Putting the record straight

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama’s comments to The Korea Herald are both a transparent mirror to the situation in Sri Lanka as well as a lucid outline of the tasks awaiting the parties to our conflict.

Contrary to the misguided views aired in some quarters, the principal priority of the Government is a negotiated political solution. “We are ready to talk tomorrow because we want peace in Sri Lanka... We want a dialogue towards accomplishing sustainable peace,” the Foreign Minister was quoted saying, by way of putting the record straight.

That said, it is all too evident that the LTTE is continuing with its terroristic acts, thereby calling into question its real motives. Right now, it seems that the LTTE is least or not all inclined to talk peace and to the extent to which it is committed to terror, the State is obliged to neutralise it.

This is the dilemma confronting the State. It is ever willing to follow the path of negotiations and would welcome the prospect of the LTTE coming to the table for talks but is obliged to defeat the terror plans of the Tigers through the enforcement of even tight law and order measures. This is because the State owes it to the people to maintain law and order and protect life and limb.

Right now, however, the indications are that peace is not at all on the minds of the Tigers. This can even be gauged by the acts of terror they are continuing to unleash in Southern Sri Lanka.

Apparently, the LTTE ploy is to get the Security Forces to stretch themselves out to the maximum over the length and breadth of the land so that the pressure on the Tigers in the North-East would diminish.

It could thus be seen that the LTTE is not even mulling the prospect of coming to talks. It is intent on carrying out its terror campaign come what may.

We hope we would be eventually proved wrong on this score. For, military means is not the preferred option of the State. The exercise of the military option is costly in terms of life and property and is not the ideal way of resolving the conflict.

This is the reason why a negotiated political solution should be preferred above the military approach to resolving the conflict.

Accordingly, the Foreign Minister has done right by emphasising this approach to the world community.

The international community, we hope, would acquire a sound grasp of these realities. It needs to perceive and appreciate the painful dilemmas confronting the State. Particularly, the obligation of the State to uphold law and order must be appreciated.

Accordingly, the world community should bring pressure to bear on the Tigers to end their terroristic approach and cooperate with the State in bringing peace.