Joint Mechanism: Four Months and Counting! What’s Next?

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Joint Mechanism: Four Months and Counting! What’s Next?
Source: TamilCanadian - April 26, 2005

The tsunami disaster of December 26th 2004 caused an enormous loss of lives and livelihoods and massive destruction of properties in South and South East Asia. The countries most affected by this tsunami were Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Parts of these countries have also been impacted by the long running armed conflict. The Banda Aceh province of Indonesia and the North and East of Sri Lanka held by the Tamil minority have been ravaged by a decades of civil war. Sri Lanka in particular has come under the glare of foreign media.

Along with the disaster of this magnitude, came an unprecedented outpouring of sympathy and support from international governments and their people. The international community has insisted on an equitable distribution of aid between the areas held by the Government of Sri Lanka and Tamil held areas.

It has been almost four months since the tsunami disaster hit the shores of Sri Lanka. The joint mechanism as urged by the international community is proving to be elusive. Even as Norwegian facilitators express optimism in reaching an agreement with statements that ninety-nine percent of the mechanism has been finalized, the message coming from Southern political parties has been confusing and destructive. Following is a survey on what was said by and about the Southern polity on the media.

Kadirgamar however said the government could sign a deal brokered by Norway with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to provide a formula for distributing tsunami relief as long as it was not seen giving the rebels de facto recognition as a government. – March 26th, AFP

The 'Joint Mechanism' proposed for relief distribution in the North and East province, between the government and LTTE was condemned by the Jatika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Thursday calling the move was another guise to grant the Eelam demanded by the LTTE. – April 1st, Daily Mirror

“We should spit on NGOs and stop them from walking on our streets. Donor countries and their NGO agents are holding this country to ransom, telling the government to set up a joint Tsunami relief mechanism with the LTTE. It is something that can be done through the Sri Lankan state machinery. There is no need for a joint mechanism”, said Mr. Wimal Weerawansa, the powerful propaganda secretary of Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), speaking to a packed audience in Maharagama, an outer suburb of Colombo, at a meeting Wednesday to ‘expose the NGO Mafia that is against the land and the country’.- April 6th, TamilNet

In a hard-hitting speech PNM Co-President Ven Elle Gunawansa Thera said this country is not the property of Chandrika Kumaratunga or Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Addressing a seminar on 'Threats from NGOs to the sovereignty of the country', the monk said the PNM had promised to build a country where Sri Lankans could live proudly as Sri Lankans and the party would fulfil that promise.

JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa who is also a PNM Co-President accused NGOs of attempting to pose a challenge to the sovereignty of the country by undermining the country's economy, security and cultural values.

He charged that following the tsunami disaster some NGOs had tried to tarnish the government's image internationally by publicising that the government had failed to take adequate relief measures and discriminated against tsunami victims in North and East, thereby forcing the government to set up a joint mechanism with the LTTE to handle tsunami aid.

"It is these western imperialistic countries which are keen to force the government to establish a joint mechanism with the LTTE. Neither India nor China see the so-called joint mechanism as a key element in handling financial aid. Was there a joint mechanism to handle financial or any other aid when India rebuilt the Arugambay Bridge with the Sri Lankan security forces? There are other mechanisms like the Rehabilitation Ministry and other government institutions which can coordinate such matters," he said. - April 8th, Daily Mirror

The crisis in government exacerbated last week with the JVP not only vowing to oppose tooth and nail any move towards establishing a joint mechanism with the LTTE for the north east reconstruction but also a solution based on federalism even as President Chandrika Kumaratunga threatened to call the Marxists' bluff.

Given the political compulsions, both parties have had their say but neither had their way, leading to movement in the peace process as well as the economy getting hopelessly bogged down, much to the consternation of the international community that was helping keep the fragile ceasefire alive. – April 10th The Sunday Leader

But as on this issue as well as many others, she is locking horns with the JVP Propaganda Secretary, Wimal Weerawansa who was reported as having scoffedat this proposal for a joint mechanism for reconstruction of the north and east at Maharagama. He had said that it was tantamount to the division of the country. He had also accused donor countries and NGOs of holding the country to ransom

On May 16 and 17 a conference is to be held between Sri Lanka's donors and the government on the tsunami and the reconstruction process, economic development and recommencement of the peace process. The donors have called for the government's proposals on these subjects by the end of April. Thus, the dilly-dallying cannot go on for long. It is a make or break situation. – April 17th, The Sunday Leader

But the government's Marxist junior coalition partner, the People's Liberation Front - or JVP - is rabidly anti-Tiger and fervently against the idea of an aid mechanism. "The JVP is creating a lot of trouble for the Sri Lankan government," Puleedevan said. "And the President is on holiday now in England. Without the President, nothing will happen."

