SPOTLIGHT

Canada's push for peace in Sri Lanka

Canadian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Valerie Raymond	Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, Bill Graham Former Ontario Prime Minister, Bob Rae	By D.B.S. Jeyaraj The international dimension in the Sri Lankan peace process has been glaringly visible from the time of its inception. Norway facilitates; the European Union appeals; Japan offers; and the USA hectors. While all these pressures on the protagonists are particularly discernible, one Western nation has been seemingly keeping a comparatively low profile on these issues.   Canada in comparison with some countries straddling the Sri Lankan peace stage is not hogging the limelight. Given the absence of strident diplomacy it may appear to some that the 'Land of the Maple Leaf' seems strikingly indifferent to the on going peace process.
LTTE Political Wing Head, S. P. Tamilselvan

Appearances can be dangerously deceptive. It would be a grave error to underplay or underestimate the Canadian role in Sri Lanka. In keeping with what Canucks are fond of describing as the Canadian way, Ottawa has been constantly involved in helping push positively for peace in Sri Lanka. Only it has not been abrasively obnoxious like some other nations.

Canadian intervention

A singular aspect of Canadian 'intervention' is that it does not seek to ram its way into getting involved in spheres where the red carpet has not been laid out clearly. Officials take pride in pointing out that instead of muscling in on any given situation, Canada quietly identifies an inadequately addressed need and steps in quietly to fill the void.

As far as Sri Lanka is concerned, Canada is not interested in supplanting Norway. Instead it only aims at supplementing it, if necessary in the peace process.

Canada is home to the single largest Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora population in the world. The greater Toronto area has more Tamils than any city or town in Sri Lanka. The LTTE too is overtly and covertly hyperactive in the country.

The Tigers are engaged in intensive propaganda and extensive fund raising on Canadian soil. All these factors provide Canada a locus standi in Tamil affairs and also affords some degree of leverage with the Tigers.

The remarkable feature of Canada's role has been exactly that. Instead of issuing provocative threats or harsh ultimatums, Canada has for quite some time exercised a gentle, quiet type of diplomacy with the Tigers.

Maintaining direct and indirect lines of communications with the LTTE hierarchy, Canada has been continuously exerting diplomatic pressure on the LTTE to participate "fully" in the peace process in every sense of the word. The recent meeting in Kilinochchi was the latest example of this approach.

The Canadian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka, Valerie Raymond met with the Tiger Political Head, S.P. Tamilselvan at the LTTE's Peace Secretariat in Kilinochchi and encouraged the LTTE "to move forward steadfastly in finding a negotiated political settlement to the ethnic conflict in spite of any obstacles that are usually expected in such protracted conflict resolutions."

The Canadian Envoy was accompanied by Political/Economic Counselor at the Canadian High Commission in Colombo, Elizabeth Baldwin-Jones.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Raymond said, "I had a constructive discussion with Mr. Tamilselvan. On behalf of the government of Canada, I have urged him to return to face-to-face talks as soon as possible. Once the LTTE has returned to talks, we urge them to stay the course until a final political settlement is achieved."

Message

"We feel that the development work can continue on a parallel track to improve the lives of the people at the same time as the political negotiations are continuing," Raymond said.

Despite the diplomatic terminology, the implied message cannot be missed. Canada wants the LTTE to return to direct talks as soon as possible and remain at the negotiating table until a final settlement is reached. Canada also wants political discussions to continue simultaneously with development aimed at improving the situation of the ordinary people.

What Canada wants is for the LTTE to abandon its tough stance and resolve the current impasse by resuming direct "face to face" negotiations with Colombo. It also does not favour further breakdowns in the talks and wants the LTTE to "stay the course" until an end is in sight. Also Canada does not want the Tigers to use the plight of the people as an excuse to abort talks. It is clear that peace talks and development efforts can continue on "parallel tracks."

In short Canada has diplomatically reprimanded and tactfully demanded that the LTTE revise and reorient its current approach towards the peace process. Ottawa is only reflecting the concerns and opinion of the international community in voicing these sentiments. It was a Canadian, Marshall Mcluhan who said first that "the medium was the message." Instead of issuing intimidatory media releases, Canada has sent her envoy to the heart of Tiger land and conveyed its message at the highest level to the LTTE.

It may be recalled that Raymond met directly with Tamilselvan and Pulithevan on an earlier occasion in Kilinochchi. While urging the Tigers to get back to the negotiating table, Raymond also underscored the imperative need for enforcing human rights and a pluralist democracy in the north east. The LTTE was censured for its human rights violations including conscription of children and killing of non-Tiger politicians.

