- Latest issue of Polity Vol. 4 No. 6
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COMMENTARY
Editors
The Sri lankan government seems to be promoting a public discussion on the 13th Amendment as the framework of a solution to the ethnic conflict. The context of this new interest in the much-maligned 13th Amendment has two interesting diamensions. the first is the belief that the government is winning the war against the LTTE. The government now seems to be confident to talk about a political solution from a position of strength. the second is the Indian government's insistance that along with millitary offensive, the government should also pursue a political solution. The 13th Amendment constitutes Indias most favoured framwork of a political solution to Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict.
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM BEING A PART OF SRI LANKA'S CIVIL WAR
WORLD ECONOMIC CRISIS
G. Cris Rodrigo
Crisis arean integral part of the evolution of market economics. All major economics of the world have gone through periodic financial crises which from time to time turned into more generalized economic crises. Yet the current crisis is universally recognized as different, on a scale that is comparable only to the global breakdown of production and trade in the 1930s, a once-in-a-century event. While many people in Sri Lanka are concerned about the efects of the global credit crunch in depressing prices and demand for our exports, the greater danger that lies ahead appears to be less well appreciated.
Ram Manikkalingam
Twenty-five years ago Sri lanka's conflict was suddenly transformed into a violent civil war. The Tamil Tigers then barely more than a couple of dozen-ambushed a convoy killing a dozen soldiers in Jaffna on 23 July 1983. Instead of targeting those who carried out the attack Sri Lankan state-backed goons went after Tamil civilians throughout the country following day, leading to a week of violence and bloodletting. Since then, the separatists rebellion has been transformed from ragtag groups fighting a parade army to a high intensity conflict with the use of air-strickes, artillery, naval units, bombings and suicide attacks. While lamenting what we as Sri Lankans have gone through (it is really hard not to), it would be useful to share lessons learned about ethnic conflict from Sri Lanka's efforts to go to peace from war. The lessons are about two basic questions: what is an ethnic conflict and do you resolve it?
THE ALL PARTIES REPRESENTATIVE COMMITTEE
Lal Wijenaike
WThe All Parties Representative Committee (APRC) recommendation that the ful implementation of the Provincial Council System, that was introduced through the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1987 as the solution to the ethnic problem has to be considered in depth. Otherwise all studies done and efforts made after 1987 to find solution to the ethnic problem and advances made towards that will be of no avail and we will be pushed back to square one .
BOOK REVIEW; THE FIRST FIVE LIVES OF N. U. JAYAWARDENA
W. D. Lakshman
N. U. Jayawardena: The First Five Decades by Kumar Jayawardena and Jennifer Moragoda
Colombo, N. U. Jayawardena Charitable Trust
Deshamanya N. U. Jayawardena (NUJ for short) was a renowned and respected business leader in Sri Lanka who also had a strong scholarly streak. During his long life of ninety four years, he held a number of leadership positions in the public sector, before joining the ranks of Sri Lanka's raternity of financial sector entrepreneurs.
