Article jointly by Sarath Wijesinghe President’s Counsel, former Ambassador to UAE and Israel, President Ambassador’s Forum  and Thumilan  Sivarajah –  Chair Blue Ocean group of companies (international) (Construction)

Peace is valuable and rare but easy to achieve in realization

Peace is valuable pleasant and rare. Freedom from war and disturbances bring peace, calmness, and Loving kindness, in a non – violent situation as a by – product of peace. Sri Lanka is bestowed with rare natural beauty and pleasant nature of the people with a smile willing to help needy – especially when you are in need of help and assistance. Peace and development are synonymous as the other part of the coin working hand in hand. Development and productivity brings economic benefits that minimises the causes of conflicts due to wants and shortages. Peace is a state of mind with no violence, in harmony and less or no confrontations and conflicts. Peace brings political stability, and cohabitation among different groups and religions. Economic stability, prosperity   is a main requirement for development in all kinds which includes human development, industry, agriculture and many other. In agriculture peace is needed to the famer to grow peacefully with no disturbances from man and other creators small or large. Industry and construction will prosper only in peaceful atmospheres. In Sri Lanka Road networks and construction was booming during peaceful situation with stability of economic peace and strength indicating that many are interconnected and interwoven in the state and private machinery. Booming road industry is resulted in an excellent network of roads right round Sri Lanka linked to highways. Peace is a main requirement and an ingredient to development as there is no room for development and productivity in a violent society. Except in ideal and utopian society the conflicts and differences are common among living beings controlled by restrictions religions and culture with love and affection in communities. Animals have conflicts for food, protection for themselves and children, and territory they defend such as tigers. Disputes are more in developed multicultural human communities for more and more wealth, controlled and restricted by religions and culture enhanced with the material development and developments on consumerism of goods and money in circulation. Conflicts escalate to various levels up to world wars that has resulted the loss of millions of human beings with destruction of private and public property. Development is an essential ingredient in a developed society for the needs of the members of the society, with the conflicts and differences when the provisions are limited and in short supply which is the main cause of the conflicts. Post war and conflicts may be an ideal field to breed peace and reconciliation in the battered society with conflicts and aftermaths of wars leaving aside the causes of wars and conflicts. After settlements of conflicts people realise the values of humanity and peace with peaceful living. We went through bitter periods and experiences of war during number of conflicts and disturbances having learnt lessons for the future educated by ourselves by experience and realization how valuable peace is to the human being and the world. Peace is an essential ingredient for economic and political stability, and peace will be the main partner in the process of economic and political stability, with the reputation from world over on diplomacy and foreign relations. Peace is a state of mind and one can have peace by developing himself physically as well as in mind in development of mind on realisation of the truth and reality as preached by Buddha that ‘All that we are is the result of what we have thought. It is founded on thoughts. It made up of our thoughts. If one speak or acts with an evil thoughts a pain follows one as follows the feet of the OX that drives the wagon’. ‘Dhammapada’ on Peace is that what matters is the thoughts and acts to follow so that is the self-control and discipline that matters for inner and general peace that spreads to the society at large which echoed in other religions on peace and love to the neighbours and mankind. In regularizing the thought process with education the society will be transformed to the just society with peace and reconciliation in places of war or disturbances before. Front line LTTE confronted with security forces in the South and North when Muslims were ordered to vacate north within hours. Luckily the reconciliatory peace process in ongoing in South and North with the North South dialogue with a successful momentum with development process in the entire country as one workshop unfortunately now retarded due to the current political and economic crisis expected to be resolved by easing the pressure exerted by unidentified and unknown pressure groups heading at Galle Face Green freely. Whoever is behind the Galle Face celebrations have brought about peaceful friendly and enjoyable atmosphere among the Colombo residents after the pressure and isolation of pandemic front that has devastated the economy of the country in shatters.

Reconciliation

Reconciliation is technically defines how the friendly relations restore after differences or arguments on given issues in an aggravated form. According to the traditional definition It is how to make it compatible persuade to accept something unwelcome. It is no exaggeration that in Sri Lanka during peacetime the different groups are so integrated and friendly especially in villages too is nearly an integrated exemplary communes of love and friendship. Colombo is a commune of a mixture of Tamil majority with Muslims and Sinhalese being the minority in the capital of Sri Lanka with valuable property and leading businesses owned by Muslims and Tamils a minority in the country as a whole is a wonderful situation. Tamils/Muslim and Sinhalese are integrated in Kandy, ‘Hambantota’, ‘Nuwara Eliya’, and many villages and townships in an exemplary way peacefully which is an example to other nations worldwide. In Sri Lanka situation the UNHCER is urging Sri Lanka to take steps on reconciliation especially after the events and the aftermath of the end of the war that ended in 2009 to meet justice and reparations to the suffered and victims of war when the communities are living together in love and affection to different groups and communities. Peace and reconciliation will be a main topic in at the deliberations of the periodic review process starting from 28^th February till 4^th April in Geneva full house the High Commissioner of Human rights taken the centre stage. But there are schools of thoughts that Sri Lanka is a nation that is already a country where the citizens are living in harmony in a peaceful atmosphere in a peaceful atmosphere, though there were certain incidents at the end of the 2009 war where steps were taken on reconciliation in small and large scales and healing process having taken steps to punish the wrongdoers. 

