No quick fix solution to terrorism

Military operation in countering terrorism, particularly if ethnic discord happens to be the root cause of the conflict, can hardly lead to a durable solution. Some perhaps are led by the mistaken belief that the military might provide a quick fix solution to this problem.
While that happened to be the considered opinion at the three-day international seminar on countering terrorism held at the Sri Lankan capital recently that related primarily to the Sri Lankan situation, the observation applies to all countries, in particular the South Asian countries, all of which are having to contend with the scourge of terrorism of various shades and in various intensity.
Certainly, force is not the answer to what is primarily and essentially a political problem, although one could not be blamed for thinking that force was the be all and end all of all our efforts in countering terrorism, given the way the current global terrorism is being confronted by the Americans.
While the situation in Sri Lanka had gone beyond being only an issue of terrorism, and its military operations were aimed at providing the political space, what should not be overlooked is that military victory tends to be transient if that is not followed up with moves to address the bone of contention, in other words tackling the root causes of the problem. And this message, that came out unequivocally and unambiguously, must not be lost on the countries of South Asia. Terrorism is merely a symptom of a greater malaise, and if focused exclusively upon will lead us astray in our fight against terror. The military can only employ a holding action, to prevent the situation degrading further and create conditions that will compel parties to the negotiating table.
Bangladesh can rightfully take pride in having resolved its long standing ethnic conflict but there still are forces that remain convinced that violence is the only path towards fulfilling political goals. While elimination of this scourge may not be possible entirely it can be largely contained if we address the motivations that drive these groups to act in the way they do. What was prescribed for Sri Lanka was based on acknowledgement of certain realities. We all must be fully conscious of those.