Norway has a population of 5.1 million (July 2014). Norway’s Constitution is the oldest still in force in Europe dating back to 1814 but rights of national minorities are not even included in its constitution. Norway has oil and is one of the richest countries in the world.

Norway has the largest number of Sri Lankan Tamils outside of our country (they have been there from the sixties working in the fish industry; most from Prabhakaran’s village) they are today a very powerful political group, having millions. They were the largest single source of funds for the LTTE.

Norwegian peace negotiator Erik Solheim meeting former LTTE peace negotiator S.P. Tamilchelvam in 2004.

Norway worked very hard to achieve a solution to the Tamil peoples’ problem on their terms to please the Tamil Diaspora; they elevated the LTTE to the “sole representative of the Tamil community”. Norway always treated the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government as ‘equals’. It was Solheim who covertly built up LTTE into a military force comparable in strength to the Sri Lankan armed forces.

Ceasefire Agreement

Norway engineered a Ceasefire Agreement between the government and the LTTE; provided sophisticated satellite communication equipment to the LTTE during the 2002 ceasefire, to enable them to reach the Tamil Diaspora and to organise their arms supplies; the communication equipment was obtained through the Norwegian Embassy and through the Peace Secretariat of the government.

Solheim also ensured that a Norwegian headed the Monitoring Mission, to protect the LTTE. The so called Monitoring Mission overlooked over 250 violations of the Ceasefire Agreement by the LTTE.

In October 2003, Trygve Tellefsen (the then head of the SLMM) even forewarned the LTTE about an impending Navy attack by the Sri Lanka Navy on an LTTE arms shipment. Norway helped the LTTE establish relations with Eritrea, organised purchases of arms, ammunition and other military equipment from a number of sources, using Eritrean End-user certificates. Norway facilitated the training of LTTE sea tigers in islands off Thailand and Malaysia.

LTTE leaders

Norway facilitated travel to Europe for LTTE leaders prior to the EU proscription in 2006, and arranged meetings with European politicians under the cover of “fact-finding missions” and also helped them organise the Tamil Diaspora to become what it is today. Norway allowed Norwegian Government-funded NGOs like the Norwegian People’s Aid to ‘donate’ heavy earth-moving vehicles, trucks, electricity generators, water pumps, tents, and other equipment to the LTTE which was more than useful to the LTTE to fight the war.

Norway also funded publications like Professor Kristian Stokke’s “Building the Tamil Eelam State”, Third World Quarterly 27 (2006), which purported to ‘examine’ the ‘new state’ institutions, to prepare for the formal division of Sri Lanka.

Human rights violations

Norway also assisted the Icelandic diplomat Bjarni Vestmann enter the country on a tourist visa in October 2007, and arranged a clandestine meeting with Tamilselvan. As stated earlier the SLMM and Norway ignored hundreds and hundreds of cease-fire violations and serious human rights violations, including child soldier recruitment, committed by the LTTE.

The question that arises is why has this government invited the Norwegians to return. There is no doubt whatsoever that Norway is seeking to advance her political interests by seeking to please its Tamil constituency in Norway at our expense of course. Norway being the richest country in Europe must be told that they could, if they wish, become a partner in the infrastructure development of our country but entirely on our terms; we could identify some major projects, perhaps an underground rail network to link greater Colombo with the center or a Highway to Badulla or the Superhighway to Jaffna, if that has not already being given to India or China. Under no circumstances should we allow them to get involved in anything political.

– KG and SW

926 Viewers