Sinhala nationalists last week resumed their vehement opposition to the Norwegian involvement in Sri Lanka, with far right parties and civil society movements making strongly worded statements.
The ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP), resumed its anti-Norway tirades which had been muted in the past two months while Olso was pursuing efforts to end spiralling violence in the Northeast and to resume talks.
The JVP is Sri Lanka’s third largest party and is widely thought to be closing the gap on the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) of President Mahinda Rajapakse.
JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa last week warned the government against ‘undiplomatic’ activities by Norway saying these would create a ‘storm’ that would jeopardize political stability of the country.
He was referring to Norway’s decision last to invite and host a senior LTTE delegation who met senior officials of the Olso government. The leader of Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremesinghe, was also invited to Oslo for discussions last week.
“Norway ushered a red carpet welcome for the LTTE delegation in their country and had diplomatic level discussions with them apart from giving weapons,” Weerawansa said.
“And what’s the meaning and ethic behind inviting the Opposition Leader and having secret discussions with him,” he asked.
Weerawansa even charged that UNP leader Wickremesinghe was part of an alleged Norwegian conspiracy against Sri Lanka.
Mr. Weerawansa also asked as to why they did not invite any of the government members to Norway so far: “They did not even bother to invite a member of the newly appointed government.”
However, Sri Lankan government officials told reporters that Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera had been invited to Olso but had not taken up the offer.
Mr. Samaraweera’s contempt for the Norwegian involvement in Sri Lanka is well known – he once dismissed Norwegian facilitators in much publicised comments as ‘salmon-eating busybodies.’
Meanwhile, the Patriotic National Movement (PNM), a Sinhalese majority pressure group Wednesday urged the Sri Lankan government to order Norway out of the peace facilitation role with the Tamil Tigers.
Gunadasa Amarasekera, secretary to the PNM, told reporters that “Norway has once again showed its bias towards the Tigers,” referring to a visit to Oslo by the LTTE delegation.
Both the JVP and the hardline monks party, the JHU, had backed the incumbent Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse at last November’s presidential election with a pledge to end the Norwegian role in Sri Lanka.
However, since he was elected Rajapakse, under pressure from a string of lethal attacks on Sri Lankan troops in December and January has chosen to ignore pressures to oust the Norwegians and extended an invitation for them to continue the role.
The ultra-nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Perumana (JVP), resumed its anti-Norway tirades which had been muted in the past two months while Olso was pursuing efforts to end spiralling violence in the Northeast and to resume talks.
The JVP is Sri Lanka’s third largest party and is widely thought to be closing the gap on the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) of President Mahinda Rajapakse.
JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa last week warned the government against ‘undiplomatic’ activities by Norway saying these would create a ‘storm’ that would jeopardize political stability of the country.
He was referring to Norway’s decision last to invite and host a senior LTTE delegation who met senior officials of the Olso government. The leader of Sri Lanka’s main opposition United National Party (UNP), Ranil Wickremesinghe, was also invited to Oslo for discussions last week.
“Norway ushered a red carpet welcome for the LTTE delegation in their country and had diplomatic level discussions with them apart from giving weapons,” Weerawansa said.
“And what’s the meaning and ethic behind inviting the Opposition Leader and having secret discussions with him,” he asked.
Weerawansa even charged that UNP leader Wickremesinghe was part of an alleged Norwegian conspiracy against Sri Lanka.
Mr. Weerawansa also asked as to why they did not invite any of the government members to Norway so far: “They did not even bother to invite a member of the newly appointed government.”
However, Sri Lankan government officials told reporters that Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera had been invited to Olso but had not taken up the offer.
Mr. Samaraweera’s contempt for the Norwegian involvement in Sri Lanka is well known – he once dismissed Norwegian facilitators in much publicised comments as ‘salmon-eating busybodies.’
Meanwhile, the Patriotic National Movement (PNM), a Sinhalese majority pressure group Wednesday urged the Sri Lankan government to order Norway out of the peace facilitation role with the Tamil Tigers.
Gunadasa Amarasekera, secretary to the PNM, told reporters that “Norway has once again showed its bias towards the Tigers,” referring to a visit to Oslo by the LTTE delegation.
Both the JVP and the hardline monks party, the JHU, had backed the incumbent Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse at last November’s presidential election with a pledge to end the Norwegian role in Sri Lanka.
However, since he was elected Rajapakse, under pressure from a string of lethal attacks on Sri Lankan troops in December and January has chosen to ignore pressures to oust the Norwegians and extended an invitation for them to continue the role.
