A Snake In The Grass

The JVP and JHU, in their election campaign, played a key role in Mahinda Rajapakse's success in the Sri Lankan presidential elections. They made it crystal clear in their campaign that they strongly opposed the Norwegians as facilitators in the peace process, knowing well their track record, and their sympathies towards the LTTE.

No less a person than the last Foreign Minister, the knowledgeable Lakshman Kadirgamar, held the same view, which was not to the liking of the Sun God, Prabakaran, and he was assassinated on his orders. He was a man who stood up fearlessly for the courage of his convictions and the love for his country, and he paid the supreme sacrifice for it. The president, who did not oppose, the stand taken by the JVP and the JHU in his election campaign, has now opened the door to Minister Erik Solheim and his team to continue with the so-called peace process.

One presumes that pressure has been brought upon him from outside forces to persist with the Norwegians, as in the past. So he has opted to tread the same path. We are confident that he knows what he is doing. He should be extra cautious, and follow the proceedings of the 'peace talks' closely. He should not acquiesce to all the unjust demands of the Tigers, like his predecessor CBK, and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. He is supposed to be made of sterner stuff. If the Norwegians continue in the same vein as in the past, the peace talks will hold no water.

The American President George Bush, regarded as the most powerful man on earth, hit the nail on the head, when he said. "There is no question of negotiations with terrorists; they should be put out of business." His Under Secretary of State, Nicholas Burns, has viewed the Sri Lankan terrorists in a different light, overlooking the fact that they have been banned in his own country. Hence, his desire to invite the LTTE to the negotiating table is contrary to his President's opinion. I presume the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka regarding this burning issue has left him with no option but to look at it from a different angle.

The disturbing factor is that the sick theoretician Anton Balasingham has jumped on Erik Solheim's band wagon. This man has blood on his hands. He played a vital role in the massacre of 600 policemen, who surrendered on the orders of the late President R. Premadasa.

This double tongued man is a snake in the grass. The irony is that whenever he steps on Sri Lankan soil, he is given VIP treatment. What shallow thinking!