![]() Where is the money coming from for this grand reconstruction? With many of the donors pulling out or even threatening action against the government for its dismal record of human rights the government has to think of credible options to deliver the promises that it has made to the people in the East. The reconstruction of the East is yet another contested subject and poses some interesting questions. The liberators become the aggressors and the cycle is reborn. The tragedy of the situation is that these groups are allowed to intimidate and harass the civilians on whose behalf they are fighting a righteous war. When elections are called in the East there could be a free for all with the civilians caught in a very unenviable position amidst a host of political hopefuls. This however is the tip of the proverbial-iceberg. Hence, both organizations have reached an agreement where they can act with mutual understanding while wiping out all the enmities,â€Â. Their joint statement underpins their seemingly mature sentiments “If such enmities grow among the groups which are committed to a political settlement, it will certainly deal a severe blow to the welfare of the people whom they are fighting for. The EPDP and the Karuna factor seem to have reconciled their differences for the time being. There were many skirmishes and there may be many more. ![]() With the liberation the passions of paramilitary units and politicians of the East seem to have been rekindled and in the typically power hungry mentality garbed in ‘looking after the interests of the grieved civilians’ these militants and politicians are playing the field in the East. ![]() This might however be the lesser of the evils that are evolving in the East. †Commenting on the government’s plan to recruit some 50,000 personnel for the three forces, he added “The government would have to pay some 7.2 billion rupees per year in salaries alone, if they recruit this many soldiers ( Daily Mirror).†This roughly translates that the Sri Lankan taxpayer might be asked to dish out more money to hold on to contested land in the near future. But holding these areas would be very costly, as you would need to some 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers to hold the area. According to the former Air Force commander, Air Marshall Harry Goonetilleke, “You needed around 1000 or 2000 soldiers to win the battle. Added to this is the cost of maintaining the East and keeping it liberated. An already reeling economy would plummet further with these threats. This causes further social instability, fear and hysteria among the local civilians, feelings of unrest and pressure on the security forces protecting Colombo. The military victory however comes with a heavy price tag.įirstly the LTTE have made public threats of attacks against economic hubs on the island in the coming days. In the usual brash manner this victory was celebrated with little sensitivity to those civilians in the East who have been in the direct line of fire during the last few months. ![]() So, Thoppigala the seemingly last bastion of the LTTE in the East has been liberated and now the East is ‘open’ for ‘development’. Source of cartoon: Daily Mirror July 14 2007
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |