 Lessons
from Mandela
Two broadly different schools of thought regarding the ethnic
question have arisen - i.e. whether or not the Government of Sri Lanka
should continue to negotiate with the LTTE or battle it out to a finish,
as some pressure groups demand.
The Citizens’ Movement for Good Governance (CIMOGG), feels, that the
South African experience should be taken into consideration, whereby a
potential bloodbath, and immense social and economic loss to the
country, was averted by the enlightened leadership of the then President
of South Africa, Nelson Mandela.
The principles which guided him in leading his country, with minimal
trauma, to become a major African power are to be found in a lecture he
delivered in early 2000 on being honoured academically by Trinity
College, Dublin.
Mandela started his address by stating that South Africans were
“conscious of their obligation to do whatever they can to contribute to
the advancement of peace, democracy and justice wherever possible.”
In order to get a fair indication of his thinking, we give below some
brief extracts of the formal lecture he gave.
=“We are urged by our own experience which has shown that no problem is
so intractable that it cannot be resolved through talk and negotiation
rather than force and violence.”
=“It is only the parties engaged in a particular conflict who in the end
can fashion lasting peace.”
=“Our starting point then is that where parties are locked in conflict,
peace is to be found through compromises based on the recognition that
their common interests are more important than their differences.
• “Situations of conflict can also provide fertile ground for forces
that flourish in situations of tension and therefore have no interest
in peace.”
• “On the brink of a bloody war that would have scorched the earth of
our common land, South Africans recognised that they were one nation
with one destiny.”
=“Rather than wait for a destructive war to run its course and only then
begin to talk, we chose to talk before our country’s infrastructure was
destroyed and before more innocent civilians were slaughtered.”
On the basis of the advice given by Mandela, whose statesmanship is
universally acknowledged, it would be prudent to follow the path of
negotiation and not indulge in killing and wanton destruction of the
country's infrastructure,
It is best for the parties to the conflict to talk directly to each
other, and not concede that right is not all on one side,
Good governance and our self-interest dictate that we heed Mandela's
advice. However, it should be understood that there is nothing in his
approach to preclude employing the good offices of any institution or
country to look after the logistics of organising and facilitating the
negotiations, - Not arbitrators, who would end up being blamed by both
sides.
Dr. A. C. Visvalingam
President CIMOGG
***
When dog bites man
On a sunny evening at the beginning of June, I went for my usual jog
to Campbell Park. (One prefers to do a jog in a public place in a
healthy environment rather than on a boring exercise machine).
On my way back home walking slowly near Karlshrue Avenue, I saw a man
with two huge dogs, one in a leash and the other without even a collar.
Both wore monstrous Doberman Pinschers and the frail looking man taking
them for a walk had no control whatsoever. The dog without the collar,
with no provocation suddenly jumped at me and took a good bite off my
chest. I was in immense pain and anger. I went home and got under the
shower, (scientific act to follow), washing the wound well with soap and
water. Thereafter, I got a Tetanus injection, followed by heavy
antibiotics and then went to the anti-rabies clinic in the National
Hospital where I was treated with four injections of Anti-Rabies Vaccine
and put on a schedule for future vaccines which I took.
At the clinic, I saw an eye catching notice – Rupees 500 million for a
dog bite - mind you from the poor tax payers’ purse. The medical officer
attending on me was exceptionally courteous and professional. He
meticulously wrote down all my details and also took an assurance from
me that I would monitor the condition of the dog for 14 days and report
back. However to my utter surprise, nothing was asked about the dog
which bit me and which may go on a biting rampage in the future as well,
for which the government is prepared to pay eagerly.
After my danger period of 14 days was over and my wounds healed, I was
passing the same place again, this time by car and saw the two dogs
again being taken for a walk. This time both dogs were without leashes.
This is what prompted me to write this article to enlighten the general
public and to open the eyes of the authorities concerned, to take
appropriate measures to avoid the recurrence of similar incidents and to
save the Rs. 500 million of public money.
I suggest that there should be strict rules and regulations with regard
to walking dogs in public places and the government should see to it
that it strictly adhered too. I wish also to suggest that when taking
down the details of the patient, the details and description of the dog
too should be recorded.
While taking down the name of the dog, colour and description it is
important to note whether the dog was vaccinated or not.
After the day 14 a detailed record of the dog should be handed over to
the Public Health Inspector (PHI) of the area to inquire in to the
incident to prevent a recurrence of the same. If the owner of the dog is
not cooperative the PHI should hand over the matter to the police.
