Healing the wounds of war is not limited to reconstructing roads

WEDNESDAY, 08 AUGUST 2012

Christine Robichon, French Ambassador

By Ayesha Zuhair

Christine Robichon, Ambassador of France to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, while commending the “huge progress” accomplished on the economic front, opines that economic development alone is not sufficient to achieve a just and lasting peace. Foreign friends, she further asserts, cannot help much in the political reconciliation process, which is the responsibility of the government, political parties, religious leaders, civil society and intellectuals of Sri Lanka.
Q: Is the recent Presidential change of guard in France likely to have any implications on your country’s bilateral relationship Sri Lanka? Do you think that with the election of a left-leaning President, with whom the current Sri Lankan administration can perhaps identify more easily with, presents an opportunity to build stronger ties?
  The elections campaign which led to the change in power in Paris has been focused mainly on domestic issues. On foreign policy matters, there is a broad consensus among the main political parties based on shared values. These values include solidarity towards less developed countries, support for democracy, human rights and justice all over the world. It is too early for me to assess the impact of this change on our bilateral relations with Sri Lanka but I can assure you that the new French Government is eager to reinforce these relations.  



Q: As a diplomat who has served in Sri Lanka for two-and-a-half years, and travelled fairly extensively to many parts of the island, do you think that Sri Lanka is on the right path to achieving a just and sustainable peace?
 Indeed I have travelled a lot throughout Sri Lanka, by car and by train. I have had many opportunities to meet people and to understand the realities of their lives. When I compare what I saw in the North and in the East during my first trip two years ago and what I could observe during my recent visits to  Vanni and  Trincomalee, I see huge progress. These progresses in de-mining, IDPs resettlement and reconstruction have to be recognised. They show that the country is clearly on the right path to promote economic development, even if there are still many people who are not yet feeling its benefits. Some IDPs are not back on their land yet. Many are not living in a proper house or even in a proper hut. Many are still facing great difficulties to sustain themselves, particularly women and disabled persons.
To achieve a just and lasting peace, development is indeed necessary, but is it sufficient? I don’t think so. Healing the wounds of the war is not limited to reconstructing roads and bridges. The social fabric has also been destroyed. It will take time to build a Sri Lankan nation governed by institutions which will make every person and every community feel safe and respected but I think,  more could be done to accelerate this aspect of the reconstruction, which is essential to achieve a sustainable peace. Foreign friends of Sri Lanka cannot help much in this field. Reconciliation is the responsibility of the government, the political parties - be they part of the ruling coalition or the opposition - the religious leaders, the civil society and the intellectuals of your country.  

Q: How do you view the National Action Plan to implement the LLRC proposals? Government officials have emphasised the need for the international community to recognise the quick pace at which Sri Lanka has achieved substantial results on the ground in comparison to post-war situations in other parts of the world. Would you concur?
  The LLRC report is a very constructive document, providing important recommendations to deal with the root causes of the war. I was happy to hear last week that its Sinhalese and Tamil translations will be circulated during the coming days. We are studying the recently released Action Plan and trying to get a better knowledge of the recommendations which have already been implemented. France considers that the concrete and swift implementation of the LLRC recommendations will play an essential role to guarantee lasting peace and security to all Sri Lankans. As the LLRC members themselves stated, the success of the LLRC will be measured by the degree of implementation of its recommendations.
Read more