Berghof questioned over ducking select committee summons

Berghof Foundation Sri Lanka Director Dr.Norbert Ropers told the Parliamentary Select Committee probing activities of NGOs that he did not appear before the committee because the Foundation’s donor nations Germany and Switzerland had advised him not to do so. He said the contention of the donors was that as the Foundation was in Sri Lanka under a MoU signed with the Government, all dealings were with the Government and hence there was no need to come before a Parliamentary Committee.

“We are neither a NGO nor INGO in Sri Lanka. We work here under a MoU signed between the Foundation and the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs and Industrial Development in July 2001 and is also registered under the Companies Act”, he said. The Foundation’s semi-annual reports are sent to the Ministry, he said.

When Dr.Ropers appeared before the committee on Friday, the Committee Chairman JVP MP Vijitha Herath asked why he had failed to appear before the Committee even though three letters were sent to him and said the Committee had the power to summon anyone to appear before it.

When questioned if the Foundation was funding federalism and power sharing studies, Dr.Ropers said Berghof had never proposed or propagated any particular power sharing agreement but what it has and still does was to contribute to a better understanding of the different models of power sharing and federalism.

In a written submission given to the Committee, the Foundation said the European study tour for LTTE members to Germany, Switzerland Belgium and Spain in April/May 2003 was arranged with the explicit encouragement of the Sri Lanka Government and the Norwegian facilitators because it was hoped that the exposure to different political models and power sharing would help in the negotiation process.

Similar exposures to learn about power sharing experiences were organised for individuals and groups from the south, the Foundation said. Mr.Herath said the Committee was set up not only to look into the negative aspects of NGOs but also their positive aspects and added that NGos and INGOs need to understand the workings of the Committee and assist it without evading appearing before it.

Dr.Ropers said what the Foundation sought was fairness from the Committee. The officials were asked to appear before it again on May 24.