The Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS), in collaboration with the CSA (Center for Security Analysis), an independent, non- profit think tank based in Chennai, India hosted an international seminar titled “Conflict in Sri Lanka: Road Ahead” on the 26th and 27th of March 2008 at the BCIS auditorium. The seminar was attended by nearly 60 participants including high level government officials, members of civil society and BCIS faculty and students.

The Indian delegation was headed by Retired Lt. Gen V.R Raghavan, President of the CSA. The Seminar consisted of four sessions, preceded by the Inauguration. Mr. Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President, and Chairman of the BCIS Council of Management, presided at the inauguration and delivered the welcome address, while Gen Raghavan introduced the seminar.

The keynote address was delivered by the Chief Guest, Hon. Professor Tissa Vitarana. He said that in the APRC process today the task is to assuage the fears on both sides and to make people believe that devolution, rather than facilitating separation, would be the base for preventing separation. It is really a process of trying to create the necessary understanding, confidence, mutual respect that this situation demands. Speaking further, Professor Vitarana said that he had gone as a member of a delegation to Kilinochchi in 1997 at the height of the battle and had met most of the L.T.T.E leaders including the late Tamil Chelvam, except for Prabhakaran. The objective of the delegation was to achieve at least a laying down of arms. The main point made by the LTTE during the discussion was that having an agreement with the incumbent government would not serve any purpose because, since we periodically have changes in government, the new government will not honour an agreement made by the previous government. In a post mortem exercise of their visit, it had become clear that the prime task should be to reach a consensus, which must include at least the UNP and SLFP parties, which have formed successful governments in our country.

The High Commissioner for India HE Alok Prasad also spoke, and noted the great potential that Sri Lanka could fulfill once the conflict was over. He mentioned that regional cooperation should be taken forward for the mutual benefit of South Asian countries, as had occurred with the European Union and ASEAN.

Session one focused on Political Measures - Implementing the 13th Amendment and was chaired by Javid Yusuf, former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Council member of BCIS chaired the session. The speakers comprised Hon. G.LPeiris, Minister of Export Development & International Trade, Hon. Douglas Devananda, Minister of Social Services & Social Welfare, Dr. Rohan Edrisinha, Senior Lecturer in Law, University of Colombo, and Mr. N. Sathiyamoorthy, Journalist and Political Analyst from India. This was followed by a lively discussion.

Session two dealt with the issue of The Military Offensive: Political Interface. Dr. Thusitha Tennakoon, Executive Director, BCIS chaired the session, which was addressed by Gen Raghavan, along with Mr. Mohan Peiris, Legal Adviser, Ministry of Defence and Major General (Retd.) Gamini Hettiarachchi - Director General of the Disaster Management Centre.

Session three, chaired by Mr. Ajith Nivad Cabraal, Governor, Central Bank of Sri Lanka, focused on Economic and Development Issues. It was addressed by Mr. Rohantha Athukorale, Director (Economic Affairs), SCOPP, Dr. Muthukrishna Sarvanandan, Principal Researcher, Point Pedro Institute of Development and Dr. Amita Batra, Associate Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India.

The fourth and final session was on the theme 'International Dimensions of the conflict in Sri Lanka' and was chaired by Ambassador Nanda Godage, Member, Council of Management,BCIS. The speakers were Professor Rajiva Wijesinha, Secretary - General, SCOPP, Member of the BCIS Council of Management, Ambassador Nihal Rodrigo (Senior Advisor to the President) and Ambassador T.P. Sreenivasan, former Permanent Representative of India to the UN.

The seminar provided a useful forum to develop important comparative insights to examine the current dimensions of Sri Lanka’s Peace Process, its local and regional implications and future directions.

Some of the papers presented at the Seminar can be read on the website of the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies, http://www.bcis.edu.lk/