Font size: 
Although most of these friendly countries are not seeking sanctions to be imposed on the government, they would all wish that human rights be protected in the midst of civil strife that has polarized the ethnic communities in the country.
The Unilateral Declaration of Independence by Kosovo and its swift recognition by several influential Western countries have also generated considerable concern within Sri Lanka, with various conclusions being derived from it. One is that the devolution of power to a group that is set on separation is likely to enhance their appetite for separation and therefore should not be granted.
This appears to be the line of thinking of the ethno-nationalist People's Liberation Front, or JVP. The group has emphasized that it is opposed to the devolution of powers on any ethnic or regional basis that would strengthen the forces of separation, as epitomized by the LTTE which, despite recent military and territorial reversals, continues to retain a considerable part of the north of the country under its armed control.
At the present time Indian pressure appears to be the one constant in keeping the devolution debate alive. It is an unfortunate fact that apart from a handful of civil society groups there are few champions of devolution within the polity at this time. In this context the role played by India is a constructive one, as it keeps pushing for the presentation and implementation of genuine devolution based on the 13th Amendment within the existing unitary Constitution as a starting point in getting the political process restored in the north and east.
Regardless of its past positions, which at one point were extremely detrimental to Sri Lanka's security, and for which it continues to be viewed with circumspection by many Sri Lankans, India remains the strongest guarantor against Tamil separatism in Sri Lanka. This is on account of India's concerns about its own unity, especially in the context of continuing separatist rebellions taking place in the Indian northeast and Kashmir, and its past experience with separatism in Punjab and Sri Lanka's neighboring state of Tamil Nadu.
The recent developments in Kosovo cannot be considered to be isolated ones, as indeed was pointed out by the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry in a statement that received wide publicity throughout the world. This suggests the danger to India itself, which is the world's largest collection of ethnic diversities concentrated in one country.
Students of world history would no doubt recall that ethnic-based nationalism in Europe twice led to wars in the 20th century that had catastrophic consequences not only in Europe but in all parts of the world, which is why they were called world wars. The past century saw Europe consolidate itself into a system of countries through border adjustments that led to most of them having one predominant ethnic community, and relatively small ethnic minorities.
The breakups of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia have been the most recent manifestations of ethno-nationalism and ethnic separatism in Europe that can influence other regions of the world. It is likely that as India's own varied ethnic populations become more urban, literate and politically mobilized, the forces of ethnic separatism will also be mobilized, which India will always be on its guard against and reforming itself to prevent.
The objections to Indian intervention in Sri Lanka are based on a misreading of current international politics. India has a vested interest in preserving Sri Lanka's unity, if only to protect its own.
The suspicions of Indian intentions in Sri Lanka do have a resonance with the general population on account of the role played by India at the outset of the separatist insurgency. Few in Sri Lanka will easily forget how in the late 1970s and up till the time of the Indo-Lanka Peace Accord of 1987, India provided weapons, training and a safe haven to Tamil militants who used these advantages to create a tragic situation that has devoured over three decades of Sri Lanka's economic development, let alone the tragedy of lost lives and broken families now spread across the globe.
On the other hand, the subsequent efforts by India to address the consequences of its mistaken policy toward Sri Lanka, including the sacrifice of over a thousand Indian lives in the failed peacekeeping operation of 1987-91, need to be given more emphasis today, as this is the present reality.
--
(Dr. Jehan Perera is executive director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka, an independent advocacy organization. He studied economics at Harvard College and holds a doctorate in law from Harvard Law School. ©Copyright Jehan Perera.)
