Thursday, 15 December 2005

http://www.spur.asn.au/SPUR_20051215_Open_Letter_to_Mahinda_Rajapaksa.htm

His Excellency Mahinda Rajapakse

The President of Sri Lanka,

President’s Office,

(Address)

Your Excellency,

Open Letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa - DESIST FUNDING/EQUIPMENT DONATIONS TO THE LTTE

We learnt from reliable Norwegian sources and also from Norwegian news papers that the funding/equipment donations made to the  LTTE by the Norwegian government had been pre-approved by the previous President and the Prime Minister during the last UNP regime.

As per an article appeared in the Norwegian News paper ‘Ny Tid’   dated 10th December 2005, Mr. Odd Naustdal, the Information Advisor to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms Norwegian government funding of Kroner 25 million (approximately 4 million US$) to the LTTE during the last four years and the Tamil Tigers visit to the Norwegian Special Forces Army camp arranged and paid by the Norwegian Government. As per Mr. Naustdal, the funds to the LTTE were arranged as requested by the SL Government and Norway will continue to support the LTTE since such supports are legal and are in accordance with the Norwegian policy.

In addition to the direct official funding there are reasons to believe that Norway has used substantial “secret’ funding to the LTTE via NGOs. It is also a well known fact that the former Norwegian Ambassador John Westborg with active connivance of the Wickramasinghe Peace Secretariat, smuggled a container load of sophisticated communication equipment to the LTTE and such funding and equipment donations have, no doubt, strengthened the hands of the terrorist outfit to intensify the CFA violations and buildup war machineries.  The fundraising in the Tamil Diaspora for terror campaign and the Norwegian aid to the LTTE are continuing despite escalating political murders and child abductions.

Hence we, the Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka request your Excellency to refrain from repeating the same mistakes done by your predecessors in the past and to take necessary steps to desist Norwegian funding/equipment donations to the terrorist outfit as a matter of priority.

We also appeal to your Excellency to request the EU countries to follow US and UN and to proscribe the LTTE at the forthcoming EU meeting in order to stop the LTTE terror campaign and reduce their capabilities to commence a renewed war.

Malin Abeyatunga

Secretary

Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights in Sri Lanka (SPUR)

Reg No. A 003 07777 M

PO Box 4066

Mulgrave    VIC 3170

Australia

The URL of this Media Release is http://www.spur.asn.au/SPUR_20051215_Open_Letter_to_Mahinda_Rajapaksa.htm