by Jaliya Wickramasuriya
It is a sincere honor to have been invited to speak at the first Intercollegiate South Asian Arts Festival at AU on April 6. The show stands to be a wonderful tribute to the beauty and depth of South Asian arts.
It is no surprise that a campus as diverse, cultured and intellectually curious as AU would produce such an impactful and vibrant event.
While I very much appreciate the opportunity to participate in such a great event, I was distressed to learn that two individuals published an op-ed in The Eagle protesting my participation and politicizing this celebration of arts and culture.
I was shocked and disappointed when I read the letter. Since it was rife with flaws and egregious misconceptions, I felt a responsibility to present an accurate update on the situation in Sri Lanka.
First and foremost, we must remember that Sri Lanka is emerging from a bloody 26-year conflict. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was an internationally proscribed terrorist organization that viciously suppressed democracy and human rights in the areas it dominated, killing its rivals among all populations in Sri Lanka, assassinating moderate Tamil politicians and intellectuals and spreading terror throughout Sri Lanka with its many attacks on innocent civilians.
Despite your best efforts to characterize the conflict as an ethnic one, the size and scale of the terrorist LTTE was equivalent to many conventional forces; the Sri Lankan forces' successful defeat of the LTTE required the proportional use of force.
Second, the misleading op-ed alleges terrible atrocities by the Government and sensationalized casualty numbers without any basis in fact. Even the BBC article citing this grossly inflated civilian casualty figure qualifies it as "a figure higher than most other calculations." It also recognizes civilian casualties are an unfortunate consequence of conflict by both LTTE and Sri Lankan forces, not "at the hand of the government" as you inaccurately portray.
I must inform you that the United Nations itself in February 2010 stated publicly that it has no evidence to support a casualty claim. The Government is confident that a much more accurate estimate can be arrived at with the conclusion of a census and population analysis expected before the end of 2013. It is only then that this subject can be discussed with any accuracy.
Third, the op-ed questions the legitimacy of the independent Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). The LLRC was created by Sri Lankans for Sri Lankans so that citizens may live with peace and prosperity in the future. As former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton noted, "Such commissions of inquiry have played an important role in advancing accountability and addressing wrongs in other countries emerging from periods of internal strife." One needs to look no further than the success of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa.
Sri Lanka has overcome a number of difficult post-conflict challenges in the last four years to facilitate healing among the general population. Nearly all 1.5 million landmines laid by the LTTE have been removed, and 300,000 internally displaced people resettled.
Sri Lanka is also satisfying a comprehensive process of reconciliation based on recommendations of the LLRC. Amnesty has been granted to over 12,000 former LTTE combatants and child soldiers who are being reintegrated into society. There are 225 ex-combatants that will face legal proceedings for criminal charges, and a court of inquiry has been convened to explore allegations of wrongdoing against the Sri Lankan Armed Forces.
This progress does not mean there's not a long way to go and does not serve to discount or diminish any grievances that exist, but the pace of change in Sri Lanka is dramatic. The Government of Sri Lanka has fully committed to the implementation of recommendations made by the LLRC and has already made significant progress to that effect.
The Embassy, with my personal involvement, looks forward to opportunities to brief your campus community with respect to our ongoing progress. My Embassy doors are always open to those looking to have a fact-based discussion on these matters of grave importance.
Once again I look forward to speaking at your esteemed institution.
Jaliya Wickramasuriya
Ambassador of Sri Lanka
edpage@theeagleonline.com
