THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVIL
WAR’S END REVEALS THE PERSISTING ETHNIC DIVISION IN SRILANKA
Nine
years is perhaps too short a time for deep wounds to heal, but it is enough
time to begin to introspect. However, going by the polarised views around the
anniversary of the end of Sri Lanka’s civil war, there are few signs of that.
For the Tamils who gathered in Mullaitivu district in the Northern Province on
Friday, it was a day to remember loved ones killed in those savage final days
of the war that ended on May 18, 2009 — according to UN estimates, nearly
40,000 died.
The southern Sinhalese political leadership,
on the other hand, makes it a point to celebrate “war heroes” around the same
time, hailing their efforts to bring peace. Even this year, national leaders,
including President Maithripala Sirisena, saluted the soldiers for their
sacrifice, while offering nothing but silence to the civilians who were caught
in the conflict. The two disparate narratives of trauma and triumph can never
meet, and in such a context, the chances for fruitfully negotiating this
hard-won peace will remain slim. Time will only make it harder for the two
communities to resolve the ethnic division that has outlived the war.
The
government led by President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe
came to power in 2015 promising, among other things, a political solution to
Sri Lanka’s national question. It initiated the drafting of a constitution that
would potentially devolve more powers to all provinces, including the
Tamil-majority north and east. Preoccupied with the persistent tension within
the ruling coalition, the leadership has done little to take the exercise
forward at a convincing pace, let alone complete it. Even the welcome
initiatives of the government in the affected areas, such as the release of
military occupied land or efforts to probe cases of enforced disappearance,
will have only limited appeal or impact in the absence of a durable political
solution. The international community has spared the government of pressure on
the accountability front, hoping that it would proactively address other
concerns that linger for the Tamil citizens. If initiatives on the political
front have been so stalled, efforts to revive the economy do not offer much
promise either. Almost every family in the north and east is neck-deep in debt
and young people are desperate for employment. To say that time is running out
is to state the obvious. Addressing the present challenges is one way of
helping a wounded people cope with their troubled past. The memories that haunt
them may never die. But some healing may be possible if they have a better
future to look forward to. This government, which came to power with the
overwhelming support of Tamils, must not let them down. It must not add to the
list of missed opportunities.
Prof. John Kurakar
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