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CHARGES AGAINST NORWEGIAN EMBASSY IN COLOMBO FOR SIDING WITH TAMIL TIGERS IN SUICIDE BOAT AND SMUGGLING ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles February 09,09:20 AM: The Prajathanthra, a movement for social democracy, has charged, that the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Colombo in a statement issued about the suicide bomb blast of a boat carrying contraband weapons of the Tamil Tigers had taken a ridiculous attempt to sideline the whole issue of the Tamil rebels illegally smuggling weapons violating the ceasefire agreement. The statement signed by the Sri Lankan movement’s conveyor, Lucien Rajakarunanayaka said, “There is nothing in this statement condemning the LTTE for what the Ceasefire Monitors themselves have reported as a serious violation of the memorandum of understanding.” It went further by alleging the Colombo Embassy of Norway headed by the controversial ambassador , Jon Westborg, by stating that there was not a word of the threat to the monitors themselves, including one woman who had to jump off the boat to save their lives , when the LTTE cadres set fire to it in the attempt to blow it up and nothing again on the fact that the LTTE was illegally transporting the weapons. Ambassador Jon Westborg , himself had been earlier alleged by the parliamentary opposition of Sri lanka of helping the separatist rebels of the LTTE to smuggle in to the country a high powered radio transmitter and satellite communication equipment to help the rebel group to do war and propaganda against the states of India and Sri Lanka. The statement charged that Jon Westborg’s embassy in the statement issued by them even failed to mention the deaths of the three terrorists of the LTTE was an act of terrorist related suicide, “which too is a violation of the MOU, where it is agreed that the LTTE will not carry out any suicide bombings during the period of the Ceasefire.” The statement further said, “It is regrettable that a whole string of violations of the Ceasefire Agreement, about which so much is said in its praise, is being ignored in this manner. What would appear to be a more accurate assessment is that the LTTE cadres acted with proper understanding of communications from their own leadership, in the form of prior instructions to blow themselves up with the boat, if apprehended.” The Prajathanthra further said, “The various countries of the West, and Japan too, that are now rushing to give aid to the LTTE with the what appears to be a deliberate misconception that government’s peace initiatives have progressed, should at least now pause to think whether they are not in fact trying to give aid to open violators of the Ceasefire Agreement, who are ready to jeopardize the lives of the international Ceasefire Monitors, and also continue with their practice of suicide killings to reach their goal of separation.” The statement further said that there is an urgent need on the part of the Sri Lanka government to communicate to the people of Sri Lanka instead: “There is obviously a need for better communication about all these matters to the people by the Government instead, of letting the facilitators of what is a much flawed peace process issue statements on matters that seriously affect national security and the actual behavior of the LTTE vis-à-vis the peace initiatives of the Government. We unreservedly condemn the violation of the Ceasefire Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding in many forms in this single incident as explained above.” The Prajathanthra described the cause of their charge against the Royal Norwegian embassy regarding their press statement as follows: “The Royal Norwegian Embassy in a Press Release reported in the media today, with regard to the blowing up of the LTTE vessel carrying arms says that the incident was due to a “communications failure between the Sri Lanka naval commander and the cadres on board”. It also refers to the tragic loss of three lives – those of the three LTTE cadres who decided to blast the boat and commit suicide. “This appears to be a convenient way of passing the blame to the Commander of the Navy vessel, as the occupants of the other vessel are no more. What is even stranger and even ridiculous is the attempt to sideline the whole issue as being a “communication error” and say that the ongoing sessions of peace talks will continue as scheduled.”( (09/02/03 go2lanka.com) |