Opinion - Editorials   

Will it or won't it?

If a ceasefire is meant to be permanent, it should be properly termed a cessation of hostilities. By declaring a "permanent ceasefire," the Basque separatist group Euskadi Ta Askatasuna (ETA) has used an intriguing, perhaps deliberately contradictory, phrase. It apparently signals the end of the armed struggle but could imply that the conflict is alive pending a final settlement of the organisation's demands. While the formulation of the unilateral announcement has raised questions about ETA's sincerity, it does seem like a face-saving move by a group finding itself increasingly marginalised. Fighting to establish an independent state in the Basque areas of northern Spain (and, to a lesser extent, south-west France), ETA was under tremendous public pressure to give up violence and terrorism. Support for its methods eroded even before the horrific Al Qaeda-linked March 2004 train bombings in Madrid that killed 192 people and caused a national outpouring of anger against terrorism. The post-9/11 atmosphere was a huge challenge to ETA, as it was to several extremist or terrorist groups (including the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) in other parts of the world. There has been no ETA killing since 2003.

Last year, people demonstrated against the Spanish Government starting negotiations with the Basque separatist group; and the country's Parliament eventually voted that no talks would begin unless it disarmed. ETA has declared numerous ceasefires over time, only to break them later. Following joint action by Spanish and French security forces, the group is considerably weakened. There is some apprehension that the separatist organisation may use the ceasefire to regroup and hit back, especially as it has not said anything about disarming. However, its use of the word "permanent" to describe the latest truce puts pressure on Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to come up with a clear response — such as an announcement of the government's willingness to begin a new peace process — as much as it makes it difficult for the separatist group to go back on its truce declaration. If self-administering opportunities were the true political goal, it must be recognised that the Basque region of Spain enjoys more autonomy than any of the country's other regions. With ETA indicating in the ceasefire statement that it is prepared to settle for less than independence, there is enough space for finding a democratic political solution. For now, the ETA story is a lesson in the diminishing returns of violence in ethno-nationalistic struggles.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Protecting islands of excellence
Will it or won't it?
Congress and coalition realpolitik
A trip to talk it out on trade
U.K. journal sparks trans-Atlantic spat
Corrections and clarifications
Mockery
Regressive move
Progressive
Unfortunate
`Pragmatism, not opportunism'

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu