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Sri Lanka will soldier on to peace

Trond Furuhovde, the new head of the Scandinavian truce monitors describes himself as an optimist.

Indeed, Furuhovde is not new to the Sri Lankan peace process having served as the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission's (SLMM's) pioneering head.

But when he assumed duties last week for a second term, it was in a backdrop totally different from a year ago when he left the country completing his first term: the peace negotiations are in deadlock since April last year and in the South, the two branches of Government are locked in a political impasse.

Furuhovde, a former Army General, however says recent developments in Southern politics have no impact on his job.

"What is happening is none of my business. If it does influence my work, I will talk with the parties concerned," he told the Daily News when asked to comment on recent developments and their impact on the ceasefire agreement.

He described the LTTE's gradual transformation into a political organisation as a "natural process".

"This is a dynamic process, like a stream," he said of the peace process and the implementation of the truce agreement.

As for the thorny issues of the resettlement in the Northern High Security Zones, he understands that security implications should be considered along with concerns of humanitarian.

He however assures:"more normalisation is implemented, more security will prevail"

Excerpts of the interview:

by Ranil Wijayapala and Ranga Jayasuriya

DN: You are taking over SLMM's top post for the second time in a backdrop different from that of your first tenure. How will recent political developments impact on your work?

Trond Furuhovde: normalization vital

I can't comment on the political developments. That is none of my business. I am just watching what is happening and if it does influence my work I will talk with the parties concerned.

I am following the developments. So far it has had no impact on the ceasefire agreement.

Ceasefire agreement is functioning completely. Although peace talks have been suspended.

DN: Any impact made on the SLMM's role or its working relations by the President's takeover of the Defense Portfolio?

To me it has not made any point. Because, I am working with the Ceasefire Agreement and with the parties engaged in discussions. What I know is that the President wishes me welcome and I take that as a favour to have her support for what I am doing. So I will give my best to the President, Prime Minister and the LTTE leadership to fulfil the requirements on the basis of the ceasefire agreement.

DN: What will be your immediate concerns? What areas in the Ceasefire Agreement need attention on a priority basis?

What I did soon after I returned was to check whether the situation has changed, or rather deteriorated. It hasn't deteriorated. I feel comfortable. I am looking into the areas which have already been implemented in the ceasefire process and I will see that these measures will be maintained totally.

Tigers - party to conflict resoluion

I will also seek to implement what has not been implemented yet and we have several fields of normalisation. We also have to keep in mind as we move along the line of normalisation that we have to take into consideration security implications.

We call on both parties to look into the situation. Now as we move ahead, it is important for each one of us to be aware that every step forward in the implementation of normalisation process is adding to the security. The more we can implement on normalisation more security will prevail in the society.

It's not contradictory. In the very beginning in March and April in 2002, we saw that it was very difficult to see how it should be combined.Now as we have been able to keep the ceasefire intact, the more we can implement in the normalisation process. This is the mechanism which I am following very closely.

To some people it is a paradox. But we have to study it very careful then we can see that when normalisation is implemented it supplements the security situation.

DN: The problem here is again about rehabilitation, reconstruction and also the resettlement of IDPs in HSZ, which is fundamental in any normalisation process. The allegations are that the pace of the resettlement process is slow.

The rehabilitation, reconstruction and the resettlement of persons and families. We are also talking about agriculture, industry and business. So it is a rather complicated process. The point is that when you find that you can't proceed, you have to find alternatives.

In early last year or end of 2002 we tried to find a mechanism and we failed at that first attempt. And I will go for another attempt to do this. To be sure we will implement both the security part and normalisation, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

DN: The Security Forces and the LTTE seem to be divided. The Security Forces want the LTTE to keep their long range artillery under the scrutiny of the SLMM or any other monitoring mechanism before any resettlement work in the HSZ. The LTTE wants the Security Forces to vacate the HSZs without any pre-condition. So can the SLMM play a mediatory role to bridge the gulf to facilitate speedy resettlement?

