Media Release : Thursday, 03 March 2005

SPUR Appeals to All Patriots around the World to Campaign to Oust Norway as Peace Brokers from Sri Lanka

Recent Developments

The Society for Peace Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR) has on many occasions highlighted the need for action by national and international organisations against LTTE terrorism. We have also exposed the duplicity of Norway and its biased behaviour in favour of the Tamil Tiger Terrorists when facilitating peace in Sri Lanka.  The need for immediate action by SPUR is precipitated by a number of disturbing facts that continue to emerge about Norway.  These include:

1.      A front-page report in a weekend Sri Lankan newspaper, that the Head of the LTTE Peace Secretariat S. Puleethevan as saying they have no intention of working under a joint mechanism with the Government distributing tsunami relief or rehabilitating areas illegally occupied by them. The LTTE goes on to say “Norway is facilitating aid distribution in the north and east. Therefore we see no need for the government to interfere in tsunami relief”.

We believe that Norway’s action to secure aid for the LTTE is a violation of Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. The peace facilitator invited to bring the LTTE to, heel, now seems to be heavily involved in securing money for the LTTE, the terrorists accused of introducing the suicide bombers to the world. This is done under the guise of providing tsunami aid so that the LTTE can re-build its capacity to wage war against the State.

2.      The recent statement made by the Hon Pierre Pettigrew, the Foreign Minister of Canada that he was reluctant to list the LTTE as a terrorist organization in Canada as “Norway has asked us not to aggravate the peace process by naming the LTTE as banned terrorists in Canada”. Norway’s action once again must be considered as treason against the unitary state of Sri Lanka

3.      Comments made to the Hindustan Times by Karuna alias, Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan detailing Norwegian weaknesses and the need for India to get involved in brokering the peace process shows that even amongst the Tamil community that there is no confidence in Norway’s capacity to  act as an unbiased facilitator

4.      The illegitimate involvement of Erik Solheim in developing a tsunami relief mechanism in favour of the LTTE when his charter as the Peace Envoy requires him to focus on dragging the reluctant LTTE terrorists to the peace table

5.      The Ongoing and long-term financing of a number of blatantly biased NGOs, policy planners, shadowy fronts canvassing peace and person’s influential in the media to orchestrate support for the LTTE.  Of special concern is Norad funding of campaigns to establish and give credibility to LTTE’s separatist agenda and Federalism under the guise of securing a stable peace. The ‘White Lotus’ campaign funded by Norad is also a good example of Norway’s unsolicited interference in Sri Lanka’s internal maters

6.      Support given to Norwegian organisations identified as front organisations for the LTTE terrorists and turning a blind eye to unashamed violations of human rights by the LTTE. The silence of Norway has been astounding when Tamil Sri Lankans were assassinated in cold blood for democratically canvassing views challenging the LTTE

Norway’s Chequered History

We do not intend to labour here detailing the list of misdemeanours attributed to the flawed peacemaker, Norway. However, it will be remiss of us not to remind the populous of the broadcasting equipment fiasco, Norway’s direct role in negating the capture of a LTTE ship carrying armaments and statements made by the President when she took over the role of the Defence Minister in late 2003. Forthright comments were also made recently by the JVP, a senior member of the coalition governing Sri Lanka and other political parties including the EPDP. These views and incidents are sufficient to substantiate our thesis that an overwhelming majority of Sri Lankan’s and envoys of SAARC countries do not believe Norway to be unbiased in their conduct when facilitating peace.

One only needs to visit a web site currently maintained by an anti-terrorist Norwegian organisation Svik (www.svik.org), to view a video of a visit by LTTE terrorists to a Special Forces weapon training camp in Norway. Norway’s hypocrisy is indeed breathtaking as they consider it appropriate to facilitate the visit by four members of an internationally banned terrorist organisation to observe the training in sophisticated weapons whilst the actual objective of the LTTE’s visit to Norway was to discuss peace.

Local and Global Public Opinion

The remarks made by the Most Venerable Thibbotuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Maha Nayaka Thera, the Malwatte Chapter Maha Nayaka of the Shyamopali Mahanikaya on 27 February 2004 reflect the majority sentiment in Sri Lanka. The prelate said that “there is no ambiguity that the masses in Sri Lanka entertain a doubt as to whether the Norwegian Peace Envoys and the Cease Fire Monitoring Mission are partial towards the LTTE, when they observe silence in the face of serious breaches of the Cease Fire Agreement by the LTTE”.

SPUR whole-heartedly support the statement made by the Most Venerable Mahanayaka after his meeting with the Norwegian Special Peace Envoy Erik Solheim.

We urge the Sri Lankan Government to inform the Norwegians that: 

1.      their failed attempts after many years of brokering peace in Sri Lanka has disqualified them from further involvement; and

2.      that Sri Lanka plans to use a team comprising of members from SAARC countries lead by India to replace Norway  as the principle peace negotiator

An Inglorious Exit

It is time that the Government of Sri Lanka accepts the fact that Norway whilst running with the Government is hunting with the LTTE.

Its time for Norway to leave Sri Lanka with the little reputation that its got left before the masses decide to take the law into their own hands and kick them out of Sri Lanka lock-stock-and barrel.

SPUR appeals to all Sri Lankan and International organisations that cherish the sovereignty of Sri Lanka and support democracy to oppose direct and indirect support given by Norway to the Tamil Tiger Terrorists.  SPUR also urges individuals and organisations to work tirelessly, using what ever democratic means one has at its disposal, to oust Norway from Sri Lanka and replace it with members from the SAARC family lead by India.

It is time for all patriots around the world to unite in one voice and to say with gusto  

No Way - Norway.

Dr D Jayasuriya 

President

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

Reg No. A 003 07777 M

PO Box 4066

Mulgrave    VIC 3170

Australia