Foreign Ministers from five Scandinavian countries released a joint statement last week warning that violence in Sri Lanka would worsen in response to the termination of the ceasefire agreement, reports SundayTimes.lk
The Foreign Ministers of Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden said that Norway had been informed by the Sri Lankan government that the ceasefire agreement, which has been in place since 2002, would be terminated with effect from January 16th.
The Foreign Ministers said they are highly concerned about the conditions in Sri Lanka, where the government and the Tamil Tigers are engaged in violent combat, violation of human rights and displacement of civilians.
When the ceasefire agreement was concluded in February 2002, the Scandinavian countries assembled a civilian mission charged with monitoring the ceasefire. The Sri Lankan government has declared that the mission must cease operations due to the termination of the Ceasefire Agreement.
The statement describes the need for agreement, saying: “The Nordic countries believe that only a political solution that addresses the grievances of all the ethnic groups in the country can provide a sustainable peace. The termination of the Ceasefire Agreement will only make it more difficult to find a way back to the negotiating table.”
while I appreciate the interest of the nordic countries about sri lanka issue, I would also like to mention a truth that is often being ignored.
Violations Committed during the ceasefire
from 22.02.2002 to 30.04.2007
by the military – 351
by the by LTTE – 3830
(source: peaceinsrilanka.lk. the peace secretatiat.
It was then compiled by SLMM.
… but I wonder why they have been removed there… another “act of impartiality”?)
Needless to say, the humanitarian operations by the srilankan forces began only when the terrorists closed an important water canal that supplied irrigation water to 1000’s of poor peasants in a coward attempt as part of their ethnic cleansing campaign which they successfully did in their areas. Actually they were left with no alternative. Or eastern sri lanka would have faced a grave shortage of food, meaning more refugees in camps to feed. But as a responsible government sri lanka didn’t hesitate to act.
one last consideration:
– In 1945 the most brutal Nazi regime that killed all other races, based on race superiority was defeated and democracy restored throughout europe with the help of other civilized countries. then the war was “not a concern”.
– In 2002 the most brutal Nazi organisation of alltimes (because even the then Nazies were decent enough not to hide behind children in the frontlines as cowards, didn’t use terrorism), that killed all other races, based solely on race supremacy, that even inspired the world’s leading terrorist groups (source: latest report from FBI), was well assisted by some countries (I’m sure, not knowingly about true facts because these terrorists propaganda machine has done a lot of work to brainwash the western people) to carry on with their Nazi activities. Those counties instead of helping the people of sri lanka to restore democracy, are now “concerned about the war”.
I think international community must not stand in the way (if they want to restore peace) when the nazis get defeated and democracy is restored in those areas. Then we can talk about development. We must also promote people to people contact, friendship among different races communities INSTEAD OF PROMOTING RACE BASED SEPARATISM.
Anyway thanks to the people of all those countries who helped Sri Lanka at hard times, war, tsunami etc. you are always in our hearts.
Scandinavian concerns over violence in Sri Lanka
These Nordic politicians should have spoken out when LTTE terrorist were carrying out attacks on civilians and armed forces under the cover of bogus CFA. Norway does not have any credibility in the eyes of Sri Lankans to become involved in the peace process because they were openly bias to LTTE terrorists. Solheim was the most benefactor from this bogus agreement, who received huge amount of money from the LTTE. According the former rebel leader who left the organization Solheim was a double agent who wanted to help Tamils to divide Sri Lanka. They even bought him a house in Norway. These Nordic politicians have not succeeded in bringing peaceful solution any conflict in the world because they are not honest brokers. It is the good thing that SL kicked out both CFA and the Nordic double agents from the country.
Scandinavian concerns over violence in Sri Lanka
My comments:
As a concerned Sri Lankan Canadian, I wish to kindly make a strong suggestion that the Nordic Foreign Ministers should immediately advice the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and the Sri Lanka Peace Secretariat of the Government of Sri Lanka to immediately take appropriate action to make an audit of all equipments, hardware, vehicles, electronic communication equipments, and high powered sensing equipments the SLMM was using in the discharge of their duties in Sri Lanka on the eve of their departure on the 16th., of January 2008. The Government should officially take over these items which have been imported into the country duty free and without “accountability” and “transparency”.