The Canadian Envoy has also undertaken separate trips to the eastern province, meeting senior Tiger leaders in Batticaloa and Trincomalee. Another noteworthy aspect of the Canadian role in this regard is that Raymond's predecessor, Ruth Archibald was the first Western envoy after the Norwegian Ambassador to visit Kilinochchi and meet accredited LTTE leaders. This was at a time when the LTTE remained proscribed in Sri Lanka and the Tigers were yet to come in from the cold.

Search for a federal solution

Another well-known fact is Canada's involvement in the search for a federal solution in Sri Lanka. The Forum of Federations, an Ottawa-based think tank chaired by former Ontario Premier Bob Rae has been actively involved in the peace process for quite some time.

Rae and Toronto University Professor, David Cameron have been present during government-LTTE talks in Thailand, Norway, Germany and Japan. There has been considerable Canadian input (though unpublicised) in the Oslo decision to explore federalism.

Rae and Cameron also held workshops in the Wanni for the LTTE political affairs committee. A delegation from this committee later undertook a study tour of federalism in European countries. Rae and Cameron were present in Paris too when the LTTE team of constitutional experts met there last month. Though the Canadians were not present during proceedings they did meet the panel and provide requested advice.

The Canadian role will be enhanced further when the Tiger team of legal and constitutional experts is scheduled to meet this week in Dublin for a second round. Since the Quebec issue with reference to the abortive Meech Lake accord and Charlottetown Agreements are to be discussed in Ireland, the LTTE wanted Canadian expertise. LTTE International Legal Advisor, Visvanathan Ruthirakumaran wrote to Bob Rae requesting assistance.

Replacement

With Rae being unavailable as he is on an international tour with Canadian Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, a worthy replacement has been found.

A Canadian politico-academic, Prof. Gil Remilliard is scheduled to participate in the LTTE conclave at Dublin. He is on the governing board at the Forum of Federations. Remilliard was justice and inter-governmental affairs minister in the Quebec Province's liberal government under Premier Robert Bourassa. He is currently Counsel at Fraser Milner Casgraine and Professor at Ecole Nationale D'administration Publique in Montreal.

It would indeed be interesting to see the level of involvement by this French-Canadian constitutional expert in the forthcoming LTTE discussions in Ireland.

It is against this background that Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister, Bill Graham is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka after mid-October. Graham was to have visited Sri Lanka in March this year but had to postpone the trip because of the Middle East situation.

LTTE websites are speculating that Graham is likely to visit Kilinochchi for a meeting with Tiger Supremo Velupillai Pirapaharan. It is being said that an undeclared objective of Raymond's recent Wanni trip was to make arrangements for this.

It was Bill Graham who single-handedly prevented the LTTE being proscribed under the new Canadian draconian Anti Terrorism Act or C-36. Graham did so because he felt that a ban on the Tigers at this point of time would not be conducive to the peace process.

Although Graham succeeded in getting his way in cabinet despite very strong recommendations for banning by the security agencies, there is no doubt that the Tigers would face immediate proscription under C-36 in Canada if and when they decide to break off talks and resume war unilaterally.

Other factors

In spite of hopes in LTTE circles about a meeting between Graham and the LTTE Chief , other factors stand in the way. For one thing Graham is only having a whistlestop stay in Sri Lanka. Given the short duration it is doubtful whether he could have enough time to visit Tamil regions let alone the Wanni. Another important concern is the impact of such a meeting in Canada.

Already Graham has received a tremendous battering from right wing opposition and media in Canada over his efforts in preventing the C-36 ban on the LTTE. A face to face meeting with the Tiger numero uno could trigger off a barrage of criticism at home again.

On the other hand pro-Tiger elements in Canada could depict the meeting as a feather in the Tiger cap. The LTTE could exploit the meeting to its advantage and send out strong but wrong signals to the community in the current post September 11 scenario.

This in turn could boost Tiger activity in Canada. This prospect will certainly not be relished by the security agencies who will argue vehemently against such a meeting.

Whatever the pros and cons it is clear that the ultimate decision for such a meeting - if Pirapaharan is willing that is - rests solely on Bill Graham. He is a principled politician with strong convictions.

Those who know the Minister well say that if Graham feels the search for peace in Sri Lanka would be strengthened by his meeting Pirapaharan, then he would most certainly do so regardless of the political fallout. What is of relevance here is to ascertain whether the LTTE's conduct can infuse such positive confidence.

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