Archives

Local environmental success stories

A "mini" Lanka aid consortium which would be held in late November in Oslo, with the participation of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, among other vital actors, is a reflection of the steady interest the international community is continuing to evince in the current peace process in this country. As is well known, this level of concern is a critical factor in the continuation of the negotiatory process on account of the moral and economic assistance it generates for Sri Lanka.

This aid meeting, we are told, would be followed later by a major aid group consortium in Tokyo.

Accordingly, all eyes seem to be on Sri Lanka and how it is managing the peace process. Continued international good will and assistance for us would depend crucially on whether accelerated, concrete progress is being achieved on the conflict resolution front.

Peace-making is, of course, a two-way process. It calls for joint, coordinated, concerted and earnest endeavours on part of both the Government and the LTTE. Without such honest collaboration between these main parties, it is difficult to see the peace process bearing any fruit. Nevertheless, this joint drive for peace is the imperative of the day and on whether it could be accomplished depends the quantum of international economic and other assistance which would come our way. We are given to understand that the concrete progress achieved in the peace process would be the principal criterion for continued assistance of this nature.

In this context, the proposal to set up a joint Task Force between the Government and the LTTE for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the North-East could be considered a high water mark in the peace effort. It is an exercise in collaboration and equal participation which will enhance the prospects of democratic development, besides strengthening the status of the LTTE as a major stake holder in the peace process. We hope the upcoming second round of talks would feature further developments of this kind which would increase our credibility as a country on the march to progress.

A prime requirement, then, is concrete and substantial progress in the peace effort and we hope both major parties to the conflict would make a frank appraisal of the peace effort at the upcoming talks and consider, in particular, ways of strengthening it further. Special attention needs to be devoted to the ground realities which tend to militate against the peace drive. A greater understanding needs to be arrived at on these matters.

Coming back to development assistance, the Lankan side would do well to emphasize at the end-November Oslo talks that it is the entirety of Sri Lanka and not only the North-East which needs to be developed. While, quite naturally, the prime focus will be on the development of the North-East, the complementary and symbiotic nature of development should help bring Southern Sri Lanka also into the planning process.

The reason for this approach is the complementary role the regions play in the total development of the country. For instance, it is the general prosperity of the people of the South and their purchasing power which would enable the North-East economy to keep on ticking. The converse too is true because unless the economic conditions in the North-East improve, fruitful economic exchanges cannot take place between North and South.

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has an insight into all this because he is expected to make a case for development assistance for the whole country, at the Oslo talks. The mere siphoning of assistance, however, would come to naught if the incoming resources are not managed and used efficiently. This aspect of the economic rejuvenation process too, needs to be looked at very closely.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager