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Norwegian facilitators meet with LTTE leader

Norwegian Foreign Minister Mr. Jan Petersen, his Deputy Mr. Vidar Helgesen and Special Envoy Mr. Erik Solheim arrived in Kilinochchi today 11th November 2004 and had a lengthy meeting with the LTTE leader Mr. V. Prabaharan. Associated with Mr. Prabaharan were LTTE Chief Negotiator Mr. Anton Balasingham, S. P. Tamilselvan, Head of the Political Wing and Mrs Adele Balasingham.

Mr V.Pirabaharan and Mr. Jan Petersen

A press meet was held after the meeting in the LTTE Peace Secretariat in which Mr. Anton Balasingham and Mr. S. P. Tamilselvan presented a summary of the discussions between the Norwegians and the National Leader.

Mr. Balasingham said that contrary to expectations and speculations, the facilitators did not bring any special message from the President that may be classified as a ‘breakthrough’. Continuing further, responding to questions from the media Mr. Balasingham had this to say:

During the discussion

“Though there was no special positive message, the facilitators did indicate that the President is of opinion that the discussions on ISGA, if that is to be the basis of the recommencement of talks, should necessarily be an integral part of the final resolution and therefore a process linked to the final political negotiations. We have made our position very clear in the same way as we have been consistently maintaining from the time of handing over the ISGA proposals about an year ago.

It is wrong to link the ISGA with the final resolution because the former is directly and solely intended to address urgent humanitarian needs and the devastation caused by war and the latter is a political process that necessarily involves longer period of time and necessary ground work in the existing constitution for which the southern polity is not yet ready. This position of ours, we are told by the facilitators, would be conveyed to the President tonight and a feedback provided to us in course of time. It is only after receiving such a response, we would comment on the feasibility of early resumption of talks or otherwise.

Discussing core issues, an exercise the Tamil people have been used to for the last 50 years or so, interspaced with solemn pacts and agreements, all of which were abrogated unilaterally by successive governments, is, according to Tamil thinking, a futile endeavour. It is only because of this and in view of the urgency of institutionalising a humanitarian delivery mechanism appropriately embodied by us in the ISGA, we reiterate the necessity to bring on board such an effective mechanism prior to entering into a complex political negotiation.

Much is being talked about an Oslo declaration. There is no such declaration. In fact after every round of peace negotiation, a statement was issued by the facilitators with the concurrence of the parties. In one such statement it was mentioned that the parties would explore finding a solution based on a federal principle. It is therefore not a declaration per se as is being interpreted widely. Mr. Prabaharan has, in almost all of his statements in the Martyrs Day every year that the LTTE would negotiate for viable alternatives fulfilling the aspirations of the Tamil people, preserve their freedom, dignity and self-respect. This is based on the principle of internal self-determination and if that is denied to exercise the right of external self-determination.

The LTTE is steadfastly demonstrating its commitment to the Cease Fire Agreement, (CFA) though the dividends of peace which should have stemmed from the CFA have not actually reached the Tamil people in that IDPs are still refused access to their dwellings due to military occupation, fishermen still have restrictions in their seafaring and in short the CFA has only provided a no-war situation.

When it comes to the President’s visit to India and her statements made therein to the effect that the LTTE is delaying the recommencement of talks, we strongly deny this position and would only say that it is the constraints that the President has in bringing together her constituent partners in government, especially the JVP that is opposed to the peace process and a negotiated settlement that causes the delay. Connected to this Indian visit is the collective Tamil thinking of the proposed defence pact that the Tamil people view that such an agreement is irrelevant during the time of a peace process, suspended though, but altogether not given up and therefore would tilt the military equilibrium, the underlying principle of the CFA. We have conveyed this collective Tamil thinking to India.

It is true that a no-peace-dividend-producing CFA always portends a threat of war erupting again but as one party to the conflict the LTTE is firmly committed to the CFA and a negotiated settlement and as facilitator the Royal Norwegian Government too is equally committed and leaving no-stone unturned to make the peace process a dividend bearing success but the GoSL for its part has not demonstrated its serious intentions and is continuing with the military build up as hitherto in the war days. As far as the people are concerned, both Sinhalese and Tamils have mandated for peace and the Tamils in particular have also mandated to institutionalise the ISGA and negotiate for a political resolution.

The LTTE on behalf of the Tamil people also wishes to take this opportunity to send their condolences to the Palestinian people for the untimely loss of their leader Yassir Arafat and also express solidarity with them in their liberation struggle.

11 November 2004

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