The London-based Global Tamil Forum (GTF), which was once staunchly pro-LTTE, is now describing  Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena as an “emerging patriot and statesman”.

In his message to mark May 18, when Lankan Tamils all over the world pay homage to those who were killed in the brutal, final stage of Eelam War IV in 2009, GTF President Fr.S.J.Emmanuel noted that President Sirisena “shows signs of an emerging patriot and statesman.”

“ Some of his predecessors have publicly made serious and erroneous remarks about the Tamils. But by word and example, he (Sirisena) is appealing to us all to put the country and the people before political parties and seek a peaceful coexistence of all peoples,” the Catholic priest noted.

 “The new government and the progressive forces from all communities are identifying some root causes which ruined the county in the past and are able to identify the fundamentals for a peaceful coexistence of all,” Fr.Emmanuel said.

“The present government appears to have realized the folly of denying the right to memory to the Tamils, and has prudently decided to tone down the one-sided victory parade of the government and allow a commemoration of all the fallen in the war. It is a welcome move, a distant silver-line at the end of the tunnel, or at least as a first step, on the long road to achieving a peaceful future,” he added.

Need For Forgiveness

Stressing the need for forgiveness, Fr.Emmanuel said: “Forgetting is difficult or nearly impossible, but forgiving is possible and helpful.”

But the truth about what happened in the war must be revealed and justice must be rendered, he cautioned. The government should also “courageously” change the structure of the state to create political, economic and social equality to prevent a future rebellion.

Fr.Emmanuel said that only a minority believe in the evils of racism and extremism, and appealed to civic and religious leaders, more than the political leaders, to play an active role in combating these evils in society.

“The good people are definitely in a majority, but these tend to be passive,” he observed.
(The New Indian Express)