In May 2009, the civil war in Sri Lanka drew to a close. It had been a sanguinary conflict claiming anywhere between 80,000 and 100,000 lives. Not surprisingly, there was a palpable sense of relief amongst the majority Sinhala population. Even the Tamil population, many of whom were not active supporters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), had reasons to celebrate. They looked forward to no longer facing the routine suspicion, periodic harassment, and occasional searches of their homes.
Three years after the war’s end, on a visit to Colombo as well as other areas in the vicinity, one no longer confronts routine check points, the military forces are not starkly visible and using public transportation is no longer fraught with the the risk of concealed bombs. More to the point, the tourism industry is clearly flourishing with busloads of visitors from East Asia and Western Europe arriving en masse to Sri Lanka’s historical sites, marvelous beaches, and hill resorts. It is also evident that foreign investment is starting to increase if only gradually.
All these developments should point to a more roseate future for the South Asian country that has long had far superior social indicators than all the other states in the region. Sadly, the very military success of the regime in effectively vanquishing the LTTE has now resulted in a form of crass ethnic triumphalism. Based upon conversations with dispassionate and thoughtful observers Sri Lankans, it appears that any attempt to reach out to the Tamil community has been mostly cosmetic.
To its credit, the country has created a Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC). Although its report has been made public, its contents have yet to be translated into the country’s two main languages. Furthermore, in substantive terms, the report has effectively dismissed any claim that the Sri Lankan Army may have used excessive force or targeted civilians as the war drew to a close in the Jaffna peninsula. Finally, the regime appears to be in no particular hurry to implement its relatively anodyne recommendations.
Instead the regime seems determined to avoid even the LLRC’s most modest recommendations, and has sought to demonize the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) resolution passed last March, which called on the Sri Lankan government to implement the recommendations of the LLRC and investigate alleged human rights abuses in the final days of the conflict. There are also widespread claims that the regime has been quite intransigent toward any civil society group that has chosen to speak out on behalf of the aggrieved Tamil population.
Unless the present government, facing stronger international scrutiny and pressure, chooses to reverse course and integrate the Tamil community into the mainstream, the invaluable opportunity the end of the civil war presented to Sri Lanka will be lost. Worse still, an alienated Tamil community facing institutional barriers could once again spawn a violent movement that plunges the country back into a civil war. This is an outcome no one desires.
In sum, although Sri Lanka has ostensibly made great progress in the three years since the civil war ended, these gains remain fragile. Unless the government acts to address the unresolved ethnic tensions plaguing the country, Sri Lanka’s future could conceivably look a lot like its brutal, unforgiving recent past.
Sumit Ganguly is the Rabindranath Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations and a Professor of Political Science at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is a regular contributor to The Diplomat's Indian Decade blog.
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TropicalStorm
Sri Lanka should prioritize developing a social conscience and national pride. Sri Lankans must all consider them selves as Sri Lankans first and not be identified by their ethnic, linguistic or religious bias. This is how it is in all civilized nations; whether in Britain, France, Australia, or even in our neighbor India.
Those who don't like it, should take the boat to Australia, or Canada. There is a wonderful future with easy money waiting all those who make this not very uncomfortable journey. Just think about it; a lolvely life for ever. Just ride the boat. Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. Good bye….
TropicalStorm
Let bygones be bygones. Sri Lanka has emerged victorous from foriegn sponsored terrorism (Norway did more damage to SL than India) while India, for their part have learnt the lesson that its best to deal with a steady, democratic, unitary southern neighbor than one that is unstable and wracked by Tamil nationalist terrorism. Today Sri Lanka has to perform a balancing act between China and India, of necessity. And the island is proving adriot at the balancing game. The Sri Lankans have benefitted from both India and China by playing it both ways, for which there apparently is no down side since the two bigger nations also seem to understand and acknowledge the role as a neutral position than a threat to either.
Aiyyo
We Lankans always like to blame other people such as the Indians, the US etc for problems that are of own making. No problmes would have arisen in the first place if not for the poor policies and poor leadership coming over more than two generations. There will be no solution to anything until that basic truth is recognised.
Sabar
Sri Lanka has already publicized its timeframe for implementation of each of the recommendations of LLRC and the report has been translated into Sinhala and Tamil according to the announcement of the President's Secretary last week.
