Political Column

Political Column

CBK, Helgesen in stormy session

Govts. may come, governments may go…
While the JVP-PA alliance was at least appearing to be looking more solid, there were doubts within the SLFP and the non-JVP elements of the People's Alliance about the shrill noises that were being made by the JVP's Wimal Weerawansa on the platform at the opposition rally on Monday. Weerawansa for instance said that 'those journalists who support the peace process will be punished by the JVP-PA combine when they form a government.''

However, this was qualified to say that the "JVP was for peace'' but was against the caving-in to the LTTE. Caving into the LTTE said Weerawansa was the policy of the present government.

But the fact that the JVP leader was saying things like 'journalists supporting the peace will be punished'' has caused, at least some quarters, to be genuinely disturbed about the JVP-PA alliance. They feel that Chandrika Kumaratunga is at bottom a peace-worker, a leader who wants to follow 'the peace process that she initiated'' to a logical conclusion.

But they feel that with the JVP now being hitched to the PA wagon, this will be difficult - - or at least that it will be easier said than done. Does that mean that, in the event a PA-JVP Alliance is in power, the nation will necessarily revert to war?

Though the President will not tolerate that, the PA insiders feel that the JVP presence is going to make her task rather difficult. Some even go to the extent of saying this is why the UNF should do its job with the peace process, so that the PA could make a bid for power at some appropriate time --- without having the baggage of the JVP to drag along with it.

Even so, why were some of the PA insiders warming up to the fact that there might be a chance for Chandrika Kumaratunga to continue the peace process if there is an election and the PA wins? Anton Balasingham had said , on ceremonially opening an LTTE courthouse in Kilinochchi that the LTTE will not walk out on the peace process 'even if there is going to be a change of government in Colombo.''

Then he had added, almost under his breath that if there are elements such as the JVP in a future government, the LTTE of course will find it very difficult to be in the peace process.
At least the LTTE seems to have given the PA a look-in by saying 'we will continue the peace process even if there is a change of government.'' This has curiously buoyed the spirits of some PA groups which feel that it is the UNF's peace process that is in fact robbing them of a chance to be in power.

In other words, it is felt that as long as there is a hope for peace, and a lasting peace, the people will not exchange the UNF for a PA government. Now that Anton Balasingham is saying that the ceasefire will be continued come what may, these PA groups feel that they can indeed make a bid for power -- except that there is this little factor of the JVP that needs to be settled.

By Our Political Editor
For a Norwegian, Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen, is toughened in diplomacy. He knows the thrills and spills of winning friends and influencing people. He also knows the perils that go with it.

But a blend of all that coming in together in just a day is too much even to veterans. If getting the United Front Government (UNF) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to still their guns for more than a year and get them to talk peace is indeed a great thrill. Not for Norwegians alone, but for the international community too.

And that gave strength to Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremasinghe, to declare the availability of a lethal political weapon in the event of any misfortunate - an international safety net. The weapon remains in his arsenal though moves by the guerrillas to strengthen their military machine have led to the formation of war clouds.
It is in this backdrop that just a day of diplomacy became exasperating if not disappointing even for Mr. Helgesen.

It was first over his flight in a Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter for a meeting with Tiger guerrilla leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran and on the return journey, a session with President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

When his chopper landed at the Kilinochchi Central College grounds on Wednesday, there were screaming school kids giving him a warm welcome. That undoubtedly warmed his heart and bolstered hopes in his mind. He thought he could keep those children smiling all the way until they grew to become elder citizens.

But, soon after he shook hands with the political top brass of the Tiger guerrillas, his enthusiasm was dampened. He heard the bad news - Tiger guerrilla leader Velupillai Prabhakaran would not meet him that day after all. The official reason - he was at a crucial meeting of his organisation's Central Committee. They were apparently discussing an all-important issue - the Sri Lanka Navy sinking the guerrilla cargo ship laden with military hardware in the deep seas off Mullaitivu.

And that was the all-important reason why Mr. Helgesen thought it necessary to meet Mr. Prabhakaran. Political Wing leaders told him Mr. Prabhakaran would take a decision later that day on whether the LTTE would take part in Tuesday's peace talks in the Tokyo suburb of Hakone in Japan. He was told that would be conveyed to him.
Mr Helgesen flew back to Colombo anxious to learn what the LTTE decision was going to be. But even before the rotor blades of his Bell 412 helicopter whirled fast enough for a take off from Kilinochchi, Tiger guerrillas knew the answers to his anxiety. Not because a decision had by then been made by the Central Committee. There was no such meeting.