"If the Sri Lankan government and the south are not agreeing to an aid mechanism, then how can they agree on the peace process or interim self-rule?" Puleedevan said. – April 18th, Reuters

The international community is also a bit dismayed that the Government is not giving the Joint Mechanism its consent. They see the Government being a handmaiden of a Sinhala ultra-nationalist coalition partner, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Recently, Norway, EU and Japan had jointly complained to President Chandrika Kumaratunga about the JVP, which is opposed not only to the Joint Mechanism, but to federalism also.

The international community is also a bit dismayed that the Government is not giving the Joint Mechanism its consent. They see the Government being a handmaiden of a Sinhala ultra-nationalist coalition partner, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Recently, Norway, EU and Japan had jointly complained to President Chandrika Kumaratunga about the JVP, which is opposed not only to the Joint Mechanism, but to federalism also.

They [Sinhala nationalists] also wonder why the Sinhala side or the Sri Lankan government is made to yield to the LTTE's whims and fancies all the time, without reciprocal concessions from it. Hence, Acting Defense Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake's proposal to start an international campaign to tell the world about the LTTE's "atrocities". – April 18th, Hindustan Times

While Norwegian facilitators indicated that the deal for a joint mechanism between the government and the LTTE was wrapped up, the JVP warned yesterday that such a deal would mean the end of the road for the UPFA government. – April 20th, Daily Mirror

"The Ceasefire Agreement was a gross violation of the territorial integrity of the country by demarcating part of land as the LTTE territory. The joint mechanism will go a step further as it will see the government sharing its supreme power to handle finances with the Tigers," Mr. Weerawansa told the Daily Mirror.

He said the JVP believed the joint mechanism was being pushed to achieve the sinister agendas of certain Western players, NGOs and their agents in the government.

"As long as the JVP is there nobody will be able to make this betrayal a reality" Mr. Weerawanasa vowed.

Meanwhile, JHU Secretary Champika Ranawaka said yesterday that as long as the nationalist forces were alert, the joint mechanism would be only a dream for the LTTE and their international agents who were trying to give legitimacy to terrorism. – April 20th, Daily Mirror

He is due to leave here on Thursday and Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga who is on a private tour overseas is not due before his departure, the officials added.

Solheim held talks with the Head of the government's peace secretariat Jayantha Dhanapala on Monday. It was revealed that no decisions could be taken until Kumaratunga's return to the country. – April 20th, People’s Daily Online

The JVP politburo has decided its ministers will immediately quit their cabinet portfolios if the government goes ahead with the joint mechanism, party sources said last night.

They said the resignation of the JVP ministers would be followed by tougher action, including withdrawal from the UPFA government, to prevent the implementation of the joint mechanism deal. – April 20th, Daily Mirror

JVP rejected the pressure imposed on it by the United States on Joint Mechanism. It submitted a three-page letter to US Deputy Secretary of State Christina Rocca, citing reasons for their opposition to the mechanism. JVP said the Tigers were attempting to get international recognition through this mechanism and in the process it would lead to the separation of the country – April 21st, Sudaroli

The Propaganda Secretary of the JVP, Wimal Weerawansa, told a local newspaper that the deal to establish the joint mechanism would mean "the end of the road for the UPFA government". – April 21st, Gulf News

The JVP has decided to quit the government within an hour after signing the joint mechanism if it is done regardless of its protests, government sources said yesterday.JVP internal sources said this decision was taken at the emergency meeting of the JVP political bureau on Wednesday, presided over by party leader Somawansa Amarasinghe. - April 22nd, Daily Mirror

The Patriotic National Movement claimed that Norwegian special envoy Erik Solheim has no right whatsoever to declare the establishment of a joint mechanism. In a communiqué the PNM said, “Norway and its allied forces, which favour separatism, are in an unquenchable thirst to topple the Alliance government. It is no secret that these pro western forces and certain fraudulent elements cannot rest in peace with the collapse of the pro western Ranil Wickremasinghe’s puppet government. These local and international forces are trying their best to make use of this proposed joint mechanism to split the governing United People’s Freedom Alliance. This is amply manifested from the behaviour of the Norwegian, Erik Solheim.”

