MUHAMALAI - FIRST LINE OF DEFENCE FALLS TO THE SLA

LTTE CASUALTIES

by Apino


The pictures are many and some too graphic for display. But this is a time of reckoning, not only for those who are seen here dead and dismembered, but also for all of us who want this to be truly the 'Final War' which ends all wars in Sri Lanka for a very long time.

The anti-terrorism initiative against the LTTE was something that we had no control over. It had to be done, so that ordinary people could live without fear.

Nevertheless, the fighting will come to an end soon, and hopefully the remaining armed LTTE cadres would come to their senses and surrender to be rehabilitated into civillian life.

The bigger challenge facing the ordinary Sri Lankan is not devolving power to a single minority. We are fully capable of doing anything that needs to be done. Rather it is finding the right solutions and making certain that all Sri Lankans, irrespective of any differences can be equally privildged.

There are some very important potential mistakes the Sri Lankans need to be aware of, in order to avoid them. Foremost among them is NOT to reward any minority for the mayhem they've caused in Sri Lanka for over two decades. To do so would create a precedent for someone else to embark on the same violent path.

Instead it becomes more important to learn to accept everyone as fellow citizens and forge a single identity within which unity can be found and dialogue can lead to issue resolution.