Last Week, Last Chance In Geneva

| by Dr Dayan Jayatilleka

( March 23, 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guarian! "# a$ %arol &il$on $ai, a 'eek i$ a lon

time in )olitic$, it i$ an e*en loner time in i)lomacy+he u)comin 'eek i$ the mo$t $ini#icant in Sri Lanka-$ contem)orary hi$tory $ince the

*ictorie$ o# May 200., almo$t #i*e year$ ao+ /lreay the $ecurity blanket in the orth

inicate$ that a )olari$in re$olution in Gene*a 'ill $trenthen the ark $ie o# the #orce-+ "t i$

al$o likely to )u$h mo$t o# the citienry o*er to the ark $ie+ %o'e*er, Sri Lanka $till ha$ a

'eek to oe the cyanieti))e arro' that i$ a manate #or an 5%C%6 le international

in7uiry+

he orthern 8ro*incial Council ha$ unanimou$ly re$ol*e to )artici)ate in i$cu$$ion$ 'ith

8re$ient 6a9a)ak$a, )ro*ie the$e i$cu$$ion$ are 'ithout )reconition$+ 5:, " kno' that

$oun$ a$ i# unconitionality i$ a )reconition, i+e+ that the conition #or i$cu$$ion$ i$ that they

 be unconitional+ ;ut that-$ the only 'ay to o it becau$e there $houln-t be, an $houln-t

ha*e been, any conition$ on talkin 'ith a #ormation, be it )arliamentary or )ro*incial, 'hich

ha$ a emocratic manate+ "t 'a$ ab$ur #or conition$ to ha*e been $ti)ulate 'hile

i$cu$$ion$ ha commence in 2011 'ithout $uch conition$+

he o##er to enter talk$ 'ith the 8re$ient i$ a la$t chance #or the o*ernment to )o$ition Sri

Lanka better in Gene*a $o a$ to o)en u) $)ace #or a moi#ication o# the re$olution, or i# that

#ail$, to narro' the marin o# e#eat+ houh the intention o# the 8C re$olution may ha*e

 been $omethin el$e altoether, a $)eey re$)on$e on the )art o# the Go*ernment can turn thi$

 

into a li#eline+

<*en i# the talk$ o not commence or cannot be announce be#ore the *ote ne=t 'eek, it i$ *ital

that they take )lace an make hea'ay+ he re$olution or at lea$t the manaement o# Sri

Lanka-$ orthern >ue$tion 'a$ al'ay$ at the heart o# re$ol*in the )rotracte cri$i$ o# the Sri

Lankan $tate an $ociety+ "t i$ una*oiable i# Sri Lanka-$ )o$t'ar im)a$$e i$ to be o*ercome+

More )re$$inly, re$ol*in the orthern >ue$tion i$ at the *ery core o# re$ol*in Sri Lanka-$

 )roblem$ 'ith the 'orl+

"# the Sri Lankan o*ernment #ail$ to $eie thi$ o))ortunity an talk to the / an the 8C, it

'ill $oon be o*ertaken by a ynamic o# )olitical e$calation locate in a amil au 'hich i$

more in#luential than it i$ a#ter the election+ Colombo mu$t realie that it i$ better to talk to Mr

Sam)anthan an Mr &ine$'aran than it i$ to eal 'ith Jayalalithaa an Mr Moi+ "t i$ #ar

 better to $ettle 'ith the / than be cauht on t'o #ront$, )o$t Gene*a? the %6C

re$olution@5%C%6 in*e$tiation an a re#erenum)u$hin Jayalalithaa+

/#ter a hea*y e#eat #or the GoSL in Gene*a, the commencement o# an 5%C%6 )robe an the

a*ent o# a coalition o*ernment in 'hich amil au i$ a key )layer, amil )olitic$ an

collecti*e )olitical beha*iour in Sri Lanka 'ill o)erate in a i##erent rei$ter+ hin$ may $)iral

'ay out o# control+ he only brake may be a )roce$$ o# $eriou$ )olitical ialoue bet'een the

8re$ient an the electe amil leaer$hi)+

/ )roblem immeiately con#ront$ u$, namely the tru$t e#icit+ either $ie tru$t$ the other an

uner$tanably $o+ / #urther an relate 7ue$tion that cannot be a*oie i$ 'hy the earlier talk$

 broke o'n an 'hat can be one to )re*ent a re)etition+

Gi*en that " 'a$ )art o# the loo), thouh only a )eri)heral one, my $en$e i$ that the talk$

 bet'een the / an GoSL broke o'n #or #our interconnecte rea$on$? beha*iour on either

$ie 'hich 'ent aain$t the e=)ectation$ o# the neotiatin )artner an 'a$ )rom)tly $eie

u)on by the ha'k$ on both $ie$A a lack o# reali$m 'hich )re*ente both $ie$ #rom ra$)in

the actual balance o# #orce$ on an out$ie the i$lanA the con$ciou$ )ro9ect$ o# i$ru)tion an

e$calation by the ha'k$ on both $ie$A )re$$ure #rom belo' or on the #lank$ #rom the more

intran$ient element$ in ci*il $ociety or in the Dia$)ora+

%o' then i$ one to )u$h #or the unconitional recommencement o# a )roce$$ o# )olitical

ialoue an )rotect the )roce$$ i# it i commenceB

he only 'ay that " can $ee that ha))enin i$ 'ith e=ternal #acilitation+ More concretely, the

only 'ay " $ee talk$ re$tartin $eriou$ly an bein ke)t on track i$ i# a ne' 7uartet o#

concerne e=ternal )layer$ 'ere con$titute a$ a collecti*e #acilitator+ he )artie$ " 'oul

$ue$t #or thi$ collecti*e e##ort are South /#rica, "nia, Ja)an an /u$tralia+

"# the Sri Lankan leaer$hi) in*ite$ the$e $tate$ to unertake the ta$k o# #acilitation an aree$

to a com)re$$e time #rame, 'e may be able to )re$ent in Gene*a a 9oint commitment 'hich

 )ermit$ the ilution an e#erral o# an intru$i*e, )olari$in e=ternal in7uiry+

 

5# cour$e, i*en the #ate o# the 'ritten unertakin$ o# May 21 an May 23 200. mae by the

Sri Lankan leaer$hi), not to mention that o# the Sri Lankan /mba$$aor@8ermanent

6e)re$entati*e 'ho took the$e re#ormi$t commitment$ at #ace *alue an 'a$ $acke a mere $i=

'eek$ a#ter Sri Lanka-$ re$ounin $ucce$$ in Gene*a, " 'ouln-t blame any $tate, ho'e*er

#rienly an 'ellintentione, o# bein e=ceeinly 'ary o# buyinin+ Gi*en the ero

ca$ualtyero creibility- re)utation the Sri Lankan o*ernment ha$ accumulate ('hat 'ith

Go)i- makin it to the nite ation$ %uman 6iht$ Council!, " certainly 'ouln-t blame the

%6C #or he$itation to belie*e it+

he only 'ay to )rocee then may be #or the im)lementation o# the commitment to be $trictly

timeboun, i*in GoSL, $ay, $i= month$, to com)ly i+e+ until the Se)tember 2014 $e$$ion o#

the %6C+