ArecentarticleintheBostonGlobeisyetanotherexampleofthebrilliantdisinformationcampaignconductedbytheTamilTigerstosavetheirmilitaryleadershipfromdestruction.Thearticlelacksprecisionandintellectualdiscrimination,butisloftilysanctimoniousintonetomakeupforthis.Itispresentedherewitharewrittenversionofeachparagraphtosuggestwhatamorehonestexpositionwouldhaveincluded.

ASIA'Slongestcivilwarisbuildingtoaviolentcrescendo.IntheislandnationofSriLanka,theSinhalese-majoritygovernmentshouldbepressedtoacceptacease-fire,topermitapoliticalsettlement.

ASIA'Smostbrutalterroristmovementisheadingtoviolentdestruction.IntheislandnationofSriLanka,thedemocraticallyelectedgovernmentshouldbepressedtocalloffitsoffensive,andabandonitsdiscussionswithdemocraticTamilforces,soastogivebreathingspacetotheTigerterrorists.

GovernmentforcesarebesiegingtherebelTamilTigersinthenorthofthecountry.Sinceabandoningaceasefirein2006andaNorwegian-sponsoredpeaceprocessearlierthisyear,PresidentMahindaRajapaksaandhisbrother,DefenseMinisterGotabhayaRajapaksa,havebeenvauntingtheirintentiontocrushtheTigersonceandforall.

GovernmentforcesarebesiegingtheterroristTamilTigersinacoupleofdistrictsinthenorthofthecountry.SincetheTigerswalkedoutofpeacetalksin2006,ignoringaNorwegian-sponsoredpeaceprocess,andlaunchedtwoferociousattacksagainstSriLankanforcesintheNorthandEastofthecountry,thegovernmentofPresidentMahindaRajapaksahascounter-attacked,withleadershipbeingprovidedbytheSecretarytotheMinistryofDefence,ColGotabhayaRajapaksa,thebrotherofthePresident.HavingclearedtheEastoftheTigersin2007,thegovernmentformallyabrogatedtheCeasefireinJanuary2008,pavingthewayfordemocraticTamilforcestocontestelectionsintheEast.FollowingtheestablishmentofaTamilledProvincialAdministrationintheEast,thegovernmentbeganoperationstofreetheNorthfromtheTigers.

Thereislittlechancethebrothers'militarycampaignwillproduceanythingotherthananewphaseofprotractedguerrillawarfare.Meanwhile,over200,000civilianshavebeenuprootedfromtheirhomes.Ongroundfloodedbymonsoonrains,theystruggletosurviveinfraillean-tos,dependentonaidagenciesthatoperateundertheSriLankanarmy'ssevererestrictions.

Thegovernment’smilitarycampaignhasproceededslowlyandsteadily,andtheTigersarenowconfinedtoanarealessthanhalfthesizeofwhattheyearliercontrolledintheNorth.Theyarelikelytoreverttoguerillawarfareiftheircurrentmilitarystructureisdismantled,butwiththeirsupplychainsdisruptedtheywillbeweakenedbeyondrepairunlesstheirforeignsupporterscanprovidethemwithalifeline.

Meanwhiletheyhaveforcedover200,000civilianstofleewiththemintoanevershrinkingspace.Thegovernmentcontinuestoprovidethemwithfood(whichtheTigersalsohelpthemselvesto),theWorldFoodProgrammeprovidingsupportforabouthalfthetotalnumber.Governmentprovidedhealthfacilitieshave,despitetheheaviestmonsooninyears,preventedanyseriousoutbreakofdiseasealthoughthereweredirepredictionseachmonthofepidemicsinthefollowingmonth.Governmentalsocontinueswiththefreeeducationitprovidestoallchildren,andinDecemberconductedtheOrdinaryLevelEducationalCertificateExaminationevenfordisplacedchildren.ThoughtheTigersclaimthattheydependonexternalagenciesforallsupport,themoreresponsibleofthoseagencies,suchasSavetheChildren,havemadeitclearthattheirworkonlysupplementswhatgovernmentprovides.

