Rajiva Wijesinha

“ In many areas the military personnel have taken the lead, and their understanding of the ground situation has proved invaluable. But the work we do with them is merely the tip of a largely hidden iceberg, and the vast amounts they do in all the areas in which they are stationed goes largely unrecognized. ”

“ Indeed the opposite has been true, not only in terms of the relentless international pressure with regard to what are termed war crimes, but also through insidious opposition to any role at all for the military in the situation following the military conflict. This is astonishing, for in most countries the military has a significant role to play in disaster management, and indeed many training programmes are conducted around the world to develop their capacities in this regard and to ensure productive liaison with civil authorities. ”

“ Above all they have understood that, having done the difficult part, of fighting an implacable enemy in tough terrain, they should not fail in the relatively easy part, which is winning the peace. In this regard the efforts they are making to win hearts and minds are extraordinary. All over the Wanni, soldiers are helping the newly returned to build their houses, in some cases doing all the work themselves while women and children provide only very basic assistance. ”