The worst thing is that – there is NO provision in the CFA to monitor or report “accountability” of such items to the Government of Sri Lanka or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
If these items will be passed on to undesirable elements, including the LTTE groups or other political interests that oppose the Governments present decision, it can be disastrous to any PEACE activities the Government hopes to continue in the absence of the CFA/Peace Accord. Both the Government and the LTTE have the right to make decisions that they may feel good/advantages/appropriate from their standpoint/view.
The Nordic Foreign Ministers Jonas Gahr Store of Norway, Ingibjorg Solrun Gisladottir of Iceland, Per Stig Moller of Denmark Carl Bildt of Sweden and Ilkka Kanerva of Finland should immediately set in motion an audit as to why the CFA (Peace Accord) failed and what are the reasons for the Government of Sri Lanka to abrogate the Peace Accord.
This audit could be in the form of a Nordic Commission or in the lines of a Royal Commission, with mandatory powers vested for the members of the Commission to invite the ordinary citizens affected and concerned about the Norwegian Peace Accord or CFA in Sri Lankan and the Sri Lankan diaspora living aboard, specially in the India, UK, USA, France, Italy, Germany, Canada, Australia, Malaysia and all Nordic and Middle East countries to give evidence at the hearings. The Commission should have sittings in all the important towns in Sri Lanka, including the North, North East, East, South, Western, Central, Sabaragamuwa and the Upcountry regions of Sri Lanka and the world capitals/cities where the Sri Lankan diaspora are domiciled. No discrimination on grounds of race, religion or community representation should decide who can be allowed to give evidence. The failure of the CFA (Peace Accord) can be pointed at the failure of it’s management by just on VIP diplomat, in all aspects of interpersonal relationship and the metaphors that were created, plunging all this embarrassment to the Norwegian Government and the CFA (Peace Accord) itself.
The world should not blame the LTTE or the Sri Lankan Government for the failure of the Peace Accord. Looking back at the past, though Norway had very sincere and good intentions in the beginning, Sri Lanka should focus on the suspected hidden agenda of the Norwegian interest in the Peace process subsequently and the reason for it’s failure due to the manipulations and personal interests of Hon. Erik Solhiem and his interest group.
Mr. Erik Solhiem also sidelined the Muslim Factor in the PEACE RROCESS and duped the Sri Lankan Muslim politicians and community members who had indeed made it possible for Norway to make a foothold in the political corridors of Sri Lanka power politics, since 1969. Hon. Erik Solhiem who just parachuted into the sensitive situation in 2000, by coincidence, manipulated the misery of the Tamil speaking Minorities for his own crowning as the “ Peace negotiator” in the ethnic conflict of Sri Lanka. It was the press that made this “fake peace prophet” what he is called now today in the Press.
Those who know the truth of how Norway became to be the “Peace Facilitator” are very few and some who played a vital role in that happening are not among the living today in Sri Lanka. If I am to mention just one important person, the Late Hon. A.C.S. Hameed, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs is worth mentioning. Norway was never made a “mediator” in the beginning by the political administrators or powers that be, at that time. Hon. Erik Solhiem used “Media Language” to attach that assignment to the Norwegian assignment as “Facilitator” which the Media also labeled Norway later with – Norway the “Facilitator and Mediator” of the Sri Lankan Peace Process.
It is also of opinion that the government of Sri Lanka should therefore give serious thought NOT to engage Hon. Erik Solhiem and his team any more in any of the continued Peace discussions in the absence of a “Peace Accord/Agreement”. The Nordic Foreign Ministers could make such a decision based on the “Report the Audit Commission on the failure of the CFA (Peace Accord)” has been completed.
The Sri Lankan government should give due consideration to find an alternate, more balanced personality from the International Community, Nordic countries or Norway to handle this very important assignment in the future. INDIA can be a very positive and suitable alternate.
