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Norway blocks Sri Lanka’s push against Tigers
From Neville de Silva in London
Norway is making frantic efforts to scuttle Sri Lanka’s new diplomatic initiative to have the international community crack down on the LTTE, highly reliable sources said.Norwegian diplomats are hastily contacting European capitals to stop them taking any action against the Tigers.

Foreign diplomats say that Oslo is presenting a case against concerted or individual action arguing that this is the wrong time to do so and saying the LTTE should be given time to take the democratic path. While some countries find this argument laughable, certain Europeans, especially the Scandinavians are prepared to go along with Oslo, the sources said.

Norway, the peacemaker, began its round of diplomatic contacts shortly after Sri Lanka’s Foreign Secretary H.S. Palihakkara addressed Colombo’s diplomatic community urging their countries to act under international law and take effective measures against the LTTE following the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga in her address to the nation and Foreign Secretary Palihakkara in his talk to diplomats clearly pointed the finger at the LTTE as the perpetrators.

The day after the murder, Mr. Palihakkara asked the countries represented to take “practical and effective measures as required by international law, for the prevention and suppression of terrorism.”

This perceptible foreign policy shift after years of appeasing the Tigers, apparently took the Norwegians by surprise. Foreign diplomats believe that it was Norway that urged the LTTE through Anton Balasingham to agree to talks on the CFA in order to divert international attention away from Mr. Kadirgamar’s assassination and project the Tigers as an amenable group.
Shortly after Mr. Palihakkara spoke to the diplomats, Norwegians contacted various embassies to express their opposition to such a move and appealing for a softer response.

With British Prime Minister Tony Blair preparing to introduce tough new anti-terrorism laws following the suicide bombings here, Norway is said to have told the British that Mr. Balasingham is a convenient conduit to the Wanni leadership and so his presence here is needed.

Reliable sources said Norway was trying to block any move that London might take under pressure from groups here that are calling for action against the Tigers and demanding Mr. Balasingham’s expulsion if Britain is sincere about fighting terrorism.

Norway is assiduously lobbying Britain because it holds the EU presidency until the end of the year and any action by the Union would need London’s okay.
In late 2001 when the European Union passed an anti-terrorism resolution and later named several groups as terrorist organisations, the Scandinavians led by Norway are said to have fought hard to exclude the LTTE from the list.

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