Abstract
The December 2001 general elections in Sri Lanka provided the government a clear mandate to bring about a negotiated political solution to the conflict, while safeguarding the country's territorial integrity. The Ceasefire Agreement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in February 2002 facilitated a substantive dialogue on a range of issues. A series of well-structured meetings throughout 2002 and 2003 sought to address issues of devolution of power to Muslims of the Eastern Provinces. The ‘Triple R’ programme—Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation—was initiated in the districts of the North and East. Future progress of the peace process will have to take account of the commitment of the government and the LTTE to evolve a solution based on a federal structure within a united Sri Lanka. Fears in the South that a federal solution will lead to the disintegration of Sri Lanka must be addressed. The peace process and the final settlement in the future will need to safeguard the rights of Muslim and Sinhala minorities in the North East.
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