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Norway attempts an Oslo in Sri Lanka

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

As fierce fighting rages in Sri Lanka, the only hope left of peace returning to the island nation emerges from Norway, a tiny Scandinavian country, whose peacemakers are actively engaged in consultations with both the Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

But why Norway?

"Many are the reasons. But mainly due to other peace processes which we have conducted in the past. I am obviously referring to the Oslo peace process in the Middle-East and others like Gautemala, Colombia etc," says Bjorn Midthun, the second secretary at the Royal Norwegian Embassy here.

The embassy is a much sought after place in Delhi today as journalists looking for crumbs of information on the Lankan crisis flock to the building.

The special envoy of the Norwegian foreign minister to Lanka, Erick Solheim, arrived in the Capital early this morning.

Solheim, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, is spearheading the negotiations between Chandrika Kumaratunga and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam leaders.

Solheim briefed Foreign Secretary Lalit Man Singh about the possibilities to end the war in the island nation. LTTE is apparently willing to allow the entrapped 28,000 Lankan soldiers leave Jaffna peninsula, after being stripped of their weapons.

Though no formal confirmation is available, sources in Delhi point out that it would be Norway's achievement, and not India's, if LTTE agrees to a cease-fire. India has been reluctantly watching from sidelines, saying it would only be ready for a humanitarian offer.

India in the past has burnt its fingers. In 1987, in its attempt to bring about peace in Sri Lanka, India ended up fighting the LTTE in a bloody war and lost more than 1,200 soldiers. The Indian Peacekeeping Force returned home, after earning the wrath of both the LTTE and the Lankan government.

Many now blame Rajiv Gandhi for rushing in troops, and say it was an ill-conceived attempt to play the role of a big brother in the region without adequate planning.

"We don't involve in a peace process to be recognised. But we involve with recognition of both the parties involved," says Mr Midthun.

He points out that "Norway always stood for world peace. We were one of the first members of the UN, and we strongly support all UN peacekeeping processes."

Till now, soldiers numbering almost one per cent of Norway's total population have served various UN peace missions.

"Peace negotiations have been the staple of our foreign policy ever since we became independent," points out Midthun.

It was through the Oslo peace process in Middle-East that Norway established itself as a leading peacemaker in a trouble-torn world. Negotiators from the European nation have also been successful in bringing peace to Gautemala and Colombia.

In fact, it was not Norway that went to the Lankan authorities offering to negotiate for peace. In December 1999, Sri Lankan president Chandrika Kumaratunga approached the Norwegians asking them to negotiate between her government and the ferocious LTTE.

And since then the effort is on through LTTE contacts in Oslo and London, through Lankan authorities and several other intermediaries. The Norwegian foreign minister's special envoy Erick Solheim is visiting New Delhi for the second time, trying to impress upon Indians that there is a need for India to intervene.

Militarily, there is no country better equipped than India in the region to intervene in Lanka, and Solheim has openly acknowledged this. Instead of assigning all roles to itself, in a professional manner Norway has been pressing India to intervene in the crisis.

In fact, it seems like a tradition among Norway's political leadership to find their way through the chaos of nations. And bring about peace in remote regions of the world.

Midthun points out that all the people involved in the Lankan peace process are new. "They have never been involved in earlier processes. It wouldn't be possible to have the same people negotiating different crises."

In Lanka, Norway has for long been having a presence in the island nation, through its embassy. "We have been having a sustained presence in Sri Lanka. So we have the knowledge and insight about the people there."

Norway is also heavily involved in several funded projects in Lanka through Development Cooperation, the Scandinavian nation's fund to assist foreign nations.

Besides, there are "about a few thousand Tamil" refugees from Sri Lanka in Norway. And LTTE has a strong support base among these people.

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