Bothsideshaveabusedcivilians.TheSriLankanmilitaryhasbombedandshelledvillages,schools,hospitals.AnofficialoftheWorldFoodProgramtoldtheBBCrecentlythatconditionsfordisplacedpeopleinthenorthernconflictzoneare"asbasicasinSomalia."AndHumanRightsWatchhasaccusedtheTigersofpreventing230,000displacedciviliansfromfleeingthewarzonesotheycanbeusedashumanshields,andtoprovideapoolofpotentialrecruits.

Bothsidesareallegedtohaveabusedcivilians.However,therecordoftheSriLankanmilitary,evenaccordingtovariouswebsitesassociatedwiththeterroristTigers,ismuchbetterthanthatofanyotherarmedforcestrugglingagainstterror.Acomparativepresentationofstatisticswouldbeembarrassingtocountriesfavouredbyreadersofthispaper,butsufficeittosaythat,infortyairraidsconductedbytheSriLankanairforceinNovember,therewereallegationsofciviliandeathsinjustonecase.

AformerBritishservicemanworkingnowasasecurityofficerfortheWorldFoodProgramme,whileadmittingthatfoodsupplieswereadequate,saidhehadseennothingasbadsincehehadleftSomalia.TheWorldFoodProgrammehassincedissociateditselffromhiscomments.

Meanwhile,thoughthispaperwillnotbecategoricalabouttheTigers,soastoavoidanyallegationsofbiasagainstterrorists,itshouldbenotedthatHumanRightsWatch,whichgenerallyreiteratesTigerclaimsabouttheexcessesoftheSriLankangovernment,hasaccusedtheTigersofpreventing230,000displacedciviliansfromfleeingthewarzonesothattheycanbeusedashumanshields,andtoprovideapoolofpotentialrecruits.Thispaperwillnotgosofarastosaythattheyareinfactbeingusedashumanshieldsandthattheyare,childrenincluded,beingforciblyrecruitedandthrustintobattlelines.Ifwedidso,theworldmightwonderwhynoonecategoricallycriticizessuchterroristtactics,butinsteadallcommentatorscontinuewiththefictionthatbothsidesareasbadaseachother.

TamilciviliansofnorthernSriLankaaresufferingaman-madedisaster.Ethnicornationalisticprideshouldnotbeallowedtoinflictsuchsufferingoncivilianswhocommittednocrimebuttobetrappedinawarzone.

TamilciviliansintwodistrictsofnorthernSriLankahavesufferedforcedconscriptionandotherhorrorsforseveralyears,thoughgovernmenthasensuredthesupplyoffood,freeforoverhalfthepopulation,alongwithfreehealthservicesandeducation.Thesufferingofthepastdidnotparticularlymattertothispaper,butnowthattheareamightbeliberated,toenjoythefreedomTamilsintherestofthecountrydo,wenotethatthereareproblemsandwouldpreferthecontroloftheterroriststocontinue.

Ethnicornationalisticprideshouldnotbeallowedtoinflictsuchsufferingoncivilianswhocommittednocrimebuttobetrappedinawarzone,thoughthispaperispreparedtotoleratesuchsufferingforthosewholiveoneithersideoftheNorthWestFrontierandforthoseinGaza,justasitdidforthoseinIraqunderSaddamHusseinandforthedispossessedinDiegoGarcia.Thatsufferinghadtobeacceptedintheinterestsofthesafetyofthereadersofthispaper,eventhoughinfacttherewasnowarintheIndianOceananditsinhabitantswanteditdeclaredaZoneofPeace.

OnlywhentheshootingstopscanSriLanka'sgovernmentpursuealastingpeace-bygrantingtheTamilsmeaningfulautonomyintheirhomelands.

ThedestructionoftheTigersmaypermitthedevelopmentofpluralisticdemocracyinwhichformermilitantswholaiddownarmsandenteredtheelectoralprocesscanprovidedevelopmentfortheirpeoplethroughdevolution.ThispaperhoweverwouldpreferthattheTigersbeallowedtolivetofightanotherday,becauseifothercountriessolvedtheirproblemstherewouldbenothingforustopontificateabout.

ProfRajivaWijesinha
SecretaryGeneral
SecretariatforCoordinatingthePeaceProcess