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A Reconciliation Slipping Away by Dinouk Colombage

- on 09/26/2013

As with every war the silencing of the guns or the signing of a treaty areoften only a small step in a long journey of reconciliation. The true progressin rebuilding a society or country fractured through years of conflict can

only happen when the people of that country are able to heal withinthemselves.In Sri Lanka on September 21 the Northern Province, home to the minority

Tamils of Sri Lanka, held its first ever Provincial Council election since thestart of the bloody civil war 30 years ago. It was hailed by the governmentand their supporters as yet another star next to the reconciliation efforts inthe country. The landslide victory enjoyed by the Tamil political, the TamilNational Alliance, was but further testament to the democratic rights thecitizens of the country are enjoying post-war.Sadly behind the public display of democracy and reconciliation the

minority Tamils living in Sri Lanka continue to face hurdles, both emotionallyand physically, in their pursuit of living a conflict-free life. The people of SriLanka remain war weary; four years on since the fighting ended politiciansfrom the ruling coalition continue to use their success as political mileage.However, the people of the country remain tired of the constant remindersof the conflict. The demands for a progression on from a conflict mentalityare being murmured in the shadows in the South of the country. It is theNorth, although, where the people have openly expressed their desire to

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move forward. A resounding victory for a party that will be, in many facets,powerless against a majority led Sinhala system shows that they are notgoing to continue to fuel the conflict mentality.It is commendable that the election took place, however, it is disappointingthat four years on from the end of the war both local and internationalobservers have had to publicly congratulate a government on allowing a

minority driven region to express their democratic right.While the elections in the North have taken place and the result that manyexpected was produced, the situation in the former war torn regionpresents a very different story. While an election was held where voterswere, by and large, free to exercise their vote on polling day, theatmosphere continues to resemble one of a community under occupation.

The main A9 road leading up to the Jaffna Peninsula played host to theinfamous Omanthai checkpoint in the Vanni. Following the UN HumanRights Chiefs, Navi Pillay, visit to the country the military announced thatthey would be relaxing the searches carried out at the Omanthai

checkpoint. Two days prior to the election, with many people returning toJaffna to cast their vote, the military checkpoint was in full operationchoosing to record the details of all who passed through. Further along theroad smaller temporary checkpoints had been established.

Voters who weretravelling fromoutside theprovince to casttheir votecomplained that

going through somany checkpointsreminded them ofthe war. Citizensbeing forced topass throughmilitarycheckpoints ontheir way to casttheir vote for a

political party whose members are sometimes viewed by the military ashaving been sympathetic to the LTTE will act as deterrent.Leading up to the election many civilians were uncomfortable in openlyexpressing any support towards a political party outside of the rulingcoalition. Attacks on candidates homes and supporters being threatened toboycott the election certainly justified their tight-lipped approach. Followingthe landslide victory for the TNA the people of the North were still hesitantin celebrating the victory; many feared that there would be retribution for

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what is an open rejection of a government that is otherwise seen as holdingthe popular mandate.Outside of the election violence and intimidation, the Jaffna peninsularesembles a region that is slowly slipping in to a portrayal of an occupiedterritory. The images of the illegal settlements in the West Bank,established by the Israeli government, resonate through the temporary

shelters many people in Jaffna are being forced to live in. The continuedpresence of the High Security Zone (HSZ) in Kankasanthurai (KKS) hasdisplaced hundreds of families. Surrounded by a barbed wire fence, the onlymain road entering the area is secured by a military checkpoint. The land isbeing used to house new hotels, a proposed golf course and a supposedairport. The land is considered the most fertile in a region that is harsh. Itwas occupied by military forces during the conflict and has since remainedunder their rule; the residents have been forced to find alternative homes.President Mahinda Rajapaksa proclaims to support the people of Palestine intheir endeavour to have a recognised homeland. No doubt he cannot ignore

the stark similarities seen between the situation in Palestine and the oneplaying out in Jaffna.

The development in the Northern Province is a welcome relief for an areadestroyed by decades of war. Unfortunately, it is coming at the expense ofthe lives of the local people. The HSZ zone is closed off to many locals whowish to visit their former homes and recover what belongings were leftbehind when the fled on the orders of the LTTE. However, Sinhalese visitingfrom the south are allowed access on the assumption that they are going topatronise the newly constructed tourist attractions.

The fear and restrictions enforced upon the local populace only serves to

build resentment towards the Sinhalese majority. For any lastingreconciliation to take place, the country must move forward from the showof elections. The first has been taken with the calling of an election thatproduced the result that was hoped for. However, if no further meaningfulsteps of reconciliation are pursued the situation threatens to break apart.