Be alert with Tigers

President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Foreign Minister Mr. Lakshman Kadirgamar, are now on an official visit to France after having paid similar visits to several European countries last week. One of the main objectives of these visits soon after the British government proscribed the LTTE along with 21 other terrorist organisations would undoubtedly have been to drive home the point to European leaders and officials on the need to proscribe this Sri Lankan organisation or adopt strong measures to prevent European nations being used by this organisation for terrorist funding and other activities.

The British stand on terrorism should have a widespread fallout on other members of the European union, which like Britain earlier did, are adopting a benign attitude towards the Sri Lankan terrorist organisation.

Most European nations have large concentratios of Sri Lankan Tamils who are in support of the LTTE or are fleeced by the terrorist organisation to fund terrorism in this country. In France, the ex-patriate Sri Lankan Tamil population is estimated to be well over 50,000. If good relations between European nations and Sri Lanka are to mean anything to this little island plagued with terrorism, we expect European governments to crack down on the LTTE, which poses a serious threat to the unity and stability of this country. Some European countries like France are somewhat wary of cracking down on international terrorist outfits, particularly those of Muslim Fundamentalists like from neighbouring Algeria because of the fear of catalysing terrorism within its own borders. But this does not apply to the LTTE.

Earlier, Sri Lankan terrorists received some sympathy in the west because of alleged violations of human rights and suppression of the Tamil community. While the latter charge is now being dismissed in the context of the devolution proposals that have been made, it is being realised that violations of human rights, when they occur, are more a consequence of terrorism itself. The Sri Lankan government has taken steps to prevent such violations and punished offenders.

While the scene in Europe has brightened up for the Sri Lankan government, they cannot afford to be complacent. Since the LTTE declared a unilateral cease-fire in December last year, they have been plugging the line that the government is violating this cease-fire and want to sabotage the proposed talks. The government has been continuing military operations on a lesser scale having had the experience that previous LTTE cease-fires have been preludes to a rejuvenated new phase of the war. The government and those acquainted with LTTE treachery knows this, but not the outside world.

Thus, the blood splattered Tigers are posing off as born again vegetarians in search of peace and it is likely that there will be many na•ve people in the west that may be impressed by this propaganda. Although the government has agreed for peace talks after the introduction of the Norwegian facilitator into the peace process, it has maintained a strict silence on the progress towards talks. The Norwegian facilitator Mr. Eric Solheim too has not been saying why negotiations are not taking off while the LTTE propagandists are beating the drums claiming that the government is violating the cease-fire and sabotaging the talks. This is meant for European nations where the Tigers run the risk of facing the same fate as what happened in the United States and now Britain.

It is time now for the government to either expedite the process for negotiations to commence or tell the world the factors that are inhibiting progress towards negotiations.

Replicas of the Bamiyan Buddhas

The Sri Lanka Maha Bodhi Society has commenced moves to build replicas of the two Bamiyan statues that were destroyed by artillery fire of the mad men of Kabul. This is indeed a commendable move.

It has been reported that the society has written to the Pakistan and Indian High Commissions seeking information.

Since the destruction of these ancient monuments has been universally condemned, the Maha Bodhi Society's gigantic task should receive worldwide attention and participation. Since UNESCO too has expressed its outrage at this vandalism, their assistance should be canvassed assistance for international support. This project may be too big for one organisation or one country alone.

It has been reported that the proposed replicas will be one-third the size of the destroyed statues. Whatever the logistics involved are, every effort should be made to build statues of the same proportions as those that were destroyed.

Before launching on the project it would be advisable to have an international conference of Buddhist scholars, architects, sculptors and the like because it will be a historic monument that will be of universal interest.

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