Condemning Assassination and Continuing Appeasement
The assassination of Lakshman Kadirgamar has brought in its wake a series of statements by world leaders. They denounce it very correctly as a terrible act of terrorism. They also want the perpetrators to be caught and brought to justice.
he assassination of Lakshman Kadirgamar has brought in its wake a series of statements by world leaders. They denounce it very correctly as a terrible act of terrorism. They also want the perpetrators to be caught and brought to justice.The average Sri Lankan who reads all these statements will no doubt feel that the end of the road is in sight for what is termed a peace process between the Government of Sri
Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
There is no doubt in the minds of most Sri Lankans about who the perpetrators of this heinous act of terrorism were. Simple logic indicates that the peace process cannot continue if true justice is meted out to the perpetrators.
But what puzzles them is the doublespeak of the so called international community. They all insist that the peace process should continue. In hackneyed phrases repeated ad nauseam they say indirectly that the greatest tribute to Lakshman Kadirgamars memory is to continue talking to his killers.
Let us look at some of these pronouncements-
“Together, we must honour his memory by re-directing ourselves to peace and ensuring that the ceasefire remains in force,” – US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan – ” this tragedy will not weaken the commitment of the people of Sri Lanka to achieve a durable peace in the country.”
“The killing puts the peace process in Sri Lanka to a serious test. It is now of great importance that both parties to the conflict do their utmost to fully fulfil their obligations
according to the ceasefire agreement,” – Norwegian Foreign Minister Jan Peterssen The Indian government statement “We have every confidence that the government and friendly people of Sri Lanka will rise to the challenge and defeat the forces which seek to undermine Sri Lanka’s unity and political stability.”
“Japan has been actively supporting the peace process in Sri Lanka and has respected Foreign Minister Kadirgamar as one of the key persons promoting the process. I strongly
hope for a calm response by all parties at this moment so that the move towards the peace process is not hindered,” – Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said – “This heinous act of terrorism must not be allowed to derail efforts to bring peace to Sri Lanka.” European Union Commissioner Ms. Benita Ferrero-Waldner – “We must all honour the
passing of Foreign Minister Kadirgamar by continuing his work for peace and maintaining
the CFA.”
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy – “France believes that more than ever the respect of the CFA and the continuation of the peace process are necessary.”
Canadian Foreign Minister Pierre Pettigrew insisted that Kadirgamar assassination should not be allowed to derail the peace process. Pettigrew declared that perpetrators
should be brought to justice.
There is nothing wrong with these sentiments at face value. After all a joint peace process should not be jettisoned or allowed to be jeopardised by the killing of the foreign
minister of one party. Usually such killings are the handiwork of a third party aiming to disrupt the process. So the parties involved in the process should not allow a killing to
affect it. The only effective answer to the killers is to continue with the process and make it a success.
But in the case of the Kadirgamar assassination there is a crucial difference. The killing was not the work of a third party or outside force. It was perpetrated by one of the parties involved. It was not done during a time of war but during the course of a peace process. This is an assassination committed by one of the negotiating partners engaged in a peace process after having signed a ceasefire agreement that expressly forbids such acts. In short it is a blatant violation of the ceasefire and a terrible betrayal.
If such an experience had been encountered by any of these countries now profferring advice their response would have been different. Had Condoleezza Rice, Jack Straw, Pierre Pettigrew, Natwar Singh, Jan Peterssen, Nobutaka Machimura, Alexander Downer or Philippe Douste- Blazy been killed in a hypothetical situation under similiar circumstances there would have been hell to pay. But since this is Colombo the “advice” is different.
Insisting that the peace process should continue after the killing would have been correct if the act had been committed by an outside force or third party. It is entirely inappropriate when one of the parties involved has acted in bad faith. Asking the affected party to continue the process after an assassination is nothing but appeasement.
The doublespeak is indeed laughable when “continuing the peace process ” is coupled with “bringing perpetrators of the terrorist crime to justice”. If the perpetrators of this crime are really brought to justice then there can be no genuine peace process.