The Sri Lankan government should NOT ban the LTTE, because this will be the only “door open” to talk PEACE with the LTTE and try bring them to the discussion/negotiation table in the future. Banning the LTTE will break the “bridge of communication/contacts” with the LTTE.
Noor Nizam.
Sri Lankan Peace Activist
Canada.
Contact details:
Noor Nizam
(Faculty of Humanities – McMaster University, Canada).
72, Long Wood Road, South
Hamilton, ON
Postal Code: L8S 1S5
Canada.
E-mail: noornizam7@yahoo.ca
………………………….
LTTE breaks the silence over abrogation of CFA. Thursday January 10th., 2008. Daily Mirror.
Mr. Kandiah Mylvaganam’s statement from within the Vanni that “It is a big relief for common people like me to hear that the LTTE has affirmed their desire to have the Norwegian Facilitation and the CFA to continue” should not be treated as a cry from the wilderness by the Government of Sri Lanka and the concerned International Community at large. It is a reciprocating call and stand to the desire of Peace negotiations by HE. Mahinda Rajapaksha.His comments was published in the Daily Mirror dated Thursday the 10th, January 2008.
While we the nation should support this call, one has to be conscious of of the reasons for the failure of the CFA and what made the Government of Sri Lanka to abrogate the CFA. We still do not know the root causes. Some say it was the government bending to the pressure of the JVP. Others say it was the JHU and pro-national groups in the government groups, and there is a political analysis that the Tamil parties supporting the government wanted the Government to make this decision in the aftermath of the geo-political scenario, both within Sri Lankan and in the region who firmly supported the move by the JVP and the JHU to abrogate the CFA.
Militarily, the Secretary Defence, Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksha and the Security forces chiefs did make it happen, with the support of the International community.
While supporting the call from the wilderness of the Vanni, as a member of the Tamil Speaking Community, I strongly believe that the government should continue PEACE discussions with the LTTE directly. Why directly, because, the Norwegian brokers and the SLMM had and will have there ulterior motives in being the “facilitators” and so-called “mediators”. The LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka should be very careful about re-engaging the so-called Norwegian Peace personalities/facilitators.
If one will critically analyse the modus-operandi of the Norwegians (not the government or people of Norway) and the officials/personalities who were involved in being the “facilitators”, since 2002, it will become clear that – bringing Peace to the Ethnic Conflict” in Sri Lanka was NOT a primary issue for them, but the “International political obsession” of making Norway as the worlds PEACE ANGEL was their prime motive. Today Norway has failed in their “false obsession” and become embrassed in the face of the international political arena, but look, what has happened to the Tamil Speaking Minorities and the majority Sinhla forces. We have lost nearly 80,000 people in this Conflict, many dedicated young men and women of all communities, specially the Tamil Community who were our future assets of the Nation have been killed for nothing, just fighting a civil war fanned by the Norwegians and the SLMM.
I challenge them to prove me wrong please.
The Norwegian personalities who have been accused both by a section of the Tamil community and politicians in Sri Lanka defenitely “bribed” all opinion creators in all the three communities both within Sri lanka and among the diaspora with their oil riches to keep the fires of VIOLENCE and WAR burning in Sri Lanka that has cause so much civil and political misery to the Tamils, Sinhalese and the Muslims, not forgetting the other minorities too.
The LTTE and the Government of Sri Lankan should nominate a NEW PEACE “Facilitator and Mediator” with immediate effect to continue the PEACE discussions and work towards a honorable Peace settlement and reduce VIOLENCE immediately. Knowing the Norwegian involvement since 1969 and having pursued my post secondary education in Norway for 7 years, with deep engagements in the pioneering Peace advocacy in Sri Lanka since 1977, I still believe that Peace Negotiations can be achieved, if direct talks between the LTTE and the Government will be put in place.
Let us NOT forget, that talking to the LTTE is ONLY talking with Prabaharan.
The LTTE should give serious consideration to this.
Noor Nizam.
Sri Lankan Peace Activist
Canada .