Daily News Editorial

A boost for reconciliation

03 November 2016

Sri Lanka is now treading on the path of reconciliation after nearly three decades of conflict. The previous Government headed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was not so keen on the concept of reconciliation and appointed the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) only under immense international pressure.

On the other hand, the National Unity Government that came to power on January 8, 2015 has taken a genuine interest in achieving reconciliation among all communities and religious groups in the country. Both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have been personally committed to fostering reconciliation among all communities from day one. Both of them have visited the North several times, meeting the ordinary people and solving their problems.

In fact, this Government has taken upon itself the task of implementing most of the LLRC recommendations which were either neglected or ignored by the previous one. Its commitment to reconciliation and lasting peace has never been in doubt. Unity among different communities will be one of the main planks of the new Constitution which is slowly but surely taking shape with the participation of all Members of Parliament and other stakeholders.

However, reconciliation cannot be achieved overnight after decades of discord and rancour. It was a brutal conflict that pitted brother against brother and even if the physical scars heal, it is rather difficult to heal the mental scars. Many countries where similar conflicts ended several decades ago are still grappling with reconciliation, because it is a complex process that has no easy answers or short cuts. Sri Lanka is no exception. This is exacerbated by the actions of extremists on both sides of the ethnic divide who strive to fan the flames of hatred and communalism. They will seize every opportunity to derail the process of reconciliation and take Sri Lanka back to the dark ages, because they can only thrive electorally in an environment of fear and suspicion. In other words, their only political mantra is unabashed racism.

These elements have reacted with glee to several recent events in the North, with the usual refrain that the “LTTE is regrouping and the war is about to start again”. The recent killing of two university students, the subsequent attack on two Police intelligence officers and the emergence of a gang called “Aava” in the North have provided them with enough ammunition to take their communal agenda forward.

Fortunately, the Government reacted swiftly before communalists on both sides could incite racial passions further. President Sirisena pledged to find out the truth about the killing of the two Jaffna University students and five policemen have been questioned. Now the President has gone one step further by meeting representatives of Jaffna University students and academic staff, where he has promised to expedite the investigation. This is a laudable initiative which no other leader has taken in previous instances of this nature.

This type of incident can lead to a dent in the reconciliation process, but we hope the swift Presidential action will counter any such danger. It is vital to keep the public informed of the progress of the investigation at all stages, lest racially motivated political elements spread various fabrications that can damage ethnic unity. These are usually “shared” on social media which cannot be controlled or censored. In one instance, a picture that has actually been taken in Bangladesh has been doctored to show that soldiers were facing attacks in the North of Sri Lanka. Several civic minded websites have since published both photos and called the bluff of racialists who doctored the photos apparently with the aim of inciting hatred against the Tamil community among the Sinhalese.

While it is difficult, nay, impossible to “police” the Web, the Government and the mainstream media must do everything possible to reveal the truth to the public. No room should be allowed for communally-oriented forces from both sides to harm the fragile reconciliation and peace process.

To their credit, people in the North as well as the South have remained calm in the face of these incidents, despite the inflammatory rhetoric of extremist politicians on both sides. It is clear that the people, weary of war, have eschewed communal politics. This was evident during the last two polls – Presidential and General – where the voters rejected communally minded politics and politicians outright.

We need to create a Sri Lankan identity to go beyond the communal mentality that has kept us from realizing our full potential as a Nation. If you ask a Singaporean who he or she is, the answer will not be “Chinese, Malay or Tamil” – it will be “Singaporean”. Similarly, we must all think of ourselves as Sri Lankans. This feeling cannot emanate from the law books – it must come from within our hearts. Our hearts and minds have suffered enough over the decades and now is the time to shed petty differences and work together for the betterment of the Nation. The future generations deserve nothing less.