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united kingdom
& the Struggle for Tamil Eelam
UK : �there can be no military solution
alone to the conflict.�
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 March 2007]
Comment
by tamilnation.org
"...Sir Robert
Thompson, the British expert who studied anti-guerrilla
operations in Malaya ...felt that "there should be a proper
balance between the military and the civil effort" as otherwise,
he feared "a situation will arise in which military operations
produce no lasting results because they are unsupported by civil
follow-up actions." According to these American and British
specialists, the ideal combination of repression
and concession was represented by the policies of
President Magsaysay, who successfully quelled the Communist-Huk
rebellion in the Philippines in the early 1950s. Famous for his
policy of "all out force
and all out friendship",
Magsaysay used 'force' in the shape of ruthless suppression
against the Communist rebels and their landless peasant
followers, and 'friendship' in the shape of some land reforms
and concessions directed towards the middle and rich peasants
and the petty bourgeoisie..."
Sumanta Banerjee in India's Simmering Revolution, 1984
British Prime Minister Tony Blair Wednesday called
for the 2002 Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) to be implemented as a first
step towards ending Sri Lanka�s conflict. �The only realistic way to
get a solution is to come back to the 2002 agreement and make sure
that it is implemented,� Mr. Blair said. Meanwhile British Foreign
Secretary Margaret Beckett told her Sri Lankan counterpart, Rohitha
Bogollagama, �there can be no military solution alone to the
conflict.� The emphasis on �alone� is seen by some as British
preparedness to endorse the Colombo�s war against the Tigers,
provided a political solution is offered also.
Mr. Blair made his call for the
2002 CFA to be implemented in Parliament Wednesday in response
to a question by Keith Vaz, an MP of the ruling Labour Party. Citing
the �tragic situation that is unfolding in Sri Lanka,� Mr. Vaz
suggested the Prime Minister �use his good offices to persuade all
the parties and factions to recommit to the agreement made in 2002,
which was brokered by the Norwegian Government, so that the
escalation in violence can be curtailed and peace and tranquility
can return.�
While endorsing the 2002 CFA, Blair also expressed support for the
hardline government of President Mahinda Rajapakse. �I totally
understand the difficulties that the [Sri Lankan] government face at
present; it is a very challenging situation,� he said.
�We have said to them that we will do all we can to help � the only
realistic way to get a solution is to come back to the 2002
agreement and make sure that it is implemented.� �Terrorism and
violence can never be the way to achieve a negotiated solution,�
Blair said.
Meanwhile British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett was quoted in a
statement as telling her Sri Lankan counterpart, Mr. Bogollagama,
who is visiting the UK this week that �violence comes with too high
a price for all the people of Sri Lanka.� She said her government
�remains seriously concerned by the escalation in conflict,� and
�the terrible humanitarian impact this has had on the civilian
population of Sri Lanka.� �Recent incidents demonstrate that both
sides [GoSL and LTTE]need to do more to protect the civilian
population.�
�I stressed that there can be no military solution alone to
the conflict,� Mr. Beckett said.
Ms. Beckett also told Mr. Bogollagama that Britain welcomes Sri
Lanka�s decision to address human rights concerns, adding that such
�abuses do nothing but damage Sri Lanka�s image in the eyes of the
world.�
Analysts said the move to endorsing Colombo�s military campaign
while calling for a political solution to be tabled reflected
similar international support for former President Chandrika
Kumaratunga�s �war for peace� which comprised a military onslaught
alongside an offer of devolution.
During a visit to Colombo on February 15, Britain�s junior foreign
minister Kim Howells said he had discussed with Sri Lankan President
Mahinda Rajapaksa holding peace talks in the future with Tamil
rebels.
His comments were understood to mean that Britain wanted to play a
larger role in its former colony to try to salvage the peace
process, AFP reported from London.
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