Malin Abeyatunge

On March 12, 2000, I wrote a small letter to Sunday Observer titled, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-SCREEN PEACE TALK FACILITATORSƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ which may be the first letter by an ordinary citizen against Norway peace facilitator now known as infamous Eric Solheim. I reproduce herein this letter.

ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-How soon we forget our enemies? A few years back Norway and the other Scandinavian countries became ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Safe HavenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ for the LTTE sympathizers.. They smuggled themselves into those countries, obtained refugee status and started their terror campaign in those countries including Norway promoting the Eelam Cry and tarnishing the good image of Sri Lanka.

Thet hen governments took no actions of these terrorist supporters and instead morally supported their campaign including NGOs some of which were operating in Sri Lanka under the disguise of so called humanitarian projects. Therefore, we should not accept any facilitator prima facie without investigating their credentials.

This should also apply to the Norwegian representative who is now in Sri Lanka to facilitate peace talks (I purposely did not name the person). His credentials and any hidden agenda need to be investigated first before allowing him to approach the LTTE for any kind of facilitating. The best that the Norwegian representative can do is to persuade the Norwegians government to help the Sri Lanka government to wipe out the cancerous LTTE terrorism CompletelyƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

Well the person behind this is infamous Eric Solheim and what happened after that with his dealings with the LTTE are very well known to the Sri Lankan public. ThatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s why we treat him as an enemy on par with the dead LTTE leader Prabhakraran.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He has now the audacity to come clean with the Sri Lankans on the interview given to the Sunday Times. It was reported quote ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- Former peace facilitator and International Development Minister Erik Solheim told the Sunday Times in an interview, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-We called upon the LTTE to come to an organized stop (or surrender). If it had happened, thousands of lives would have been saved. The war would have ended under the supervision of the UN, the United States, India or someone else. However, the LTTE rejected that call.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚

War against LTTE could have ended in year 2000 with a right leadership if not for Solheim and the gang who initiated Peace Talks, granted CFA in order to give currency to LTTE terrorism and their cry for Eelam.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ What a hypocrite you are Mr.Solheim. Your sole attempt was not to save thousands of innocent Tamil lives but may be thousands of Tamil Tigers. Even at the last minute, you you have been having talks with the some UN Officials/KP/LTTE which indicates your intention was to save LTTE at any cost. DonƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t ever think that the Sri Lankans (mainly Sinhala Buddhists who fought the war and who lost many thousands of innocent lives) have forgotten the way you acted as God Father to the Tamil Tiger Terrorists and shall never forgive you and the Norwegian Government of your role with LTTE. If the Norwegian Government at your advise had not nurtured and financed LTTE in various ways, Sri Lanka would have ended itƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s war against LTTE long before May 19 2009 saving thousands of innocent lives and saving billions of dollars spent on the war.

Mr Solheim. under your patronage, Tamil terrorists were nurtured on your soil like your own baby. They were given military training and visits to the military operation units in Norway. Your Norwegian gave refugee to the LTTE terrorists. Under your patronage, your Government financed the LTTE to the teeth. You covertly assisted to smuggle arms illegally to the Tamil Tigers. You supplied LTTE with state of the art military communication systems thro your embassy abusing the privileges of Diplomatic Immunity.. And now you say ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-you wanted to save thousands of livesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. You arranged 16 million Norwegian kroner to Anton Balasingham immediately after signing the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) in Oslo. Can you deny this? Or is it a blatant lie reported by the media?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Many of the western VIPs and politicians who visited Wanni during PrabhaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s regime were treated with the niceties like lobsters, Tiger prawn curry, music and may be even young Tamil lasses. ThatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s why they preferred to go to Wanni than Colombo. I will be surprised if you say that you didnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t have any of those niceties during your frequent visits to Wanni and Prabha.

Mr. Solheim, you have blood in your hand just as much as the Tamil Tigers . This is the true opinion of ninety nine percent (99%) of Sri Lankans have on you except those dollar vulture NGOs who have been supporting you for a fistful of dollars.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Although you claim that you have been treated very badly by the media, thatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s what you deserve and earned for the belligerent way you were supporting and giving full patronage to LTTE. You said ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Not that there should be no criticism but you must distinguish between fair criticism and blatant lies. There were a lot of blatant lies.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ Have you ever challenged if you say the media spoke blatant lies? Mr. Solheim, you cannot hide behind your cunning foxy smile as we all know your true face and character.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Speaking on the prospects of peace in Sri Lanka, Mr. Solheim said, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-I tell the Tamil Diaspora there is no appetite for war, there is no international support for resumption of war. However, there is broad international support for Tamil rights in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚. What you say is true of the Tamil Diaspora, why the hell they have launched another campaign for a Provisional Transnational Government of Eelam from the western countries including Norway. ArenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t your Government covertly supporting this campaign? WhatƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s the Tamil Rights you are talking of? Like your SƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚¡mi rights?

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In your interview, you have also mentioned an interesting matter of how to treat the minorities ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-He said Sri Lanka should ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-adhere to the same standards of minority rights that there are in India, Indonesia or Malaysia.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ He pointed out that in India, minorities had group rights on the basis of language and other issues. You know little of Malaysia to quote in your example. Do you know that according to their policy of ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Bhumi PutraƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ only the Malaysian Muslims can own Land? Two simple questions to you on minority issues in Norway. 1. Can non-Lutheran become the King/Prime Minister of NorwayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ and 2. are the SƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚¡miƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s (ethnic minority in Norway) given right status where their religion and the language is concerned? You have no right to talk about the minorities in Sri Lanka mainly the Tamils as they are the most privileged among the minorities in the world. ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s you and your Norwegian governments treat your minority SƒÆ’†’ƒ”š‚¡miƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s like dirt.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Your country has given Sri Lanka few aid packages mainly to the North and East for your Tamil brethrens. Norway cannot fool us by giving few handouts as Norway owes Sri Lanka much more than that. Your countryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s criminal allegiance (with your ill advise to the Norwegian Government you have served) with the LTTE Tamil Tigers over last 30 years have brought Sri Lanka mayhem, destructions worth billions of dollars, around seventy thousand of lost lives in the war. The destructions that brought to Sri Lanka in the war cannot be measured in millions but billions in dollars for which You Mr. Solheim and the Norwegian Government are also accountable. The time is ripe for the Sri Lankans to take a class action against Norway to seek BILLIONS of dollars as compensation for destroying Sri Lanka over the last thirty years and to bring you Mr. Solheim to International Courts for the crimes against humanity for your part with the LTTE.

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Malin Abeyatunge