Anyone with an ounce of brain should be able to understand this local and international conspiracy. Those who have made the dollars pumped by the NGO’s their sleeping bed are not worried by such international conspiracies. – April 22nd, Lanka Page

The current issue of the Joint Mechanism indicates perfectly why Sri Lanka feels isolated. The Norwegians and the Americans are obscenely in the middle of the Joint Mechanism merry go round. They operate the levers, and it’s their writ that’s basically being slotted into motion after a few commas and semi colons are altered at the President’s office. – April 22nd, Lanka Page

JVP Propaganda Secretary, Wimal Weerawansa was reported to have said that the joint mechanism would cause more damage to the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity than the ceasefire agreement.

However, there is one hitch. The JVP like all other members of the UPFA is not aware of the contents of the joint mechanism proposals. – April 24th, The Sunday Leader

Despite all the certainty in the diplomatic community, a wide gulf still remains. That is the grim reality - whether President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga would give the final nod. If she does, aid will flow but her Government faces a break in the middle. If she does not, the aid will not come and the Government may be forced into international isolation. Either way, the choices are bad.

The Norwegians who had put a gigantic effort to make the Joint Mechanism a reality will have to get over this task first. It is only then can they get on with their next priority, work towards getting the two sides to sit down to talk peace. In other words, this mechanism has become the foundation stone on which the peace building efforts are going to be mounted. – April 24th, The Sunday Times

Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera (Patriotic National Front) said that they did not see any positive signs in the joint mechanism and it would only be a foundation stone for a separate state in the mother land. The Ven. Thera suggested setting up an executive board representing those provincial level politicians, religious leaders and intellectuals of the area. – April 24th,The Sunday Observer

While this mechanism is expected to pave the way for broader power sharing, opinion is certainly divided within the government on the matter. So much so that it prompted Rocca to request the government to speak in one coherent voice with no conflicting signals when speaking of the peace process.

There are sections within the SLFP camp that fear the erosion of Sri Lanka's territorial integrity if such a mechanism is provided for. Also, they feel the SLFP's political future would be significantly destroyed if it were done.

Weerawansa was of the view the ceasefire agreement signed between the UNF government and the LTTE was a gross violation of the state's territorial integrity, but the joint mechanism was "hell" compared to the truce. His opinion was that the joint mechanism could do much more harm than what the Norwegian sponsored truce ever did. – April 24th The Sunday Leader

The message from the previous week's donor meeting at the Finance Ministry was all too clear. The international donors see a firm link between aid (whether for post-tsunami reconstruction or national development) and the peace process. And because the government is unwilling to engage with the LTTE in the distribution and utilisation of aid for the north and east, we stand to lose it all. – April 24th The Sunday Leader

"The establishment of a joint mechanism with the LTTE would lead the country to disaster", said Venerable Athuraliya Ratana Thera, JHU parliamentary group leader addressing a press conference Monday in Colombo.

"The joint mechanism would allow the LTTE to obtain more foreign funds directly to the northeast and also it would allow LTTE leaders to go abroad frequently to muster international support for their cause," said Venerable Athuraliya Ratana Thera. – April 25th, TamilNet

Mr.Nimal Sripala de Silva, a senior Minister in the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, said that the proposed joint mechanism would not confer any administrative powers to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). – April 25th TamilNet

A political party led by several of Sri Lanka's powerful Buddhist monks has opposed a government move to give partial control of foreign tsunami aid to the Tamil Tiger rebels, a news report said Tuesday.

The party's opposition could complicate government efforts to share tsunami aid with the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam, which controls areas of the island's northeast that were hit by the Dec. 26 tsunami, which killed at least 31,000 in Sri Lanka. – April 25th, AP

Even though we are divided in to parties and ideologies nobody can agree with the idea of dividing Sri Lanka in to parts, Patriotic National Movement in a letter addressed to Ministers and Members of Parliament says. It is the responsibility of all Sri Lankans to protect the Motherland for the future generations PNM in the letter insisted. Those who describe join mechanism as “LTTE accepting the authority of the SL Government” are the ones who support separatist tigers and certain international elements are behind them say the statement. – April 26th, Lanka Truth

The JHU yesterday invited the JVP and other Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim patriots to join hands to defeat the government's attempt to establish a Joint Mechanism with the LTTE for tsunami rehabilitation in the North and East.

JHU Parliamentary group leader Ven. Aturaliye Ratana Thera said this was the time for all patriots to join hands irrespective of political affiliations. – April 26th, Daily Mirror