8/19/2019 Sri Lanka - Generating Consensus Among the Sinhalese to Resolve the 68-Yr Conflict

1/2

Mr. P.B. AbeykoonSecretary to the PresidentColombo 01

Mr. E.M.S.B. Ekanayake

Secretary to the Prime MinisterColombo 07

Cc: Secretaries of Ministries,Mr .Sam!anthan, "!!osition #eaderMr M.A.S$manthiran, S!okesman for %&A

'ear Mr Abeykoon and Mr Ekanayake

Sri #anka ( )eneratin* Consens$s amon* the Sinhalese to resol+e the -yr

ethnic con/ict

Please share the folloin* ith the President and the Prime Minister of theCoalition )o+ernment:

Please share the folloin* ith the cabinet of Ministers and the !arliament andthe Sinhala masses:

Se+eral attem!ts to resol+e the te2tbook case 3e2!lanation of o$r con/ict byinternational researchers4 of ethnic con/ict in the last 5 decades failed d$e tothe lack of consens$s amon* the Sinhalese. Most attem!ts ha+e been thartedby ethnic o$tbiddin* beteen the 6&P and the S#P.

#et $s +isit the last attem!t of 8ndin* !eace:

 %he !eace !rocess of 9009; failed beca$se the thenPrime Minister anil

8/19/2019 Sri Lanka - Generating Consensus Among the Sinhalese to Resolve the 68-Yr Conflict

2/2

ere made by him at 6SP, 9Jeb 901 and Chamber of Commerce, -Mar 9014incl$din* .As a )o+ernment that is res!onsible and acco$ntable to her !eo!le,the &ational 6nity )o+ernment remains 8rm in its resol+e to do ri*ht by the!eo!le of the co$ntry, not in the least beca$se of ass$rances *i+en to theinternational comm$nity at any !oint in time, b$t beca$se this is the only !ath

a+ailable to ens$re $stice, remo+e the ca$ses of terrorism and achie+e a d$rable!eace for the lon*s$Herin* !eo!le in o$r co$ntry S!eech by Minster oforei*n AHairs at 6&KC, 1.0L.901J,htt!s:.colombotele*ra!h.cominde2.!h!srilankasres!onseto$nhrcthef$llte2tofforei*naHairsministerss!eechtoday

Concrete actions of +ario$s ministries ill alone ens$re $stice and remo+eca$ses of terrorism. %his ill res$lt in !eace and reconciliation. "ne cannot '"reconciliation.

Many ellishers aro$nd the orld are re!resented by the ellknon !eaceo!timist::

Erik Solheim has said: ?this is the best o!!ort$nity to brin* abo$t a lastin*sol$tion to the co$ntry?s ethnic @$estion, - March 901L,htt!:.thehind$.comtodays!a!ert!nationalsrilankareadyfor!eacesayseriksolheimarticle-;9--0-.ece

#et 901 be the t$rnin* !oint for the ethnic minorities and Sri #anka as a hole:

?N. the minority +ote came $nconditionally to him, and hat is more, thecommon o!!osition as caref$l to st$dio$sly a+oid any reference hatsoe+er tothe demands of the minorities let alone be seen to be !romisin* anythin* tothem, so as to ens$re that s$Ocient n$mbers of the maority desertedaa!aksa. All that the minorities are left ith after the 901J !residential electionis the *oodill and decency of the ne President and his *o+ernment to treatthem ith some sort of res!ect, and hen and if !ossible, to address their!olitical and constit$tional !roblems. %KE EEC6%GE PES'E&C A&' %KES #A&QA& S%A%E: M%KS A&' EA#%ES, Asan*a