebel Tigers.

The first, the ethnic conflict between Tamils and the Sinhalese, is commonly considered the hardest to resolve. Most descriptions of Sri Lanka s ethnic conflict (or for that matter any ethnic conflict) are variations of the hate-and-greed explanation. Hence we have Tamils and the Sinhalese (one can substitute them with Serbs, Croats, and Bosnians or blacks and whites or Hutus and Tutsis or Israelis and Palestinians) as either hating each other because of conflicting nationalisms, or competing with each other for resources out of greed.

Where the nationalism comes from be it ancient history (we did bad things to each other thousands of years ago), myth (we told stories about what we allegedly did to each other), or recent acts of violence (your father killed my uncle, so I will kill you) is less relevant than that it exists and manifests itself in mutual hostility between the Tamils and the Sinhalese. Similarly, where the greed comes from individual interests (that Tamil took the clerical job I wanted), group solidarity (I want my kin to get more stuff) or nationalist passion (my people deserve more because they are superior to yours) is less important than that it ultimately leads ethnic groups to get into conflict.

Why are you people always thinking and fantasising death and murder?

Sri Lanka Govt. doubts LTTE has chemical weapons

These sinhala warriors crowing about the impending demise of the LTTE somehow seem incapable of even attempting to mount a serious assault on the LTTE stronghold of Vanni.

The daily bombardments of countless LTTE ammunition dumps, meetings of Tiger leaders, destruction of the LTTE arms fleet in mid seas, choking of their funds in Sri Lanka and the West - all appear to have not appreciabl..
Full Story 21 Sep 2007 15:46:44 GMT

Sri Lankan Navy won t fire on Indian fishermen- Narayanan



Sri Lanka has assured India that there will be no firing by the Sri Lankan Navy on Indian fishermen hereafter, M.K. Narayanan, National Security Adviser, said on Monday.

In the event of arrest of the fishermen, they would be released in the shortest possible time. They would be given humanitarian treatment as far as possible, and there would be no maltreatment of the Indian fishermen, Mr. Narayanan told journalists, emerging from a 40-minute-long meeting with Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and senior officials of the State government at the Secretariat.

Describing as positive understanding the outcome of discussions at bilateral meetings between India and Sri Lanka early this month prior to the summit of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation, Mr. Narayanan said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his meeting with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa went into great detail on each of the points raised by the Chief Minister in his letter to Dr. Singh and personal discussions with him. On the basis of the discussions, a tentative understanding was reached, he said.

On the demand of some parties for the retrieval of Kachatheevu ceded to Sri Lanka , Mr. Narayanan said: international treaties and agreement cannot be changed overnight. If there is any requirement, that will be discussed at the appropriate time. To a question whether the fishermen would be allowed to carry out their operations in the islet, he said the government had raised the issue of traditional rights enshrined in the 1974 agreement. We believe that the Sri Lankan side is willing to accept that there are certain traditional fishing rights that should be observed, he said, adding that the details would be finalised in the next few weeks.

To a query whether India would walk out of the 123 agreement, if some countries put unacceptable conditions in the draft waiver at the Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting, likely to take place next month, Mr. Narayanan retorted: Why should you anticipate and be speculative? We are hopeful that we will get the NSG through. (Hindu)


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Comments

no comments i will say you later

Posted By: lenin

Mr. Narayanan sounds very hollow in saying We believe that the Sri Lankan side is willing to accept that there are certain traditional fishing rights that should be observed . Is it a clause of the1974 agreement? If so why expect SL s willingness ?

Posted By: xxx

Calistas J you are correct early fifties all the petty jobs in sriLanka were occupied by Kallathonis and not 'Kalathonis'. With a greatest difficulty we got rid of them. They were the illegal immigrants.

Posted By: Michael

as long as the indian malukarayas stay in their own territorial waters. if they come to sri lankan waters illegally, our navy reserves the right to engage them in any appropriate lawful manner

Posted By: lankan

Karunanidhi is a ltte supporter. He does everything against Sri Lanka.

Posted By: saumya

DONT YOU KNOW FOLKS, KARUNANIDI SENDING THESE TERROR FISHERMEN WITH THE SUPPLIES OF ARMS & OTHER MATERIAL FOR LTTE. BECAUSE KN AND THE GREAT WOMENISER MGR CREATED LTTE TERRORIST TO DESTROY SL ECONOMY.

Posted By: Nazir

Maliyali never like Tamils, He (M.K. Narayanan) may be behind killing Tamil those fishermen.

Posted By: Arthy

Oh.Jeez. One thing that goes well for this government is that they have manged to walk on a tight rope with China and Pakistan having balanced India. Last thing we wanted at this point is an antagonized India and in particular TN. Hats off to the government for the positive way they reacted to Narayanan's comments previously. our pseudo nationalist would have messed up everything. This is diplomacy at its best I reckon.

Posted By: JANVIC

He accused LTTE indirectly. OK?

Posted By: R.F.Maria Dineshan.

who is this Narayanan.... is this guy was walking from BMICH to Hotel? under high profile protection

Posted By: nathan

SL navy won t fire Indian fishermen ? Your statement implies that SL navy has fired on Indian fishermen, those who being arrested were held for a long time, they were being treated inhumanly and they had been subjected to maltreatment! Is that what your are implying Mr. Narayanan? You truly deserve what you got for your last unwise statement.

Posted By: Thisshamy

Y is he speaker of SL navy???

Posted By: Robert

Those days they used to swim and come like Kallathonis for economic advantage. Now they want to come as Fishermen for the same reason. And we are supposed to keep quiet.

Posted By: Calistus Jayatilleke

Are both of them thinking SL is a state of India? not only fishermen even president of India crosses the SL border illegally on support of LTTE Sri Lanka navy has the right to stop them being an independant country. Tamil Nadu fisherman not only crossing international border even their own borders such as Kerala, Karnataka...etc. everyday like beaten by other states fishermen.

Posted By: Nasir

Calistus Jayathilaka I think you should study, if not revise, little bit of your own history. If you believe you are a descendant of Prince Vijay the first Kalathony then you should know who the real Kalathonies are! Don t make such stupid statements at this hour of turmoil.

Posted By: Veerappan

Calistus Jayathilaka I think you should study, if not revise, little bit of your own history. If you believe you are a descendant of Prince Vijay the first Kalathony then you should know who the real Kalathonies are! Don t make such stupid statements at this hour of turmoil.

Posted By: Veerappan

Navy will not fire even if there are LTTE guys in those boats?

Posted By: Asoka

They are murdering our people man and you all are masturbating every time they kill tamil people