By Gomin Dayasri

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The official Norwegian assessment of its 12-year peace effort (1997-2009) in Sri Lanka titled ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Pawns of PeaceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ is a mere surface scratch. The Judge and the Jury in the report being Norway, the fault lines are spread in other directions omitting to mention the more sensitive mistakes Norway made.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Report is a whitewash of its Sri Lankan adventure. It could re-enact a repeat performance elsewhere due to a faulty analysis: that may prove costly to another nation prepared to accept their assistance and attention. Deep down NorwayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s intentions were honorable, but left in the hands of Solheime, it was subverted by starring in the role LTTE assigned to him, of being their favorite son from a favored nation. Solheime tried to live-up to their expectations due to his long association with the LTTE losing credibility for Norway and himself. The named trouble-shooter became more renowned for causing rather than taming trouble. Norway needed an impartial unbiased facilitator to head the project.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It became apparent watching at work his sometime substitute Bauer with his more even-handed treatment. Their Ambassador in Sri Lanka communicated ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ home the opinion of the crowd he kept company of- the embassy crawling alienated Colombo society, which did not help Norway to monitor the ground situation correctly.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Normally earth bound, Norwegians landed on a flawed Sri Lankan surface and remained permanently in a faulty territory-an error that enlarged with their ambassadorƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s stay in Colombo being extended. Probably Solheime wanted him in town.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ A laid-back European nation, affluent on North Sea oil, piggybacked in the name of Nobel, invested its nouvelle rich dividends in the business of peace mongering. Norway played for its own glory, without a semblance of an insight into Asian culture. Norwegians became fried ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Prawns of PeaceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ marooned in a Lankan lagoon. Good- natured Norwegian citizenry back home, were unaware of the truth of its misguided Sri Lankan mission.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Out of touch with reality, the Norwegian executive summary lists as it achievements (a) Ceasefire Agreement (b) Expressed commitment to explore a federal solution (c) Signing of a joint mechanism for post-tsunami aid. ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s like an opinion of a mad ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…”hatter from the story of Alice, as these contributed more to the undoing of peace efforts.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Collectively in a capsulated form (a) Ceasefire Agreement ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” dawned on Sri Lanka, the futility of the peace process and made it comfortable to switch to the war option (b) Federal Solution ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” rallied the people to the concept of a unitary state after years of abhorring federalism; suddenly proclaimed by the government as its escape route that would have eased the way to a separate state. (c) Post-Tsunami Structure – was rejected by courts as illegal – had it being permitted it would have infused unlimited funds to the terrorist front organization TRO to purchase arms.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Norwegian report presents succinctly reasons for the pet Western aversion that required them to devalue a victory over terrorism and punish Sri Lanka for achieving it. Report explodes with a punch line: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- Building on the Westphalian notions of sovereignty and non interference, a strong developmental state, the military crushing of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-terrorismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, and the prevalence of order over dissent or political change, this model may serve an inspiration for other countries in the regionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚[Note – the reference to terrorism in the report is within inverted commas in the Norwegian lexicon. To Norway, the LTTE was never a terrorist organization-the first of its many errors in misinterpreting the proper character of a prime player]

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Norway played its role, as peacemaker for 12 years-disbelieving LTTE is a terrorist organization though 32 other countries have so certified it. Were the Norwegians wearing blinkers while being associated with the Scandinavian monitors (SLMM) in watching LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s behavioral pattern to equate ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-terrorismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-dissentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚? The phraseology utilized to describe Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s triumph over terrorism is described in the report to read: ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-prevalence of order over dissent or political change. Norway raised both hands for ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-dissentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (LTTE) over ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-orderƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚(Government) and to effect a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”political changeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Were the guardians of democracy intending to install autocracy for a deprived democracy in the North and place its people permanently under a tyrannical terrorist regime?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If such were the intentions, were the Norwegians facilitating the peace process for the benefit of Sri Lanka or were they maneuvering the process to fall within their preferred agenda? It is Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s fortune Norway became a failed facilitator as they may have created another South Sudan. The credit goes to the people of Sri Lanka who did not allow its government to be manipulated by a foreign hand and brought a fresh administration that did away with the three issues cited as NorwayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s success story.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Norway squirms over terrorism being dismantled. The peacemaker, it appears wanted to make a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-political changeƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ by installing terrorists officially in office through negotiations and sulks on its failure. Would Norway negotiate to place Herat, a provincial capital of, Afghanistan in the hands of Al-Qaida or hand the North of Peshawar to the TalibanƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The prize-winning phrase from the report reads -ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-this model may serve as an inspiration for other countries in the regionƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. Norway does not want other countries in the region to follow the Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s successful model of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Westphalia notionsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ (belief in the nation-state) by stressing on ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-sovereigntyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-non interferenceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚- [a gentle way of saying adieu to possible foreign interventions and the doctrine of responsibility to protect]. Sri Lankan prescription cuts across the spectrum of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”new colonialismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ by which the West enters trouble spots with the poster of human rights and installs a sycophantic leadership servile to the West.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ NorwayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s desire to preserve and install LTTE in office makes them complain of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-military crushing terrorismƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ in Sri Lanka. Military achieved where Norway failed for 12 years in bringing peace to the country of which there is no mention. Not a whimper on the hardships caused to Tamil civilians by the LTTE in the executive summary. Norwegians came to secure the LTTE and not to safeguard the rights of the Tamils in the North/East.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Norway had as its objective the continued existence of the LTTE notwithstanding being a terrorist organization in the Sri Lankan scene. To them a Sri Lanka without the LTTE was unthinkable- peace was a much lesser priority for the peacemaker. By making concessions to the LTTE and strengthening its military might, Norway thought peace could be achieved and the LTTE sustained- they did not conceive LTTE could be militarily annihilated and peace achieved thereafter. In LTTEƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s defeat, they still hoped for the LTTE to remain operating from the jungles or from outside the shores of Sri Lanka. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ NorwayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s peace exercise was doomed from the beginning because they never contemplated the option that a meaningful peace effort could be only achieved without the LTTE. They could not- because LTTE was more important to Norway than peace in Sri Lanka. That is critical bottom line the Norwegian report failed to comprehend.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Its more a message for Sri Lanka than to Norway but it is a lesson that will not be learnt by either.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Norway desires to re-enter Sri Lanka by splashing its currency around. It sure would succeed. As the report holds out when their hold on Sri Lanka was faltering they invested in Buddhist charities. With the largeness of the available krone, Norway would be seen soon in business. Norway had during its operations handed hefty sums to the foundations and outfits associated with some of the prime players that played a part in the aforesaid triple disaster the Norwegians consider a success.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