Why then was he told of such a Central Committee meeting? Well, the LTTE had become sticklers for rigid protocol. The meeting with Mr. Prabhakaran had been arranged for Norwegian Foreign Minister, Jan Peterson. Mr Helgesen was going to be a member of his entourage. Now, he was seeking a one on one with Mr. Prabhakaran and that was LTTE's way of saying sorry.

Otherwise, whether a Central Committee meeting was in progress or not, Mr Prabhakaran is all supreme in the LTTE. He could have easily cancelled it and met the man who is virtually the head of the Norwegian peace facilitation team.
There is nothing he could not do, except perhaps to change one's sex from being a male to female or vice versa. It was barely two weeks ago, he ignored the rulings of all his "law courts of Tamil Eelam" to order the release of soldier Kumara and Police Constable Gunasekera. The Government claimed steadfastly there was no prisoner exchange prompting a wag to quote an old country joke.

A villager who saw a friend naked helped him cover his nudity by giving his own sarong. But he was left naked. This release came barely 48 hours after the Government agreed to the release of seven guerrillas, (five of them armed), rounded up by the Navy near Kuchchaveli - an event that nearly triggered off Eelam War Four. Hard on the heels of these two releases, the Court of Appeal granted the bail applications of six guerrillas held in the Trincomalee remand prison.

The Trincomalee Magistrate released on bail these men arrested after claymore mines were found in a boat they were travelling in. The slate in terms of the Government and the LTTE holding each other’s military or guerrilla cadres prisoners is now clean. The Kuchchaveli incident had quite clearly triggered off the release process though it would not be fashionable to call it a fair exchange worked out by the UNF Government.

Returning to Colombo, Mr. Helgesen was in for his second encounter. That came during a meeting with President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and her international affairs advisor, Lakshman Kadirgamar at the Janadipathi Mandiraya. Also on hand were Foreign Secretry Nihal Rodrigo and Chief of Protocol, Pamela Deen.

As is always the case during these events, the talks began on a friendly and cordial note. It started with Mr. Helgesen telling President Kumaratunga that he was then awaiting an LTTE decision on their participation at the upcoming Hakone talks. He had in fact chosen to delay his departure to Oslo by two days for this purpose. As the dialogue proceeded, it became hotter and hotter. So much so, Mr. Kadirgamar politely advised both Mr. Rodrigo and Ms Deen, who were taking copious notes, to withdraw. They did.

The dialogues was described by one PA source as the most stormiest of the meetings President Kumaratunga had held with Norwegian facilitators. President Kumaratunga gave her views openly and freely. She charged the Norwegian facilitators were sucked in too much by what she called UNF propaganda. Responding to Mr. Helgesen's remarks on how children had swarmed him when he arrived in an Air Force helicopter in Kilinochchi, a foreboding of peace, she said not only children but hordes of adults also came when her peace team went to Wanni in 1994.

Mr Helgesen spoke about what he called the "great deal of assymetry" over the peace talks. He felt "everyone should co-operate" - a hint about greater cohabitation. He said though President Kumaratunga disagreed, Minister G.L. Peiris was a man of international acclaim and was a famed constitutional lawyer. Hence, there was a need for greater interaction with him.

Mr Helgesen was also critical of the LTTE over their attempts to smuggle in weapons. He said it was of course illegal and expressed the need to formulate modalities to prevent such acts. Mr Helgesen then came up with something which he thought might change the tense atmosphere. He said he had been asked to extend an invitation, on behalf of Norwegian Royalty, to pay a state visit to that country and address the Nobel Peace Committee. Departing from procedures of protocol, Mr Helgesen had even suggested two dates in November, this year.

Pointing out that she had visited Norway before and would love to visit it again, she said such a visit at this juncture would also compel the LTTE to accuse her of attempting to scuttle the peace process. "This is not the appropriate time," she said dismissing in strong words the offer of addressing the Nobel Peace Committee. "My people will not judge me by that. They will judge me by how best I have served them," she is reported to have told Mr. Helgesen.

A PA source said President Kumaratunga was frank enough to explain all her concerns on matters relating to the ongoing peace process. She had said that since she was the one who initiated the Norwegian facilitated peace process, she was not at all opposed to it. However, during the first six months after the Ceasefire Agreement, she and her political colleagues have been shabbily treated.

Later, Mr. Helgesen met Premier Wickremasinghe to report to him on both his visits, one to Kilinochchi and the other to Janadipathi Mandiraya. With that over, the focus now turns to next week's Hakone talks, a crucial one in view of the stand off between the Government and the LTTE over the sinking of the tanker.

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