International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS)

244.

Panel Title            : SRI LANKA IN 21ST CENTURY: A FAILED STATE OR A DYNAMITIC MULTI-CULTURAL SOCIETY?

Chair                      : Jayadeva Uyangoda

Convener              : Chaminda  Hettiarachchi

Discussant           : K.T Silva

Panel Abstract    :

Sri Lanka has higher human development indicators such as high literacy, law infant mortality rate, higher expected life at a lower per capita income. This is the very reason why many researchers in development studies focus on the unique development model. In addition, the Island is known for its well established multi-party democratic institutions, higher gender empowerment and active civil society. But this is the same country suffered a two decade of ethnic conflict killing more than 65000 people (considered as bloodiest conflict in Asia.).The recent Tsunami disaster killed 35,0000 Sri Lankans and caused high economic damage. Currently Sri Lanka is working on its nation building program. The main stakeholders of the process are political parties, the government, private sector, civil society supported by the international community. Some argue that the country is becoming a failed state due to escalating violence and the countrys failure to settle the ethnic conflict politically  and the effectively address the development challenges. Meanwhile other claim that Sri Lanka is doing well even under the worst conditions of war and Tsunami emphasising countrys reliance to such shocks. The panel tries to look at the future of Sri Lanka in the twenty first century paying particular attention to ethnic conflict, post -Tsunami reconstruction and other development issues. It is expected to discuss the opportunities available to Sri Lanka in managing above issues under macro south Asian context. It is expected to discuss the current initiatives in the country, the future possibilities and implementation challenges and possible learning for the other countries in South Asia. The panel includes experienced academics who are carrying out their research on Sri Lanka.

Participants         :

Wathera  Mahinda

Paper Title            : Nation building: the role of the Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka

Anstract                :

Sri Lanka, won independence  from colonial rules nearly sixty years ago.  Yet she has not been able to  bear the fruit of her independence so far presumably due to numerous factors out of which divisive  politics may said to be the most evident.  The lack of  far sightedness in introducing and  implementing  appropriate policies for the development of the country and the well being of its people, insurgencies and the  ongoing ethnic conflict  are among other noticeable  factors hindering the progress of the country. However, the  coming together of  the two major political parties with  the adoption of  the MOU in the recent past for the purpose of  ending the current conflict, corruption at the political and administrative level  and overcoming poverty in the country can be seen as a  major step forward. A traditionally  very potent power group in Sri Lanka, a country where the majority of  the population of Buddhists (70%) has been the Buddhist monks spread almost  all parts of the island except in the  in rural areas of the north and the east of the country. Buddhist monks had been playing a  very important role in disseminating  knowledge and instilling values in the society from historic times to  the sixteenth century. Even now  in the most of the villages, the role played by the monks is decisive and  the temples are the  centers where people gather not only in order to have societal interactions at the religious level but also for  collaborating and fulfilling  the day to day needs of them. The post Tsunami period in 2002 was a clear example for this. Devotees are  generally prepared to follow the instructions given by the monks if the people recognize them to be genuinely committed to  the well-being of the community  and are educated, far-sighted and compassionate. Therefore taking into consideration  of the  significance of  this factor,  one can hypothesize  that the force of the monks in Sri Lanka  can be made use of for the nation building in the twenty first century, which  could become a force that can be integrated with the political power in a desirable manner.

Siri  Gamage

Paper Title            : Peaceful Existence , Political and Social Contracts: Proposals for Political

  Reform in Sri Lanka

Abstract                :

In the recent decade or more there have been considerable scholarly writings showing how the 'political contract' in Sri Lanka has been not right, especially viewed in terms of majority-minority relations.  The latest in the series of scholarly work is Quadri Ismail's book Abiding by Sri Lanka.  What these writers indicate is that the democracy or democratic system of governance structure and processes in Sri Lanka need an overhaul because it has not satisfied the Tamil minority.  In fact many political leaders and parties also have recognised this dire fact.  The emergence and promotion of an Eelam by the LTTE  has been characterised as a consequence of this imbalance in the political contract.  To some extent, the same can be told about the emergence and promotion of the JVP also.  Sri Lankan state has been seen as characterising a mixture of colonial and pre-colonial baggage but slanted towards the interests of the majority Sinhalese after the independence.  However, the reforming of this political contract or the blueprint for a modern or postmodern Lanka has been considered as a heavily complicated task requiring 2/3rd majority in the parliament.  Due to the politics of competition and enmity that existed in the country after independence, and in the aftermath of the Presidential system of governance introduced since 1978, the task of political reformation went through several iterations when the circumstances demanded but never brought to its completion citing a range of reasons some of which are trivial.

Padma Dharmatillake Jayaweera

Paper Title            : "Language as a Tool of Reconciliation, Ethnic Harmony and Peace"- A Case of

  Sri Lanka

Abstract                :

Reconciliation, ethnic harmony and sustaining peace must be rooted in and respond to the subjective realities, shaping people's perspectives and needs. This calls for an integrated approach which addresses the relational aspects of reconciliation as the central component of peace building and ethnic harmony. In this exercise, justice, dignity equity and recognition which are humanistic connectors need to be embraced. In this context, a case study on Sri Lanka, a developing country, which has a multi - ethnic, multi - linguistic  society, confronted with a two decades of protracted ethnic conflict may shed some light on the significance of language as a tool of reconciliation, ethnic harmony and peace, Among the complex root causes of the ethnic conflict in a  multi - ethnic society of Sri Lanka, language plays a crucial role, not only as a symbol of ethnic identity but also in building trust , respect, mutual understanding and cooperation among diverse communities. The official languages policy of the post independence Sri Lankan governments dominated by the majority Sinhalese had over looked the recognition of the Tamil language causing Tamil's allegiance to the state. As a consequence, Tamils strengthened their demand for regional autonomy for the Tamil dominant Northern and Eastern Provinces with a feeling that they have been socio - economically marginalized by the Sinhalese led governments. Several researchers as well as United Nations have identified that the language policy as a main cause for the ethnic unrest in Sri Lanka. Although the successive governments after independence adopted various remedial measures to subside the Tamil unrest, the weaknesses in implementation through inappropriate approaches resulted in a protracted ethnic conflict causing unbearable huge human and physical losses to the country.