BY CHRIS SLEE
MELBOURNE — About 40 people attended a forum on the peace process in Sri Lanka, held at Monash University on November 24. It was organised by supporters of the Uthayam Tamil newspaper and Radio Shakthi, a Sri Lankan radio program on 3CR.
John Ball from the National Council of Churches spoke about the negotiations to end the 20-year war between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who have been fighting for an independent Tamil state in the island's north and east.
Last year, the United National Front won the parliamentary election. It advocated negotiations with the LTTE. The new government's chief negotiator, Professor Peiris, has said his aim is "peace with justice in a united Sri Lanka". The LTTE now says that if Tamil aspirations are met, there will be no need for a separate Tamil state. Peiris has spoken of devolution of power, but neither side has put forward a model of how this would occur.
Ravi from Uthayam said that the Tamils had never wanted separation, but were driven to it by the actions of the Sinhalese majority. He said that the peace process should not just involve the government and the LTTE, because there are people who are not represented by either side.
Channa Wickramasekera from Radio Shakthi said that a just peace must involve issues such as job security and a minimum wage, since poverty is a factor in causing people to join the armies.
From Green Left Weekly, December 4, 2002.
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