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internationalhad only the vaguest impressions of a war thathad garnered so much attention internationally.Those that fully comprehended the conflict didso on a very surface level and did not appreciatethe underlying causes. This deficit of informationseems to have only worsened since the war’s end.President Rajapaska has been cracking downon the media since his re-election. Human RightWatch, an international non-governmentalorganisation that conducts research and advocacyon human rights, has reported that sincethe presidential election Sri Lankan authoritieshave detained journalists, blocked news websites,and expelled a foreign journalist. At leastone journalist has been assaulted and several havebeen threatened. As Brad Adams, Asia director atHuman Rights Watch said, “Sri Lanka prides itselfas a functioning democracy. Yet media freedom,a vital pillar of democracy, has increasingly comeunder attack.”The LTTE were an appalling group. Theyfamously pioneered the idea of ‘suicide bombing’and terrorised the country, including theirown, mostly self-appointed, wards for many yearsunder the leadership of Velupillai Prabhakaran, aman whose viciousness was legendary. The government’scampaign against them was warrantedand needed. The tactics used during the campaignwere not. That said, their destruction hasimproved life on the island for all its citizens. SriLankans can now travel and go about their dailylives in safety. The multiple road blocks and checkpoints, while they remain, are a small price to payfor that luxury.However, the destruction of the LTTEremoves a symptom only. A cancerousdivide still exists in Sri Lankan society.A refusal to engage politically with theTamil community risks halting the healingprocess that has begun on the island.The Tamil community needs to be able totrust the their government and believethat their many legitimate political grievanceswill be heard. If the Tamil peopleare denied representation and a politicalvoice a return to violence is possible. Ifthey are pushed to the margins again SriLanka as a whole will suffer. That wouldtruly be a tragedy.Since the presidentialelection Sri Lankanauthorities havedetained journalists,blocked news websites,and expelled a foreignjournalist. At least onejournalist has beenassaulted and severalhave been threatened.OPPOSITE: Sarath Fonseka,former commander andGeneral of the Sri LankaArmy and a former candidatefor President of SriLanka.BELOW: Mahinda Rajapaksa(left), the currentPresident of Sri Lankaand Commander in Chiefof the Sri Lankan ArmedForces.Fusion Magazine 27