It is sad that in making comments about whether Australia should go to Sri Lanka for its opening World Cup cricket game there was so little emphasis on or indeed empathy with the people of Sri Lanka whose lives have been so profoundly affected by the on-going violence in the country. Some of the media emphasis, too, has been misdirected. The approach was that a precious cricket game was being so inconveniently disrupted. The fact that more than 70 people died in the bomb blast last week in Colombo got an incidental second place. It was as if the recent Sri Lankan cricket tour counted for nothing in terms of generating ties between nations and people. The visiting team may as well have been robots.
The Sri Lankan Government has accused the Tamil Tigers of the attack on the Central Bank, but the Tigers have not claimed responsibility. The attack marks a further turn in the 14-year war for independence for the Tamil area in the north and east of Sri Lanka which has claimed 50,000 lives. Last year the Government took the rebel stronghold of Jaffna. About 500 government troops and 2000 rebels died in the 50-day battle.
Since then the Tigers have be taking aim on economic targets. Last October, the Tigers carried out a rocket attack against the country’s two main oil storage depots. That was four months after the Tigers failed to detonate a van bomb at the international airport.
When the war was confined mainly to the north and east where the two-million Tamil minority is concentrated, the country’s economy grew at a healthy five to six percent a year. Those days are probably over.
The Government foolishly imagines that, though the blast was a serious setback to efforts to attract foreign investment and tourists, it would be able to restore business confidence in the medium term. Now that the Tigers have shown a capacity to strike at financial heartlands, and presumably tourist heartlands, that will be shown to be naive. The refusal by the Australian cricketers, while of small moment in itself, demonstrates the potential damage the Tigers can do.
Violence is not to be condoned. But nor should it be seen in isolation. Present Sri Lankan Government policy appears to be directed purely at the symptoms of violence not the cause. This is evidenced by the bloody taking of Jaffna and subsequent statements by government ministers that they intend to crush the rebels, to “”win” the war. The policy is doomed. A significant minority like the Tamils will not easily be subjugated, as has been seen in a score of other nations throughout the world, and compromise and settlements are the only solution.
Only a short time ago governments and guerrilla movements in the Middle East, Northern Ireland and South Africa had policies of “”fight to the death”. They slogged away, killing civilians and each other, wrecking the economy and making life miserable for many. In each case a peace and reconciliation process is under way. In each case both sides had to make major changes of direction to end the violence.
In the face of last week’s appalling and inexcusable bombing, it will take enormous courage for the Sri Lankan Government to open a dialogue and for the Tigers to respond. But of they do not, the violence and destruction will continue and no-one will “”win”.