On the one hand, the exercise of reporting the incident to the Police by
the affected party after 14 days will be futile, as he will invariably
be asked by the police why he waited for such a long time and the matter
may be dropped. On he other hand, the affected party is not in a
position to lodge a complaint with the police as soon as the incident
occurs fearing that the owner of the dog would not cooperate to observe
the condition of the dog for 14 days as required by the medical
standards.
I am strongly of the view that the matter should be addressed quickly in
order to safeguard the precious lives of the general public.
Dr. Nihal Munasinghe
Colombo 10.
***
Pot calling the kettle black
Tamil National Alliance parliamentary group leader Rajavarodayam
Sambandan, lashing out at the JVP wonders how many JVPers will go to
battle, if full scale war breaks out.
He has forgotten that the JVPers are politicians, not soldiers to march
to battle. Just like Mr. Sambandan and TNA politicians who will allow
the LTTE to do the fighting, while they do the talking.
Sambandan says there is no military solution to the problem. Karuna
Amman of the East if given a GoSL nod will willingly and easily flatten
out Prabhakaran’s northern bastion. The Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) was
the brainchild of the Norwegians. Sambandan does not speak of the
undeclared war Prabhakaran is waging, through which Prabakharan hopes to
claim his Eelam.
President Rajapaksa, the JVP and the JHU are against the CFA signed by
the leader of the opposition. Sambandan accuses the President of not
having liberal views, meaning that he cannot agree to fragmentation of
the country. The Sri Lankan constitution permits and makes room for
maximum devolution through Provincial Councils which was approved by the
late Rajiv Gandhi.
It is because Prabakaran did not approve of the arrangement that he set
a suicide bomber on Gandhi. Now Prabha seeks to draw in the
International Community to use their influence to resolve the conflict
through negotiations Prabha and the TNA will be elated if the UN
unthinkingly sends a peace keeping force to Lanka for that will cement
the division. That is what Sambandan hopes for and says so. Sambandan
laments the failure of the P-TOMS; money getting into the hands of the
LTTE. If that happened they would have bought arms and there would have
been a crisis for the GoSL and the President.
If the demography of the East was changed by successive governments, it
was because the land was sparsely populated with Tamils shunning the
area and vast stretches of fertile agricultural land lying waste. It was
D. S. Senanayake the first Prime Minister who dispatched Sinhalese,
Tamils and Muslims from over populated areas to Galoya.
The gazette notification of the amalgamation of the North and the East
legalised the combination and only a court of law or the President could
rescind it. Sambandan being a lawyer, thinks it is a political matter
and that the law should not interfere in arranging a bifurcation Good
sense should lead Mr. Sambandan to do it legally or else Karuna Amman
will take over Eelam.
ILP Samarasinghe
***
Who will bell the cat?
It seems unfortunate that in spite of the Israel killing nearly 60
civilians - about 40 of them, children - on July 30, in Qana, the
Security Council did not call for any ceasefire.
All it did was a formal statement condemning the loss of civilian life,
and a temporary ceasefire for 48 hours. It appears that soon after the
bombing that caused the death of the civilians, Mr. Kofi Annan, tried
desperately to bring about a ceasefire from virtually day one of the
Lebanon crisis, but failed to get the Security Council to support him.
Whileit is true that Hezbullah was totally responsible for igniting the
crisis when they took over the three Israeli soldiers, the world today
is wondering whether the retaliation by the Israelis is justified.
Could not they use other methods to get the three soldiers back? Could
not the Israelis’ instead of pounding Lebanon and reducing it to virtual
rubble, gone to the Security Council, where they have the American and
British support, and demanded the return of the three captured soldiers.
Were other alternatives considered? Was President Bush spoken to about
what an Israeli bombardment of Lebanon would in the end bring about? If
something like this was done all the disaster and the human misery in
Lebanon could have been avoided and human lives saved.
Did Israel consider the position of Lebanon and how weak it was? It was
like the only Western nation in the midst of the Arabs.
It had to be helped to get on its feet. Dr. Condelisa Rice was in
Lebanon a number of times charging Syria of assassinating the former
Lebanese Prime Minister Harari.
It is time the free world raised its voice against the over aggression
of Israel. It is time they were made to realise that they are not
destroying Hamas or Syria or Iran, but little Lebanon, who has been made
to pay a disastrous price.
We have the United Nations which is not able to safeguard the rights of
its members, not being able to call a ceasefire in spite of the human
misery. Over 700 Lebanese, civilians have been killed and thousands
injured and nearly a million displaced or driven away from their homes.
It is a pity the free world just acts like Pilate as the human misery
in Lebanon moves on without any signs of returning to normalcy.
Maurice Lord
Colombo 13 |