Sri Lanka went through most difficult times and currently the most difficult time

Sri Lanka went through the unfortunate war on terror the world rated unwinnable with the initiation of a misguided bunch of youth in the NE of Sri Lanka led by leader of LTTE who won over the minds of the Tamil Youth demanding a separate state carving North and East of ‘Sri Lanka’ – a highly illogical concept when 60% of the Tamil population happily settled with the Sinhalese and Muslims in the rest of the country. The group was assisted  by a misguided a part of the Tamil community living in Sri Lanka and mostly abroad who assisted the group in cash, kind and encouragement with the hopes given to them that they will achieve the gaols by an armed struggle when the armed struggle continued nearly three decades with the human cost and destruction of the resources taking the country back to over 5 decades of irreparable and wanton destruction in all kinds leaving the current generation to suffer in addition to the other war in 1987/88 waged by the JVP another  group  of  misguided Sinhala youth now appear to be reformed and entered into the mainstream of politics unfortunately the same ideology and concepts of the founder  whose fate was decided at ‘’’Borella’’ Cemetery under most tragic circumstances. Currently the UNHCER is urging justice and reparation to those who suffered human rights at the last stages of the wining of the war in 2009 alleging war crimes and /or deal with the security officers conducted the war ending the LTTE terror regime. JVP that went underground has come to the mainstream politics today with the other political parties in the opposition. Today there is a silver lining on peace reconciliation and peace co-existence among communities based on realizations realised in a hard way and it is the duty of all to adhere to it.

UNHCR and Procedure on member states on Human Rights Issues

According to UN procedure council sessions held  on 28^th February to 1/4/2022 for periodic review and the presentations from the concerned parties in the present of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the Diplomats countries taking part. Current Human Right High Commissioner ‘Michelle Bachelet’ is in the centre who will submit the report and observations of the proceedings to the necessary parties for consideration. One of the main aims of the entire exercise of the UNHCR is peace and reconciliation aiming at stable peace and prosperity and to lay the foundation for the stable peace is the main aim with reconciliatory affects by the necessary parties. The other main hurdle for peace and prosperity is the world pandemic that has engulfed as other parts of the world and to our credit we have successfully completed the vaccinations to a sizable majority to the citizens with the assistance of the health workers and the security forces having performed their duties in a satisfactory manner setting an example to the rest of the world still lagging behind in the vaccine schemes. International recognition and goodwill is needed for internal stability. Sri Lankan government is always under stress and many improvements are expected on human rights areas.

Developments to continue despite wars and Pandemic and the unfortunate wars and disturbances

Developments take place at a rapid phase in all sectors and different magnitudes most notable being the Port City project initiated in a land carving out sea filled in a most strategic situation in the Indian Ocean, which is nearing completion aiming to be the maritime and a business hub of naval and business centre in Asia on the famous and traditions silks route. Road network is of highest quality akin to the network in UK that connects all corners of the country and it is a happy news that tourism has started booming and Covid 19 has ended soon and people will be adjusted to live with it in future as has been done on the Flu in UK where every citizen is annually vaccinated as a preventive measure. Sri Lanka was at some stage led Asia in construction sector with high rising buildings and apartments for affluent local regional and foreigners in business. Now that the difficult period is nearing to be competed it is time to start business ventures and construction sector with the new boom on tourism and the impending business boom to expect when there is a demand for apartments linked to temporary business visa. There is a shortage of expert skilled labour in Sri Lanka when the remaining unskilled labour are attempting to leave the country. Rest are aspiring for easy jobs such as ‘Uber’ and three wheel drivers which is a waste of valuable labour that should have been exploited by construction trade and it is time for the leading industrialists and those in the construction trade to lead training projects with state sector. Sri Lanka is in need of foreign exchange as foreign labour is one of the main resources of foreign exchange or Sri Lanka.. Developing the country is another form of establishing peace and reconciliation as stable economy and comfortable life will ease the stress and the tension of the average citizen in need of directions and assistance in the current difficult situations, with so any hardships and shortages including gas, electricity, food and financial shortcomings which are rampant on door steps of many. Time has now reached for the Chambers of Commerce, Business leaders and establishments, Industrialists, food Chains, to organize themselves in various ways and means to find solutions to generate jobs and much needed foreign exchange from exports, to the issues as concerned groups and leaders as it appears the state machinery is incompetent and incapable to handle the situation due to lack of vision strategy and leadership. It is  high time the business community and the concerned groups with educate and intellectuals to get themselves organized with the industrial/development  sector including the construction and IT fields (with international connections), as construction and IT will muster the long needed foreign exchange for a new chapter in Sri Lanka now battered with shortages and lack of resources when development in all kinds and sectors being the only way out to the citizen for a better and peaceful life with better economic conditions. -Sarath Wijesinghe PC could be contacted on sarath28dw@gmail.com whats app 0094777880166 active in UK-