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Home > Tamil National Forum > Selected Writings - Nagalingam Ethirveerasingham > The Science of Chaos and Sri Lanka
Selected Writings by Nagalingam Ethirveerasingham
31 May 2001
[see also Conflict Resolution: Sri Lanka - Tamil Eelam, Getting to Yes]
The science of Chaos offers two principles, which are relevant to ethnic conflicts where the equality of status of communities is violently disputed.
The first principle of Chaos: Initial conditions determine final outcome, is important to begin the negotiating process and to lay the conditions necessary for a solution. If in the beginning the initial conditions that are prescribed are not equal in form and substance, then the final condition will only bring inequality and dissonance. It will not bring justice or peace. The LTTE, in requesting a ceasefire, the lifting of the embargo on items that are not restricted in the rest of the country, and de-proscription, are not setting the conditions for talks. They are ensuring that the initial conditions are such that the final outcome will result in lasting peace with justice for all communities. They are ensuring that the mind set of the negotiating parties are tuned to seek a just solution.
The reasons for past failures are that the talks started before there was agreement on initial conditions. By denying the three initial conditions, the Sri Lankan Government is, by default, setting its own initial conditions which are: negotiation under duress of economic necessities, duress of physical harm and destruction, and negotiation with, in the government’s view, an illegal unequal partner. As the government’s initial conditions are vindictive, demeaning and unjust, the outcome can only be unequal, unjust and dissonant. The Tamils would rather not start the negotiation process with the knowledge of such an outcome where failure of negotiation or an unjust end is planned and predetermined by the government’s insistence on its initial conditions.
The second principle is: A whole is composed of parts which are similar to each other and to the whole. The part, which is a whole in itself, is in turn composed of parts which are similar to the whole ad infinitum. The keywords "chaos theory" typed into any browser will show the Mandelbrot Set fractal and iteration, which illustrates the two principles.
Territorial integrity and sovereignty of any whole are not only the properties of the whole, they are also properties of the parts. That is, the parts, which are similar to the whole, have territorial integrity and sovereignty, and all the other properties the whole has. The Tamil community, like the Sinhala community has its own territory and possesses sovereignty.
The Thimpu principles when implemented in Sri Lanka can result in recognising the parts - the Tamil and the Sinhala communities - as two wholes, which can be parts of the whole of a "New Sri Lanka." The whole Sri Lanka should be identical to each of the two parts which are whole in themselves - Lanka and Thamil Eelam - which are equal, democratic and sovereign with their own territorial integrity. The new Sri Lanka should therefore resemble in form and substance each of its two parts and vice versa. Though the parts are similar to each other and to the whole, they are different like the flight path of a cricket ball bowled at a batsman. Each ball takes different paths, spin or swing. The difference in the flight path of the balls is determined by initial conditions such as the speed and spin imparted, and the newness of the ball. The differences of the individuals within the communities, and the differences between the communities will determine their future paths.
