THE REAL LESSON TO BE LEARNT FOR RECONCILIATION
- Details
- Created on 18 October 2010
The Presidential Commission on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation has sought a report from the police to provide it with information about the situation of detained LTTE suspects in government custody. This action has been in response to the complaints made to it directly, and in person, by relatives of those detained or missing persons. Over the past two months since the Commission began its public sittings it has met with a large number of people who have come before it to give evidence. The opportunity for this came because the distraught relatives were able to make use of the opportunity provided to them by the appointment of this Commission by President Mahinda Rajapaksa five months ago in May this year.
BUILDING BETTER AFTER THE MILITARY SOLUTION IN THE NORTH
- Details
- Created on 11 October 2010
The exchange of ordinary citizens and regular commerce between the North and East and the rest of the country has been one of the best outcomes and possibly best unifier of the country since the end of the war. It has generated people-to-people exchange due to the new commercial opportunities and through tourism and pilgrimage to shrines of worship especially those at Nagadipa and Madhu. Apart from this NGOs and civil society groups have also been doing youth and media exchange programmes. A recent one in Gampaha I attended brought the youth from the North and their compatriots from the South together with the participation of local government authorities, and with the village people hosting the visitors for three days.
FROM PERSONAL POLITICS TO SYSTEMIC POLITICS
- Details
- Created on 04 October 2010
Within days of returning from the UN where he had addressed the world on the Sri Lankan model of reconciliation after war, President Mahinda Rajapaksa ratified the jail sentence of 30 months imposed on his defeated opponent at the Presidential Election held this year. This action, which also confirmed rigorous imprisonment with hard labour to General Sarath Fonseka did not conform to the hopes of many if not most Sri Lankans who would have wished leniency to be shown to the country’s if not the world’s best army commander. Certainly the electorate who voted him into Parliament after his defeat at the presidential election and arrest thereafter would be strongly aggrieved. The former General had suffered life threatening injuries on more than one occasion in his forty year career as a soldier.
UPLIFTING WORDS AND OUTCOMES OF PRESIDENT’S UN VISITS
- Details
- Created on 27 September 2010
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s participation at the UN General Assembly gave him a special opportunity to inform the world how his government dealt with war and is now dealing with post-war issues. At the General Assembly the President delivered a well crafted speech with aplomb. There were news reports that the government officers whose duty it was to ensure a high turnout of international delegates at the time of the speech were remiss in their duty. This was an opportunity not taken by the large retinue that accompanied the President. The government media reported that this speech had been highly commended with heads of state of Malawi, Saudi Arabia and Serbia amongst those who had sent congratulatory messages to the President.
THE CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITY AT THE UN MEETING
- Details
- Created on 20 September 2010
There was speculation whether President Mahinda Rajapaksa would attend the UN General Assembly meeting this year. This was on account of the strained relations between the Sri Lankan government and the UN Secretary General Ban-ki Moon on the issue of war crimes allegedly committed in the last phase of the war. Six months ago, following several strongly worded exchanges between the Sri Lanka authorities and UN officials, the UN Secretary General announced he would appoint an advisory panel to guide him with regard to the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. This was strongly resented by the Sri Lankan government as an unwarranted intrusion into the country’s internal affairs in a manner that other countries were not being subjected
ACCEPTING REALITY AND BUILDING TRUST
- Details
- Created on 14 September 2010
The passage of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution has been a landmark event. The government obtained the necessary 2/3 majority in Parliament by a comfortable margin. The number of opposition parliamentarians who appear willing to take flight into the government seems to be increasing by the day. Therefore the government has every reason to be confident of its stability and strength. This is probably the strongest government that Sri Lanka has ever seen and is likely to see. It has no serious opposition at the present time. Those who try to confront the government rather than find ways to engage and work with it are likely to be brushed aside at best.
DOUBLE EDGED ARGUMENT ON TWO TERM LIMIT
- Details
- Created on 06 September 2010
The government has decided to present its proposal on constitutional change to Parliament on September 8. There appears to be a growing number of opposition parliamentarians ready to support the government. The government leadership is once again showing its capacity for decisive action. What it wants to do it does, whether it is winning a war that many thought un-winnable or constructing a harbour that many thought was uneconomic. The opposition to the constitutional changes has so far been limited to commentaries in the media and to some posters put up on the streets. There has been no movement of people or organized agitation that could impact on the government.
ANOTHER CHECK AND BALANCE TO BE LOST
- Details
- Created on 30 August 2010
The government’s decision to amend the Constitution to permit the incumbent President to seek office for more than two terms and to do away with the 17th Amendment to the Constitution that limits the President’s powers of high level state appointments was not unexpected. In January this year President Mahinda Rajapaksa won a second term of six years. He won this election by a large margin, although under controversial circumstances in which the government utilized the state machinery to ensure his victory. The opposition claimed electoral malpractice that extended to rigging of the count, but failed to furnish convincing evidence. However, most election monitors noted widespread violations of the election laws. One of the main infirmities of that election was the absence of an independent Election Commission with the power of corrective action, as mandated by the Constitution.
FACTORS THAT SPOIL SRI LANKA’S IMAGE
- Details
- Created on 23 August 2010
Over a year and a quarter have elapsed since the end of the war. Sri Lanka ought to be well positioned to successfully project itself as a country that is on the mend. The government’s determination to hold the Indian International Film Awards in Colombo in May this year was to send such a message to the world. This effort turned out to have mixed results. The film industry in South India opposed the event on political grounds. They highlighted the fate of the tens of thousands of internally displaced persons who still remained destitute. On the other hand, the event went off without any security hitch, which showed the world that Sri Lanka was once again a safe country for tourism and investments.
REVERSING LESSONS LEARNT AND RECONCILIATION
- Details
- Created on 16 August 2010
It is ironic that at the same time as the government-appointed Commission on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation has begun its public hearings, its reverse has taken the centre stage in the country. The lessons of the past were ignored and reconciliation for the future that embraces the entirety of the country suffered a major setback. A military tribunal recommended that former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka be stripped of all his military ranks, honors and pension. This recommendation was accepted by President Mahinda Rajapaksa in his capacity of Commander-in-Chief of the Sri Lankan military forces.
Media Centre