BBC HARD talk Erik Solheim (2-2) - 15th June 2009

Updates:
Jan 29, 2011 Solheim Interview- Drop Eelam! http://www.newsnow.lk/latest-news/solheim-rejects-separate-state
Jan 12 (Island) Solheim wanted to coach MR on how to make peace
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-deta...
Jan 12 (Islan)Wikileaks : Solheim, Burns misjudged MR et al. http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-deta...
)Jan 10 (DM) Wikileaks: LTTE left peace talks in a tactical move to get more concessions. http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/8908-ltte-wanted-to-get-more-concessions.html
Jan 10 (DM) Wikileaks: JVP carrying out ugly anti-Norway campaign
Jan 9 (DM) 'Chandrika demanded Norway to remove SLMM chief'
http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/8897-slmm-tipped-off-ltte.html
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Mr. Erik Solheim is the special adviser to the Norwegian minister of foreign affairs in charge of the Norwegian efforts to facilitate the peace process in Sri Lanka. He has been working full time with Sri Lankan affairs since 2000, shuttling between the government and the LTTE. Mr. Solheim, as the facilitator between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, has had extensive discussions with government leaders including President Kumaratunge as well as the leaders of political parties and entities spanning the spectrum of political views in Sri Lanka. He has also visited the LTTE leaders..

BBC HARDtalk Erik Solheim: Reports indicate that Erik Solheim had told the BBC that the LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka have agreed for talks in the Norwegian capital. Sri Lankan Military spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella however has reacted saying that although the Sri Lankan government was always ready for talks, it has not decided on having talks in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

Why has Norway not yet commented on the failure of the last scheduled talks when the LTTE team headed by Thamilselvan refused to meet the Government of Sri Lanka team? Instead they had talks with some representatives of the Tamil Diaspora who had flown to Oslo from Australia, United States and Germany.

Why did Oslo tolerate such interference at the cost of the scheduled meeting? Did Thamilselvan develop cold feet when he had no one to help at such a meeting with the only English-speaking Tiger Anton Balasingam absent from Oslo?

Erik Solheim never had the courage to give an explanation about the failure of the talks. Instead, it came to be known that Thamilselvan discussed military matters with retired Norwegian military personnel and packed his baggage home with catalogues on weapons and other related goods.

What a charade and travesty of all decencies? Norway should understand that the Peace Deal they brokered and achieved in signing the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) was flouted by the LTTE from the moment it was signed.

They continued their killing campaign on the unarmed Tamils and their Tamil political opponents. They forced the people even the old, infirm and children to go for military training and attempted to infiltrate peaceful grbutt root communities to seek cover for their violent activities.

How did the Norwegian peace facilitators react to this development. The CFA only ensured that the LTTE was able to hold the Tamils at their mercy.

It seems very difficult for Erik Solheim to understand that Sri Lanka is not a colony of Norway and there are no reasons whatsoever to hearken to Oslo at all.

Norway is a country that nurtured the LTTE and it arms, harbours and protects this terror movement and should have no right to urge or advise the Sri Lankan government as to how it should deal with this terror outfit.

Norwegian personnel who have served on the SLMM have not only proved themselves incapable of handling their responsibilities but have given totally false reports about certain events, no doubt meant to embarrbutt the government. They had lied at least on two instances recently without even checking on them thoroughly.

The intention of Norway is very clear. People like Erik Solheim are determined to carve out Sri Lanka and hand over a territory to the LTTE so that Prabhakaran can realize his dream of setting up a Mafia state.

In the mean time it is strongly urged that all Norwegian involvements in Sri Lanka comes to a halt; comes to a halt now. If the ethnic problem is to be sorted out amicably, Norway should be booted out immediately.
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The Lanka Academic carried an online "Question and Answer" session with the special adviser to the Norwegian minister of foreign affairs in charge of the Norwegian efforts to facilitate the peace process in Sri Lanka, Mr. Erik Solheim from April 2, 2001 through April 30, 2001. Listed below are your questions and his answers. Please note that answers 1-34 were made available on April 6, 2001, 35-60 on April 25, 2001 and 61-90 on May 11, 2001. http://www.lacnet.org/the_academic/chat/QA_Erik.shtml

Category:

News & Politics

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• sri lanka
• srilanka war
• sri lanka news
• LTTE
• eelam
• tamil tigers
• BBC HARD talk Erik Solheim
• erik solheim
• solheim

[NoEalamInSL]

May 15 (Island) The Sri Lankan government will raise the alleged involvement of Norwegian embassy in helping LTTE operatives to leave the country legitimately through the Bandaranaike International Airport.

