Climbing the Peace Bandwagon

LTTE spokesman Anton Balasingham’s statement at the joint press conference in Bangkok on Wednesday that his organisation will not be pressing for a separate state and vague statements that the call for self determination will not be tantamount to a call for separation, it is apparent, has sent people of various assortments heading towards cloud nine.

The joy derived from the hopes of peace and attendant benefits can be appreciated but it is essential that the nation has to be alert and not be dreamy eyed about peace—- a peace which all admit is still very far away. Some will be genuinely carried away by this peace euphoria while others from political hangers on to international wheeler- dealers will all try to mount this Peace Process Bandwagon.

It will be noted that during the past 50 years, Sri Lankans have been actively engaged in the acts of worshipping sacred cows that have been constantly replaced with the arrival of new bovine deities, none of which have been of benefit to the nation but of course been beneficial to the worshippers.

Immediately after Independence it was ‘ Freedom without a drop of blood being shed’ followed by Bandaranaike Principles, Socialism, Non Alignment, Mahaveli Scheme, Open economy and the Devolution Package.To have been critical of them was considered sacrilege, particularly by the ruling party. However, some of these sacred cows have received lusty kicks such as the Open economy and the Devolution package but while most them led the nation nowhere, political opportunists reaped great benefits.

Now comes the Peace Process that acquired added sanctity after Balasingham’s sudden volte-face or what we believe to be so. From leaders of Big Powers to political hangers on and their side- kicks. all are hailing this Peace Process. The most bizarre demonstration for peace was witnessed at the recent Jana Bala Meheyuma where it was claimed that a million participated. Some of them were at their belligerent best being gifted with enough and more of the golden water of the tree of life.

Undoubtedly arms dealers and their agents will be trying to outdo all others in their call for peace.

We make these points not to detract or discourage those in the pursuit of peace but to stress that in the quest for peace, realism and pragmatism are called for. Peace is indeed wonderful to enjoy but also at stake are national sovereignty and the fundamental rights of the people. Peace is such a wonderful thing to possess that there is the possibility of being blackmailed into compromising on issues even involving national interests. That has to be avoided in this slow step- by- step approach to peace that has been proposed.

Ministry for Rest, Recreation and ‘Thathvaya’

The quality of diplomats appointed by a government to our embassies should surely be a measure of the quality of governance of that government.

If that is to be taken as a measure of good governance, then the current UNF government will rank very low down in the list. Yesterday, a correspondent in an article to The Island headlined: Diplomats and Diplo-muts, said that of the 23 diplomatic appointments that are to be made soon, 95 percent will be party men of and women of the UNF.

Appointment of party people in preference to those in the foreign service should not be encouraged but it should be permissible if the political appointees could outmatch the foreign service personnel. There have been instances where distinguished professionals have outshone professional diplomats. It happens all the while in countries where diplomacy is taken very seriously. But what is regrettable here is that those who are not fit to be doormen, blessed with the power of the purse and political influence are chosen as the country’s representatives.

Down the years it has been observed that one government outdoes previous governments in sending ‘ diplomuts’ abroad. This is because we do not believe in the use of diplomacy in the usual way. For us the Foreign Service is there not to service the country’s interests or project its image abroad. The diplomatic service is meant to be an extension of the ruling political party that has to accommodate party financiers and other unsavoury characters with their families who have to be rewarded substantially with paid foreign sojourns with all facilities.

Thus, the answer should be to have a ministry for rest, recreation and status (Thathvaya) for the benefit of party hacks while leaving this task of serving the country’s interests and projecting images etc. to the foreign ministry. At least the job will be done by professionals instead of the country being made the laughing stock.

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