The present opportunity for lasting peace would be lost if the government rushes a solution which can be exploited by opposition politicians to ignite riots again. That is why an all party parliamenterians select committe is necessary to propose final solution.
PRASATIS
Mr.Ganguly your article has some truth,after reading it,I presume you to be an indian because the artiucle lacks certain insights to the basic feelings felt only by Srilankans,I myself being born in Srilanka with Sinhala Tamil Malayali & portugese ancestry,knows better than a foreigner who writes with heresay information,all my Sinhala Tamil & Muslim friends are relieved that the war is over,& will never even dream of going back to a dark period of war,but of course there are reforms to be implemented so that the minority grievances are addressed,so that the hard earned peace becomes durable on the long term,I myself escaped death when a LTTE bomb exploded but unfortunately a friend died, another friend travelling in a bus from Trincomalee to Colombo was dragged out from the bus in a remote area by the LTTE,& his head was cut with a sword,another Tamil friend had his first heart attack when he learnt tht his 12 year old son had been kidnapped by the LTTE for it's baby brigade, there were bombs exploding everywhere parents were scared to send their children to school,there are many tamils who praises the governement for the peace it had brought upon them,during the war,the tamils living in Jaffna had to run their vehicles on kerosine, food was rationed people had to wait in queues for hours & everybody had to pay a huge tax to leave the LTTE controled areas,above all children were kidnapped from schools by force to join the LTTE,in this cotext Mr.Ganguly do you think that the tamils will opt for another devastating war even if they do not get what they are demanding,Srilanka is not India it is smaller & easier to manage,some people call India the dog cage of asia because it has so many ethnicities,& numerous problems,in tamilnadu there are people who wants a seperate state from the hindi dominated north,the sikh community wants Khalistan,there are problems in Nagaland there are problems in Kashmir,there are problems in bombay between the hindus & the muslims,please visit Srilanka & see for yourself, the first positive indicator in Srilanka of the impact peace had brought is the cleanliness , tourists who visit Srilanka are amazed;how clean Srilanka is in comparison to other regional countries where people in millions live in utter poverty in & desperation, in extremly dirty conditions like Kolkotta & Bombay,& die of hunger,since the war finished the businesses are flourishing in Srilanka.the tourists are flooding,foreign investsments increasing significantly,in this backdrop my frank opinion is that your article lacks certain basic substance on the current situation, which is natural for a foreigner like you.
danukabandara
Sri Lanka is clearly emerging out of its three decade war. Development is taking place with infrastructure built, livelihood assistance being given to the war affected people. More investors are making their mark in Sri Lanka. Tourism is going to hit 1 million during this year, a record figure.However it will take some time to see the results of these efforts thus resulting in economic benefit flowing to the poorer segments of the society. But certainly something is happening positive.
Only negativity we see is the government's lack of effort to send this message to the people, both in the South and the North. Political slogans such as winning the war is still taking center stage rather than slogans which will win the hearts of the tamil people. Those people are not interested in political powers, what they want is economic and social power.
Dissanayake
This writer has written loads of rubbish using catching words and phrases. The writer should have researched the geographical truth of the military operations that ended in May 2009. The military operations that were carried in the Jaffna peninsula were ended in 1995. This shows that the writer relies on secondary information and half truths propagated by the parties with vested interests. He looks like an arm-chair critique of Sri Lanka.
Jason
If Indians don't mess with Sri Lankan affairs, none of these problems would be there. India instihating ethnic violence in Sri Lanka even today by selectvely helping the Tamils only which is discrimination. If Sri Lanka is serious about peace, they should reach out to Chinese military bases in the island to counter the Indian threat.
Faisal
Perhaps Sri Lanka may have faired better if India did not arm, train and fund the LTTE? To put it simply, India sponsored terrorism in Sri Lanka and was reluctant to end support for the terrorist organisation. Indian politicians even today continue to voice their support for the Tamil Tigers and separatism in Sri Lanka.
Chan
Several people have suggested that Sri Lanka identify and publish names of India's foreign policy and intelligence officials who originally supported formation and training of the LTTE and other groups. in the 1980s. It has also been suggested that some of those (now retired) officials should be charged with aiding and abetting international terrorism.