The mere absence of the war that has destroyed many lives (more than 70,000 - no firm estimate is available), displaced tens of thousands of families from their habitats and inflicted untold suffering on virtually the entire population for more than two decades does not mean the return of lasting peace. This requires essentially, the elimination of the root causes that led to the violent conflict. However, the immediate need is the easing of the hardships of the victims of the vicious war. The reconstruction and rehabilitation programmes should be integral part of a genuine peace process. The attainment of the peace goal also requires the promotion of a sense of togetherness, understanding by the Sinhalese people of the problems faced by the ethnic minorities and the need for changes from the perspective of the future of all ethnic communities and the island nation. The extreme brutality of the war which the government resolutely continued at high cost aimed towards a conclusive victory for the armed forces has made the reconciliation and peace processes increasingly difficult.

[Clean water distribution in the 'conflict zone'-in Valagnanyarmadam-more pics]

“Mr. President,

In my capacity as Chairperson/Rapporteur of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration & Programme of Action, it is my honour to submit the report on its 6th Session to the Human Rights Council, pursuant to Resolution 1/5 and Decision 3/103.

Racism, xenophobia and related intolerance pose a threat to national and international peace and security as they lie at the root of many conflicts, both interstate and intrastate. Therefore, it is our responsibility to work whole-heartedly towards the eradication of racism and xenophobia by fulfilling the mandate of the Inter-Governmental Working Group accordingly. I am committed to ensuring that the goals established under the mandate are realized effectively.

BOOK REVIEW

A Guide to Current Constitutional Issues in Sri Lanka
By Ruana Rajepakse Published by Citizens’ Trust (2008)

Some constitutions around the world appear to be rock solid; others seem to work reasonably well; and yet others seem to be floundering no matter how much of work has gone into them. We have witnessed three constitutions in operation since independence in 1948. The last of them, the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka, was amended no less than seventeen times, with many more attempts at amendment. Yet, our problems as a nation seem so intractable. Are our national problems due to the constitutions, or are we, the citizenry, to be blamed for our apathy and our choice of political representatives?

The Tamils all over the world are concerned of the plight of the innocent Tamils who are caught in the armed conflict. On one side the Government calls it has waged a war on the terrorists in order to rescue the Tamils from the clutches of the LTTE. On the other side the LTTE maintains the people are with them. Apparently the Tamils also do not have faith in the Armed Security Forces fearing that they will be persecuted on suspicion of a LTTE cadre or sympathizer. Further, the Government, too, has not demonstrated its good faith without placing a meaningful solution for the innocent Tamils to decide a better future. Moreover, there are reports that the LTTE held these innocent Tamils as shields to protect them. Above all, the Government had denied access to the journalists and the NGOs on whom the trapped innocent Tamils have full confidence. The issue raises the role of the United Nations to deal in such a situation.

[Barbed wired centres being built to shelter the Vanni displaced in Manic Farm, Vavuniya-Feb 2009~pic by drs. Sarajevo]

Tens of thousands of people confined to a rapidly-shrinking area have headed for the coast to escape the fighting, in search of safety, food and medical care. But numbers in the coastal belt held by the LTTE have increased drastically over recent weeks, and clean water is scarce. The area is affected by shelling every day, and the cramped conditions and the lack of water and proper sanitation are putting people at risk of epidemics.

"The humanitarian situation is deteriorating by the day," said Paul Castella, head of the ICRC’s Colombo delegation. "Many of these people are forced to shelter in trenches. They are in considerable physical danger. After having been forced to move from place to place en masse for weeks or even months, they depend entirely on food from outside the conflict area."

[ICRC helping in transportation of patients in Vanni-pic: dpdhs Kilinochchi]

The press freedom organisation said Tissainayagam, who worked for the Sunday Times newspaper, has been held under an anti-terrorism law for more than a year just for writing two articles about how civilians have suffered as a result of the fighting between government forces and the rebels of the LTTE.

Today the UN is burdened with the problem of genocide and terrorism which are inter-twined and complex. These problems exists in developing countries including some multi-racial countries. Terrorism in any form which is committed by anyone or group has to be condemned unequivocally. In Sri Lanka though the Government is waging a war on terrorism, the Tamils have to clear all the hurdles to prove that the government is committing genocide on the pretext of fighting terrorism. A careful study of the Geneva Convention on Genocide together with other Resolutions on suppression of Terrorism, Declaration of Human Rights, Sri Lanka Constitution and the Prevention of Terrorism Act have to be scrutinized in dealing with genocide. The basis of the applicability of the international humanitarian law are the Geneva Conventions where armed conflict occurs and deal with the general protection of civilians.

