Sadly, all three conflicts have effected enormous consequences in their respective countries, claiming lives, disrupting society, and ravaging the economy. The rise of terrorism emphasizes the importance of seeking solutions without delay. It also reveals that separatist movements exhibit very similar characteristics. The nature of such warfare has evolved in response to technological advancement and centralized strength of today’s governments. Many separatist leaders believe that they can only gain a politically potent voice by pursuing campaigns of mass terror.

Troubled Legacies

The need for a quick solution and bilateral negotiations has been established in Chechnya, Sri Lanka, and Spain, but all three instances share another common thread that adds difficulties to political settlement: a lack of a recognized governing authority. All three separatist groups share a long legacy of diffuse power. Today, this means that effective negotiation with the centralized government is difficult and may lack any true binding character over the members of the movements.

The Chechens, Tamils, and Basques all descend from long lines of ethnically distinct peoples that, although possessing a cohesive cultural identity, lack a representative political structure. For several centuries, the Basques have existed as a cultural group, but they were spread across multiple countries. Similarly, the Chechens have no tradition of hierarchy. Historically, they lived in a network of communities called teips. Strong loyalty existed within but not among the clans, perhaps explaining the absence of a single leader who could represent the Chechens in negotiations with the Russian government.

The Tamil Tigers, to a lesser extent, are also a decentralized group. Though in recent times their opposition to the Sri Lankan government has increased their sense of ethnic identity, this has not always been the case. The Tamils historically settled along the rich alluvial plains on peninsular India, only arriving on the island of Sri Lanka as a result of seafaring expeditions. While the duration of their exploratory endeavors increased ties to the island, the dispersed peoples that finally settled on Sri Lanka lacked a common identity with their co-inhabitants. It will be difficult, then, for the Sri Lankan government to negotiate in the absence of a traditional monolithic political entity.

Another complication is the powerful legacy of separatism that resides within each group. The long political domination of these peoples provides ample explanation for the legacy of separatism that remains today. The Basques, a people inhabiting the independent kingdom of Navarre since the early ninth century, were conquered by Ferdinand the Catholic in 1512 and eventually came under Spanish rule, which they never completely accepted. Likewise, the expanding Russian empire annexed Chechnya in the 18th century. Finally, in the 11th and 12th centuries, the Hindu Tamils that occupied Sri Lanka began a tradition of conflict with the ruling Buddhists of Sinhalese descent. This tradition has become a brutal legacy to each new generation of Sri Lankans.

These historical understandings reveal that separatist movements are steeped in tradition and motivated by powerful and ancient forces. It is almost impossible to reconcile acute differences that have persisted for centuries. Likewise, the lack of an effective political structure or a unifying authority within these groups further impedes the path toward effective negotiation.

Strategies For Peace

The historical and strategic lessons described thus far offer important guidelines for the pursuit of a peace process. There are, of course, several differences between the situations described here and those of other separatist movements. Though the political systems of the governments involved vary widely, the cultural influences behind each of these conflicts differ, and the historical experience of each party is unique, a common blueprint for peace does exist.

First, it is necessary to attain peace as quickly as possible. No single military defeat will bring these conflicts to a close. Rather, in all cases, bilateral negotiations are required. These negotiations will be complicated by the lack of authoritative bargaining partners and by the strength of the divisions that exist between the negotiating parties. All three case studies provide specific lessons for the construction of an effective peace process: the commencement of negotiations, an all-inclusive agenda, and the use of confidence-building measures.

The process proposed by Jose Antonio Ardanza, the president of the Basque regional parliament, begins with an important first step that can be applied to most of the separatist struggles: the commencement of meaningful dialogue. In Spain, Ardanza proposes that all parties discuss their issues in La Mesa de Ajurea Enea (The Ajuria Enea Forum). The forum he describes was first set up in 1988 but has since fallen into disuse; the resurrection of a common forum will prove important for the advancement of peace. Sri Lanka has also begun rounds of negotiations, albeit with little success. The case for negotiations will be much more difficult to make for both sides as terrorist attacks have solidified the resolve for military victory, but the importance of political dialogue between the two parties cannot be understated. Ending dialogue in the face of terrorist attacks will only allow these attacks to continue.

Second, the negotiations will have to be all-inclusive. Issues of sovereignty, autonomy, and governance have to be discussed; by skirting these subjects, the real issues at the heart of these conflicts will never be solved. Additionally, peace talks must ensure the representation of all parties engaged in the conflict. While some may wish to exclude the parties with a record of violence, like the Basque left nationalist party Herri Batasuna (People’s Unity), which is the political wing of the ETA, the agreement of these parties is necessary for a politically viable solution. Although these groups must be urged to disarm and renounce violence, they must also be welcomed to the negotiating table. Whenever possible, elections of a viable political leader for the movement should be held in order to ensure the legitimacy of the ensuing political dialogues.

Most importantly, all sides must recognize that it takes small, incremental steps to achieve peace. Recently, the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan government have begun to discuss issues like the rebuilding of the northeastern battleground, the removal of landmines, and the resettlement of hundreds of thousands of displaced people. Measures like these that appeal to all sides of the conflict will develop confidence and trust, contributing to the quality of the negotiations that are eventually conducted. It will take a committed effort by leaders of the secessionist movements and government representatives to put a stop to the senseless violence and embark on the road toward peace.