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By Keith Noyahr Anyone who has visited the Northern and Eastern provinces recently would have seen the devastation that has taken place over a period of nearly two decades. It could be safely said that the poorest hamlets in the South are better off than most places in the North and East. On the need for rehabilitation of the war-ravaged North and East, there is agreement by one and all. The government, the LTTE, the international community and the people of the North and East are agreed on such a dire need. Even the masses in the South would not grudge such a restoration to allow their fellow brothers and sisters a decent abode, environment and facilities befitting human beings. But the different stakeholders hold diverse views on when such activity should take place. Those directly affected by the war in the North and East would want such development commencing as soon as possible. The LTTE too has advocated a speedy return to normalcy even as the peace process unfolds and talks get underway. Underscoring its intentions, apart from voicing such a need, the LTTE has named Dr. Jay Maheshwaran, a rehabilitation and development expert as one of the delegates for the three-day first round of talks commencing on September 16. Dr. Maheshwaran heads the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) that is itself under reconstruction in the Tamileelam website. In fact, there was agreement between Economic Reforms Minister Milinda Moragoda and LTTE’s Chief Negotiator Anton Balasingham that at the first round of talks, the two parties would explore all the possibilities of securing international assistance for rebuilding the devastated region. In fact this may be a sound approach to build up a degree of trust between the two parties that have been mistrusting each other for decades. Getting down to the real contentious issues can strain the relations at the outset which would not augur well for the future when the parties have got down to hard bargaining and finally will be expected to give and take in a spirit of compromise. Such a genial relationship has to be cultivated between the delegates on both sides who will, in turn, be able to convince their respective leaders on the need to see the others’ difficulties as they represent the masses. But then, those countries that are going to pump in cash would not want to see their tax payers’ money go down the drain or worse still end up in flames and ashes. Herein, lies the dilemma that needs to be resolved. The international community certainly is behind Sri Lanka and is steadfastly looking forward to peaceful settlement of one of Asia’s longest wars. They have expressed willingness to fund the rehabilitation of the North and East but are looking for guarantees that this time around a lasting peace is on the horizon. The government coffers are empty and the incumbent administration is not in a position to lavishly dole out to the North when it can hardly keep the South going. During an earlier UNP administration, the LTTE requested for guns and turned these very guns on the security forces. But, this time around they are asking for funds to afford a decent living for the masses there and the government could not turn down such a request, for the people of the North and East are also citizens of this country. On his part, Rehabilitation Minister Jayalath Jayawardena had said the government will appeal to international donors for much of the $500 million it needs over the next five years to rebuild the North. But, he cautioned that investment would depend on the progress of peace talks. The government Peace Secretariat also facilitated a meeting between the LTTE and representatives of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation and several other development bankers to discuss reconstruction needs of the north. During the meeting the representatives of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation stressed the bank’s long-held policy to undertake activities in conditions of security and in situations of durable peace. The LTTE is learnt to have responded by reaffirming its firm commitment to achieving lasting peace in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s largest donor of foreign aid, Japan has promised to extend more humanitarian aid while hoping the Norwegian-brokered peace talks would lead to a lasting settlement. “Japan reiterates its readiness that once a durable peace is established, Japan will spare no effort to extend cooperation towards the reconstruction and rehabilitation of those areas,” said Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi in a statement. The United Sates that has steadily downsized its humanitarian assistance to the country when compared to the immediate post-independence financial commitment by the US says it has now changed its “hands-off policy” sensing a lasting peace. United States Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage pledged to increase US humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka in the 2004 Budget while promising to lead international efforts to raise funding for rehabilitation. The United Kingdom, The Netherlands and several other European countries are ready to fund development in the North and East but again they seek a guarantee that the present peace efforts would succeed. There are several schools of reasoning on when rehabilitation of the North and East should be undertaken. Some claim if it is undertaken before a final settlement, the LTTE will return to its original guns without compromising and force the government to return to war. The second school of thought presupposes that the LTTE will settle for a reasonable political solution and not derail the talks as it eyes the financial assistance from the developed world to be doled out after a final settlement. The third involves limited assistance to begin reconstruction that would tempt the people to put pressure on the Tigers not to baulk the peace process and deprive them of more in store to lead a decent life deprived them for two long decades. It must be said that while the prime concern should be the development of the war-ravaged regions, the South should not be completely left out, lest there be another uprising given the level of poverty in certain areas. The idea is to ensure the dividends of peace are distributed all round, in the hope that the entire country would benefit from a lasting peace that will ensure economic prosperity all round.
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