Article 2 of the Geneva Convention on Genocide describes killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part, Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group and Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. Article 3 of the Geneva Convention on Genocide goes on to state that genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, direct and public incitement to commit genocide, attempt to commit genocide and complicity in genocide are punishable.

How do we classify Sri Lankan opinions and the opinions about Sri Lanka? One broad categorization would be between those who think that the Tigers are the problem and those who think the Tigers are the solution. Most Sinhalese belong to the first category and many Tamils, especially in the Diaspora, to the latter.

There is a more subtle version of this classification. There are those who think the Tigers are part of the problem and those who think they are part of the solution. Most Sinhalese and some Tamils fall into the first category and most Tamils into the latter.

"There is a common interest in the US as well as in China in maintaining and strengthening the present economic linkages without lettingthem be damaged seriously by what a Chinese analyst has called the tumours in the otherwise healthy organism of Sino-US relations whichkeep appearing from time to time such as the Taiwan, the proliferation, the Tibet and the National Missile Defence (NMD) issues. Thepolitical leaderships and the business class in the two countries would see to it that these tumours do not become malignant. One saw thatduring the Clinton Administration and one would see that during the Bush Administration too. After the present phase of rhetoric andconfrontation, moderation would again set in at Washington as well as in Beijing. It would be unwise and short-sighted for India to think thatthe present confrontation would last for long and that it could strategically take advantage of it."

March 9 was Commonwealth Day. To mark it, Queen Elizabeth was set to join 2,000 others at Westminster Abbey, London, for the U.K.’s largest multifaith observance. Since emerging from the colonial era as a voluntary grouping of independent nations 60 years ago, the modern Commonwealth has done a great deal to promote democracy, international understanding and the interests of vulnerable states. Yet, at least in the U.K., if more is not done to raise its visibility and relevance the Commonwealth risks disappearing from the national consciousness.

In 1969, a Gallup poll found that 34 per cent of British people identified the Commonwealth as the most important part of the world for Britain, on a par with those who said America, and one and a half times those who said Europe. An RCS/YouGov survey finds that only 14 per cent of British do so now, well behind America and Europe.

[Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arrives at Westminster Abbey in London, ahead of the annual Observance for Commonwealth Day, on March 9, 2009. AFP PHOTO]

One autumn day when Basho and one of his ten disciples, Kikaku, were going through a rice field, Kikaku composed haiku on a red dragonfly that caught his fancy. And he showed the following haiku to Basho.
Take a pair of wings
From a dragonfly, you would
Make a pepper pod.

“No” said Basho, “that is not haiku. You kill the dragonfly. If you want to compose a haiku and give life to it, you must say”:
Add a pair of wings
To a pepper pod, you would
Make a dragonfly.

-Kenneth Yasuda, The Japanese Haiku

Democracy is a Western concept that was introduced by the British to Sri Lanka with good intention whereby all sections of the community could take part without any discrimination as to race, religion, language, etc. However, Sri Lankan history has shown that successive governments have engaged in suppressing the rights of the minorities as from 1956 for political gains and changed the constitution thrice to suit their objectives of having the Tamils to be under their control without recognizing their rights. Their failure to resolve the problem without placing a meaningful federal solution had eventually led the minority to view the government as a foreign domination, giving rise to the birth of the concept of Tamil Homeland. As a result the presence of the ethnic issue emerged and continued until it took the form of terrorism and countered by State terrorism with the passage of time.

Recently, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama told a news conference at the University of Madras, Chennai in reply to the question whether he approved the military action by the Buddhist rulers of Sri Lanka: "I pray and hope some peaceful resolution is arrived at in Sri Lanka. I think the Sri Lankan government should accept reality." He also reiterated his averseness to the use of force. (Times of India 22 January 2009). Some Buddhist religious leaders and other Sri Lankans detesting violence have also stressed the need to recognize the realities in seeking a permanent political solution to the ethnic problem that is the root cause of the present gory conflict. There is awareness even amongst present political and military leaders that there is no military solution to the underlying problem.