Comments on: 22 February 2002 http://pact.lk/22-february-2002/ The interactive timeline of conflict in Sri Lanka Sun, 03 Apr 2011 21:52:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: pact team http://pact.lk/22-february-2002/comment-page-1/#comment-21 pact team Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:58:22 +0000 http://pact.lk/2008/03/23/22-february-2002/#comment-21 (1) The use of the word 'permanent' here is with reference to the earlier entry where the government and the Tigers agreed to a 'one month ceasefire' (December 2001), hence this development was 'permanent' relative to the earlier event. That said, we take your point that the word 'permanent' is misleading here if read in isolation, for the reasons you have put forward. (2) We agree that peace and conflict demarcations are not easy and there are different interpretations of what is a peace related event and what is conflict related. A development could be considered a 'peace initiative' by one party or group and considered conflict causing by another, including those who may have been excluded from the particular development. Our intention behind the demarcation is that it would trigger reaction and discussion to elicit different perspectives, in the way it has elicited your points (3) to (5). (1) The use of the word ‘permanent’ here is with reference to the earlier entry where the government and the Tigers agreed to a ‘one month ceasefire’ (December 2001), hence this development was ‘permanent’ relative to the earlier event. That said, we take your point that the word ‘permanent’ is misleading here if read in isolation, for the reasons you have put forward.

(2) We agree that peace and conflict demarcations are not easy and there are different interpretations of what is a peace related event and what is conflict related. A development could be considered a ‘peace initiative’ by one party or group and considered conflict causing by another, including those who may have been excluded from the particular development. Our intention behind the demarcation is that it would trigger reaction and discussion to elicit different perspectives, in the way it has elicited your points (3) to (5).

]]> By: ranjit http://pact.lk/22-february-2002/comment-page-1/#comment-20 ranjit Tue, 05 Feb 2008 04:57:58 +0000 http://pact.lk/2008/03/23/22-february-2002/#comment-20 (1) The word 'permanent' in your timeline would be incorrect because the agreement specified how it could be terminated. (2) Peace and conflict as depicted in your timeline are not in my opinion positions that could be clearly demarcated as you have done above. (3) This is particularly true of the signing of the CFA which was done in an arbitrary manner and without consultation with the President of the country at the time. (4) Also because there was and in fact, still is, opposition to the LTTE position from Tamil political parties and other Tamil citizens and the CFA gave the LTTE a position of advantage over dissenting opinion outside a democratic framework which others such as the EPDP had already embraced. (5) The CFA was indeed a landmark event towards resolving the conflict with the LTTE. (1) The word ‘permanent’ in your timeline would be incorrect because the agreement specified how it could be terminated.
(2) Peace and conflict as depicted in your timeline are not in my opinion positions that could be clearly demarcated as you have done above.
(3) This is particularly true of the signing of the CFA which was done in an arbitrary manner and without consultation with the President of the country at the time.
(4) Also because there was and in fact, still is, opposition to the LTTE position from Tamil political parties and other Tamil citizens and the CFA gave the LTTE a position of advantage over dissenting opinion outside a democratic framework which others such as the EPDP had already embraced.
(5) The CFA was indeed a landmark event towards resolving the conflict with the LTTE.

]]> By: PAC programme http://pact.lk/22-february-2002/comment-page-1/#comment-26 PAC programme Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:02:09 +0000 http://pact.lk/2008/03/23/22-february-2002/#comment-26 "Even though the peace agreement with the LTTE is still in effect it is only limited to a piece of paper. Even now the LTTE is coming secretly to our village and they collect information that will be useful in their attacks and even they don't care about the government and police rules like wearing helmets when driving a bike. When they are caught for those sorts of things they used to show an identity card and get away from the fines. So some times even the police won’t check them. "We think that for these three years the LTTE must have being collecting useful information to organise attacks and even they had a good chance from the peace process. The LTTE is very shrewd and they are very keen on organising their attacks without getting captured. Even they are in their uniforms in the areas, which they control. The government forces are helpless and clueless because of this agreement". Male respondent from Gonagala, Ampara talking about the impact of the ceasefire agreement on their area. Source: <em>Moving Out of Poverty in Conflict Affected Areas</em>, Poverty and Conflict programme, 2006. “Even though the peace agreement with the LTTE is still in effect it is only limited to a piece of paper. Even now the LTTE is coming secretly to our village and they collect information that will be useful in their attacks and even they don’t care about the government and police rules like wearing helmets when driving a bike. When they are caught for those sorts of things they used to show an identity card and get away from the fines. So some times even the police won’t check them.

“We think that for these three years the LTTE must have being collecting useful information to organise attacks and even they had a good chance from the peace process. The LTTE is very shrewd and they are very keen on organising their attacks without getting captured. Even they are in their uniforms in the areas, which they control. The government forces are helpless and clueless because of this agreement”. Male respondent from Gonagala, Ampara talking about the impact of the ceasefire agreement on their area.

Source: Moving Out of Poverty in Conflict Affected Areas, Poverty and Conflict programme, 2006.

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