Point of no return in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka is perilously close to the return of civil war with both the military and Tamil rebels escalating their attacks. The Norway initiated 2002 cease fire is in danger of imminent collapse. And the ultimate victims are once again the civilians of the country – caught in the middle of the government soldiers and Tamil rebels.

Just in the recent days, some 40,000 Tamil civilians have fled from their homes in northeastern Sri Lanka to escape government airstrikes, which has killed at least 12 people and injuring 27 others.

Not that the rebels had not seen this coming though for it was them who had actually started this round of violence going.

On Tuesday a female suicide bomber believed to be a Tamil Tiger rebel and pretending to be pregnant, exploded a bomb in front of a car that was taking Sri Lanka’s top military general Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka inside the army headquarters in Colombo. The general is seriously wounded but 9 others were killed (pix).

Then the rebels followed it up by attacking the Sri Lankan navy craft the following day. In retaliation, the Sri Lankan army launched waves of airstrikes at rebel positions, killing not the rebels but innocent villagers.

The battle for control between the government and the rebels has caused thousands of human lost. Sri Lanka, a beautiful country with lovely beaches and country sides, is once again in danger of becoming the land of bombs and deaths.

I think the majority of the Tamils, who once felt isolated and discriminated by the majority ethnic Sinhalese, would want this wanton killing to stop. I also don’t think they would want to be ruled by the ruthless Tamil Tigers.

Maybe it is time to get back to the drawing board again to resuscitate the Norway-brokered truce. After all the truce was plain sailing until it was halted by disputes over postwar power-sharing.

The government should be seen as wanting the truce. It should not have military commanders and ministers throwing doubts over the process, or worse still openly saying that they will not shake hands with the rebels.

And as for the rebels, they should go back to their original aims of seeking a solution for the Tamils in Sri Lanka and not be obsessed with power craze.