Authoritative officials told The Sunday Island that the Sri Lankan embassy in Oslo would take it up with the Norwegian government, while the Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo, Ms Hilde Haraldstad was expected to be summoned by the External Affairs Ministry early this week...

[NoEalamInSL]

May 13 (DM)Norway secretly helped LTTE cadre: Norwegian embassy personnel in Colombo have secretly aided Tamil rebels out of Sri Lanka and provided political asylum in Norway for years, a Norwegian newspaper reported. Norwegian diplomatic staff in Sri Lankan helped approximately 12 people so far, purchasing flight tickets, driving some to the airport, and issuing visas at short notice both for emigrants and those who had already escaped from Sri Lanka, alleges Aftenposten..

[NoEalamInSL]

NewsNow.LK (09 Feb 2011). Sri Lanka Prime Minister Jayaratna reject Solheim. A failed mediater who supported LTTE finances & materials:

“We have no intention of using him at all. He had never been a successful mediator. To date, Solheim has clearly failed to point out the support the LTTE has received by some Tamil Diaspora groups including the financial support they received and is instead only looking at coming in as a mediator for his own benefit. We will not allow this anymore,” .

[NoEalamInSL]

29 Jan 2011Solheim Interview- Drop Eelam! newsnow.lk/latest-news/solheim­-rejects-separate-state. My message to the Tamil Diaspora is that they have to work through democratic means. Dialogue must be their tool. I would advice them to focus on the restoration of normality for the people living in the war ridden areas and to work within the democratic system of Sri Lanka. There is strong support for legitimate Tamils rights, but no international support for a separate Tamil state.

[NoEalamInSL]

Jan 29 (NN)Soheim draws flak. Norwegian Minister and former peace envoy to Sri Lanka Erik Solheim has drawn flak from pro-LTTE groups for his comments to News Now.lk where he had insisted he was not biased and also urged the Tamil Diaspora to forget a separate state and seek dialogue with the Sri Lankan government. The TamilNet website, considered the voice of the LTTE, quoted groups supportive of a separate state as saying

[NoEalamInSL]

Jan 24 (Island.lk) Solheim asked Lunstead to keep B’singham comment on Prabha confidential. One-time LTTE Chief Negotiator, Anton Balasingham, secretly expressed satisfaction over growing international pressure on LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, for assassinations carried on his orders. The former British High Commission employee (in Colombo) had felt that international pressure could force Prabhakaran to stop his murderous campaign.

[cdtz82]

norway betrayed their 3rd party mediation role...

[NoEalamInSL]

Sri Lanka, as a mark of respect for those killed and maimed due to the support he accorded to the LTTE, should treat Solheim as a persona non grata. Otherwise it would be sacrilege to the blood that flowed from the veins of the security forces and civilians due to Solheim’s warped decisions and his post war declarations to vilify Sri Lanka. Does Sri Lanka’s political elite have any self respect?

[NoEalamInSL]

If Norway understands dignified diplomacy, Solheim should be left behind. It will sure leave a bad taste in their rehabilitation efforts. Negotiator Jon Hanssen Bauer with a typical Norwegian tilt still did not lie horizontal with the tigers. He was prepared at times to blow the whistle. Solheim was forever blowing flying kisses to the tigers.

[NoEalamInSL]

00:00 He made a mistake of a lifetime with his fabrication of the Ceasefire Agreement for which we had to pay dearly. Solheim had a photo opportunity with President Rajapaksa in the UN and a huddle with Ranil Wickremasinghe in Oslo. External Affairs Minister – a former close ally of Solheim during Chandrika’s peace talk ventures and the seedy CFA days on behalf of the UNP, said Norway was coming to formulate a work schedule.