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On the part of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elaam, however, there is full-scale human mobilization for a war that has taken, and continues to take, a huge toll on the people living within the areas of their control. People in those areas are living in fear and depression, especially regarding the fate of their children. The LTTE is reportedly demanding fresh sacrifices from the people, this time the second person from each family.
In comparison to the large-scale forced recruitment campaign conducted by the LTTE in the north, the recruitment campaign by its breakaway faction, the Karuna group in the east, is significantly less. Unlike the LTTE, which feels compelled to raise an army that could meet the challenge of the Sri Lankan security forces, the Karuna group does not have to raise an army. It is only an adjunct to the government forces, which are doing the fighting against the LTTE.
What seems to irk the government is that the emphasis in the international community and human rights groups has been to denounce the government for not restraining the Karuna group. The most recent furor in the country in the context of the ethnic conflict (which the government denies exists) has revolved around remarks made by U.N. Undersecretary-General of Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes. He not only called on the government to disarm the Karuna group, but also claimed that Sri Lanka was one of the most dangerous places in the world for humanitarian aid workers.
Although denied by the government, the Karuna group functions as an extension of the government, with the support of the government. It is the government's responsibility to ensure that it conforms to democratic standards in accordance with international norms. Unfortunately, the government continues to be in a state of denial with regard to its shortcomings on all fronts, not least the existence of the Karuna group as a collaborative agency with the state in a ruthless contest with the LTTE.
The humanitarian community in Sri Lanka still bears the scars of the massacre of 17 aid workers belonging to the French humanitarian agency, Action Against Hunger (ACF), who were shot dead in the east a year ago. Only two months ago, two Red Cross workers were abducted in the main railway station in Colombo in the presence of armed police and hundreds of travelers, and were taken to a distant location and shot dead. A fortnight ago another humanitarian worker in Jaffna was shot dead.
So far the government has not been able to find the killers. However, in a statement to Parliament, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake said, "'The government of Sri Lanka in no uncertain terms rejects Sir John Holmes' assertion that Sri Lanka is not safe for humanitarian workers." In addition, he was accused of having double standards. It appears that the government is particularly irked by Holmes's focus on the government and not on the LTTE.
However, the government also needs to take part of the responsibility for the greater attention that visiting foreign dignitaries like the U.N. undersecretary-general have paid to the shortcomings of the government rather than to the LTTE. The government did not give Holmes permission to visit the LTTE-controlled areas of the Wanni, where the evil practice of child recruitment is taking place at a high rate. This may be on account of the government's determination to deny the LTTE any form of international legitimacy, even from an inspection visit.
The government's desire to isolate the LTTE from the international community is on account of its observation that the LTTE has drawn part of its strength in the past from abroad. However, the downside of this is that the absence of international engagement with the LTTE also reduces international pressure on the group to conform to even minimum human rights standards in their conduct. The impact of eyewitness evidence is invariably more powerful in generating action than secondhand reports of the situation.
If it wishes to have more international pressure applied to the LTTE, the government needs to consider changing its current restrictive policy on international contacts with the group. Those mandated by the international community to watch over the humanitarian interests of people will be moved by what they see and hear in the Wanni and be more motivated to influence change on the part of the LTTE. In addition, the exposure that LTTE members will have by such visits could induce pressure for change from within sections of the organization itself.
Unfortunately, the government's present course of action is not designed to bring out the higher qualities of its own members, let alone those who are opposed to it. The government's blanket denials of any wrongdoing may convince the rural masses, who have no alternative sources of information other than that churned out by the government media. This may help to keep the government in power. But it will not help in problem solving, which requires a government that is prepared to cope with reality on the basis of principles rather than simply being in denial.
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(Dr. Jehan Perera is executive director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, an independent advocacy organization. He studied economics at Harvard College and holds a doctorate in law from Harvard Law School. ©Copyright Jehan Perera.)
