Colombo declared Monday that it no longer desired Norway as a facilitator vis-a-vis the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) following an attack by a Tamil mob on the Sri Lankan embassy in Oslo Sunday.
Diplomatic sources say that while the vandalism may have been the spark, Sri Lanka's real reason may be its lurking suspicion that Norway could be helping a cornered LTTE to reach out to the US and the UN.
Although the peace process in Sri Lanka died sometime back, Norway officially retained its title of a peace facilitator accorded a decade ago when Colombo was desperate for peace with the LTTE.
Norway's diplomatic efforts led to the historic ceasefire agreement between Sri Lanka and the LTTE in February 2002, leading to six rounds of talks between the two sides.
But the peace process began to unravel within three years, leading to a full-fledged war from mid-2006. Even before that, Norway came under attack in Sri Lanka on charges of bias towards the LTTE.
Despite the adverse circumstances and Colombo's refusal to talk to the LTTE, Oslo remained in contact with the Tigers and international actors to see if somehow peace could come to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka was put off by Norway this year when it introduced Selvarasa Pathmanathan, chief of the newly set up LTTE's Department of International Relations who is wanted by the Interpol, to UN officials.
Sri Lanka suspects that Norway may have also helped the US to open a channel with the LTTE, a designated terrorist group in Washington because of which US officials cannot deal directly with the Tigers.
The attack on the Sri Lankan embassy by pro-LTTE Tamils seeking a ceasefire in the island nation gave the opportunity for Colombo to finally act against Norway.
A European diplomat told IANS over telephone from Colombo: "The Sri Lankan decision also shows it does not want to engage with the LTTE any more. They want to finish off the LTTE. If that is the case, why do they need a facilitator? In any case, there is no peace. So why the facilitator?"
Interestingly, Norway had stopped using the term "peace facilitator" for some time because it had concluded there was no peace in Sri Lanka and the two warring sides appeared to be in no mood to shake hands.
Norway has in recent times told the LTTE that there was anger against the group in the West, most of whose countries felt betrayed by the Tigers' seeming inability to use the peace window that opened in 2002.
But this was not to the liking of the Tigers, whose supporters have publicly criticised Norway over international appeals to the LTTE to give up arms and free civilians from the shrunken area it still controls.
Following Sri Lanka's decision, Norway will have to decide if it should continue to be in touch with the LTTE, which is outlawed in many countries as a terrorist organisation, and if it must remain a member of the co-chairs group that also includes the US, Japan and the European Union; and if yes, in what capacity.
Norway has realised after almost a decade that it is impossible to please everyone in Sri Lanka. It is a lesson India learnt long ago -- and which it conveyed to Norway when it jumped into the Sri Lankan quagmire.
copyright 2009 by IANS.
Norway dumped
The so-called 2002 "Peace Process" (PP) and Norway's role in hindsight has been quite questionable based on the facts of the case.In the same week as the signing of the PP then Prime Minister Ranil Wickreamsinghe flew into Washington and signed the so-called "International Safety Net", a closely guarded secret document. This had been followed up later by the SL government signing the bases cross servicing, overflights Agreement with the US, along with provison for joint training agreement for its navy acoording to reports. Another so-called donor grant and loan aid of 4.5b $ grant aid and loan program was signed between the SL governmnt and the so-called International Community supposedly "for development and reconstruction of war torn areas in the north and east and help teh local affectd people". Alas, 3 1/2 years later in 2005, Japan announced at another Meting in that country that all aid had been disbursed to government of SL WHILE hardly any got to the north and east or its people! SO WHERE DID ALL THAT AID GO? As usual, SL NEVER discloses anything, while transparency and accountabilty of funding WAS NIL. In retrospect it turned out that both SL Government and teh LTTE armed themselves to fight like 'cate and dogs' another day unfolding before the world since the the present government came to power on the sole promise to the Sinhala people to re-starting the war. For his "good deed", Ranil Wickremasinghe was sacked by a gazette notification in mid 2005 by the Former President who was well known for the mass murdering of Tamils between 1995 and 2001. The stage was then upset for her to return to Parliament as PM due to internal politics within her party. The warring and 'killing fields' continue in the north and the east. Now that Norway too had served the Sinhala Buddhist government's purpose it is being finally dumped, just like Ranil W! India watches events from across Palk Strait apart from rendering some covert support like radar support etc. UN is lost not knowing what it can do. How bizarre can it get? It is 61 year old story starting from 4 Feb.1948 when Ceylon got independence. The rotten governance and bloodletting never ceases.
Systamatic genocide
Sri lanka is doing a genocidal war on Tamils for last 30 years for denying Equal democratic right.Tamils want to decide their political future in a democratic way for self determination in a referendum.
This failed state want to bring peace without equal justice to Tamils.Norway failed to bring peace because, it don't have regional power support to implement the agreed agreements for peace.
Sri Lanka is keep killing Tamils in the name of War for liberation,War for unity,War for protect the territory,
War for peace,War on terror, etc.so far killed over 100,000 Tamils and going at alarm rate now.
LTTE is demonised for nefarious political purpose to win the Tamil,s war.
Keep more and more killing is their answer for peace in that miss managed state.India must use its influence in the region to bring justice .Justice delayed is justice denied.
Sri Lanka's axing Norway shows uneasiness with the West
Sri Lanka wants everything their way. It banned journalists from war zones, 'safe zones' and concentration camps which are ringed with razor wires. It does not want anyone to see and report the starvation and continued bombing of helpless civilians trapped within the corridor between the aggressive Sinhala Armed Forces and Tamil LTTE defenders.
However, if a nation tries
However, if a nation tries to support a banned terrorist group in a sovereign country, by holding talks with and onbehalf of the terrorist group, and supporting them in numerous ways, this will happen. If Norway start supporting Al-Qaeda, will US use Norway as the intermediary? The parts of the submarines found, and other equipment unearthed, came from this country.
Do you want to support these people:
http://www.colombopage.com/archive_09/April1462932CH.html
What happened to all moderate Tamil politicians?
In 2000, there were more than 30,000 NGO's in Sri Lanka, acting to develop the country. But have they done anything other than to stir uneasiness among people and to destabilize the country? There is not a single project undertaken by these NGO's to promote peace and harmony among the people. They always divided the people, ethnically or otherwise. They have not done the role they should have played, and we cannot expect them to do it now.
Peace is what everyone wants. But achieving it is difficult when the parties keep fighting. Sinhalese being a minority in the world or Tamils being a minority in Sri Lanka should not be a barrier to achieve peace and prosperity in this country. As far as people try to achieve their ends through nonviolent means, they can all win. Some day all parties will realize this and might leave the violent pathway they are traveling. Then peace will be there, and it will last for ever.
However if a nation tries...
That is a very stupid argument.. alqaeda is not fighting for territory or rights of any particular group pf people. Who has fled SL to escape persecution.. it is Tamils not Sinhalese! Who ruthlessly suppressed peaceful struggle for equal rights by moderate Tamil politicians? Look at India ..there is reservation for the minority not for the majority. In SL it is the reverse! Honestly these rabid Sinahlese politicians should be dispensed with. So far GSL has been having their way... it won't last long!
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