Bringing the perpetrators to justice does not mean that only the assassin or assassins and the support network in Colombo should be apprehended and punished while the real masterminds who planned and ordered the assassination go unpunished. There is a saying in Tamil ” Eithavan irukka ambai Novanen?” (Why blame the arrow instead of the archer).
When Rajiv Gandhi was killed in Sriperumbhudoor on May 21st 1991 there was a huge outcry. Investigations revealed that the LTTE was responsible. When charge sheets were
compiled and indictments filed there were three categories of accused persons.
At the primary level were those actively involved in the act and directly involved in the execution like Dhanu and one – eyed Sivarasan. Most of them were dead before the
case came to trial. At the secondary level were those who had helped the killers and complicit in the assassination indirectly. 26 such persons were charged and sentenced to death initially. The appeal reduced sentences for most except four . One woman Nalini’s sentence was commuted to life on humanitarian grounds.
At the tertiary level were the conspirators who had planned and ordered the killing. They were the LTTE leader Pirapakaran, Intelligence chief Pottu Amman and womans brigade commander Ahila. They were in Sri Lanka beyond the reach of Indian justice. India however did not let them off. Their names were separated from the original indictment
and declared as proclaimed offenders. They are now wanted by Interpol as proclaimed offenders absconding justice. New Delhi routinely raises the matter with Colombo.
It is clear therefore that in operations like this the conspiring “brains” rather than the committing “brawns” bear more responsibility. India has clearly demonstrated this.
In the case of the Kadirgamar assassination too the real conspirators should be brought to justice. If he had been killed by a suicide bomber then how would justice have been
done? The Indian example should be followed. The footsoldiers are not the only guilty party. Those really culpable are the “generals”. The command and control structure of the organization that ordered the killing should be brought to justice. But what is happening here is that Colombo is being asked to talk to the perpetrators as well as
arrest them.
If these “advising” countries are indeed serious then they should realise that what they are saying is contradictory. When one party to the process has committed the crime only
one of two results is possible. If the real perpetrators are to be punished the process cannot continue. If the process is to continue then the real perpetrators cannot be
punished. Insisting that both should happen simultaneously is asking for the impossible. This is international doublespeak at its worst.
Spare us then Ladies and Gentlemen of the international community of this pontificating hypocrisy at this time of grief!
This grief however cannot give way to blind rage. What would the LTTE like to happen? What effective response is possible?This is what the Liberal Party has to say – “Given the magnitude of the tragedy that has befallen the Sri Lankan state, it is vital that our leaders react with wisdom and justice, but also with a firmness that makes clear that
there are limits to indulgence. Clearly the Ceasefire Agreement is no longer seen as binding by the LTTE, and equally clearly the Norwegian monitors are incapable of
understanding or standing by their obligations. However, abrogating it is perhaps what the LTTE wants the government to do. “Rather, the government should proceed within a legalistic framework, perhaps in the manner in which the United States proceeded in 2001, after the tragedy that befell them.
Firstly they ensured, not only that the world at large understood the enormity of what had been done, but that it was prepared to act on this understanding. Secondly, they issued an ultimatum that was universally recognized as just, that the administration responsible for the terrorist outrage should surrender those who had planned it.”
What the Country needs now is not a jettisoning but an urgent review of the ceasefire..The LTTE and security forces must be made to honour it fully. It must also be accepted
that the greater part of the blame lies with the LTTE. The international community instead of parroting the “peace process” squawk must find ways and means of disciplining the LTTE.
After all the sound and fury surrounding Kadirgamars murder subsides Sri Lankans will find two questions facing them.
Is the peace process to continue at the expense of true justice being meted out? is one. Is Justice to be done (if possible) at the expense of the peace process ? is the other.
Sri Lanka cannot have it both ways.
A very difficult choice indeed!
Meanwhile let us hope that the collective wisdom of the international community would show us a way through which the peace process would progress constructively while true
justice is meted out to “all” those involved in the Kadirgamar assassination.
Add comment August 16th, 2005