Regaining National Unity Five Years On
Jehan Perera
The government has made plans to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the end of the war with a “Victory Day” celebration in Matara in the Southern Province. But at the opposite side of the country there will be no such celebration. The government has prohibited any public commemoration of the war’s end in the Northern Province. Speaking on behalf of the government, the military spokesperson has said that “Individuals may have religious services to commemorate their loved ones killed in the fighting, but there cannot be any public events.” The government has been concerned that public events could be used to praise the LTTE in the guise of remembering the war dead.
While the government’s concerns may be real, the contrasting manner in which the May 18 events will be remembered in the two extremes of the country will highlight the polarization that continues to exist in post-war Sri Lanka. It is likely that only the government and its political allies will be present at the Victory Day celebrations, which include a victory parade by the military in Matara. The rest of Sri Lanka’s political plural and multi-ethnic polity will be missing. The failure of national reconciliation will be manifest in the government’s celebration and victory parade. It makes it seem as if five years after the war, the war victory over the LTTE was the only real thing that happened.
The disparity between the government’s treatment of the North and South shows that the ethnic and political conflict remains, despite the end of the war. The country is geographically and administratively unified but remains politically and ethnically divided and in a state of conflict. In recent weeks there also appears to be some signs of opposition appearing from within the ranks of the government itself. This might be seen as signs of a coming implosion, which is a scenario that has been speculated upon for several years, due to the increasing concentration of power within the government. The danger for the government is that there will come a point where the forces of fragmentation, which is indicated by the growing internal opposition, will grow too strong to keep the government coalition together.
Muslim Community
With presidential elections widely anticipated by early next year, both the government and opposition are trying to attract support to themselves from as wide a constituency as possible. The war victory celebration in Matara could be seen as an effort to remind the people of the government’s most important achievement, and consolidate their support for the electoral challenges that lie ahead. However, an overemphasis on the nationalism of one ethnic community can prove to be a double edged sword. An important constituency that the government seems to have lost in recent times is the Muslim community. The attacks on them by Sinhalese nationalist groups, such as the BBS, have alienated them from the government.
There is a perception that these Sinhalese groups are supported by sections within the government. It would be in the interests of the government to distance itself from these attacks in a manner that would restore the balance. In a noteworthy development Minister Rishard Bathiudeen has filed action in the courts against one of these groups. He has taken this action when the entire Muslim community feels helpless and vulnerable in the face of anti-Muslim sentiment which is being spread by these groups, and even against the violence perpetrated against the community. Members of the BBS not only entered his ministry premises by force, they have also denounced him for allegedly resettling Muslims who were displaced during the war in an illegal manner in the Wilpattu wildlife park. Minister Bathiudeen has rejected these allegations and has demanded either an apology or a legal judgment in his favour.