That is our role, how to monitor and how to implement this part of the ceasefire agreement. This is complicated. It is not easy, because you are talking about fighting forces. We have to take into consideration the need for security and also normalisation.

We have to deal with both simultaneously. And that has to be dealt step by step and very carefully.

We have to realise that this is not a quick fix. This is something we have to think twice. Because it is easy to do something wrong. But I am optimistic. At the same time, I am very pragmatic.

And I am a soldier so I know how to deal with such situations. And the point is that I realise that we will have to take it with confidence.

DN: Last year, The SLMM came out with a proposal to avoid sea clashes between the Sea Tigers and the Navy. Is the SLMM still working on it?

Of course it is a part of the ceasefire agreement. And what we are going to do is to communicate with the two sides, so that we can avoid clashes. What we have to do then is to come to technical arrangements between the fighting forces. So we can avoid the clashes.

DN: However, last year Gen. Tellefssen came out with an Initial Discussion Paper. And it came under quite a lot of criticism from some factions. What has happened to the paper?

I don't want to comment on it. I don't want the paper indeed. What I know is that any proposal coming from SLMM has to be based on the consent of the parties. My interest is to maintain the security and the objectives of the ceasefire agreement.

DN: Sea clashes are one thorny issue in the CFA. Because the sea is not covered in the agreement.

No. We realised that long time ago. That we used to say that this is a shortcoming in the Ceasefire Agreement. That is also why we are working to find technical arrangements which can be adopted by both parties. And it takes very hard work to come up with such technical arrangements. I recall some of the discussions which took a lot of work. That is because both sides want to be careful, because they have security in the forefront of their priority list. DN: What about cooperation you are receiving from the two parties?

I have the best contacts with both the political representatives and with the military side.I look optimisticable to the future and try to be pragmatic.

DN: The Prime Minister addressing a rally said certain clauses of the ceasefire agreement are no longer valid.

Well. I won't discuss any commentaries, because I don't want to intervene in any political discussion.

DN: No, I mean Do you think that there are any clauses that should be amended in order to have the ceasefire functioning better?

You can have a lot on this. It has never been perfect. But as the Head of the Mission, I am the final authority to interpret the Ceasefire Agreement. If I find it difficult to implement, I will tell the parties. I haven't told anything yet.

DN: Now the LTTE seems to be transforming themselves from a military outfit to a political organisation. They are talking more about political means. Any comment?

Again this is a development which I find natural. I find it is also natural in the sense that they have to adjust to the development. As time goes by we are also observing that both sides learn from their experience. They will change and adjust to the new situation. This is a dynamic process.It's like a stream. There is no simple way of looking at it. We cannot photograph it, we cannot expose it for one minute and think that will last forever. We have to follow it.

DN: Despite these positive signs there are some LTTE fronts which are in a way obstructing the reconciliation process.For instance their boycott of the Independence Day celebrations.

As you know this is political development. As a soldier I don't want comment on that. I observe but I do not comment on it. That is how things are in a society where democracy is developing.

DN: The LTTE continues to conscript child soldiers to its ranks. The SLMM came under heavy criticism for not doing enough to stop this situation. How do you see this situation and what are the measures you can take to stop child conscription?

We had been criticised for a long time for not taking sufficient action to prevent this activity. This is again international laws and regulations. This is a breach of human rights convention. It cannot be tolerated.

It has to be stopped. We understand that they would like to do something. We have been in contact with humanitarian organisations specially like UNICEF. Somehow this is the UNICEF's main business. To us it is a part of a lot of tasks. So we have to balance it with other tasks. We cannot put more energy on it.

However, what I intend to do is to put more emphasis on this question in the time to come. So I will quietly find a way how to do it. Not to disturb the balance within the task of SLMM. Because it has to be done in such a way the parties can accept it. I cannot put more emphasis on this.Then the balance between the two parties can alarm. So there is the balance of the SLMM.

Then I know we have been criticised. A lot of organisations are criticising me also for not being willing to give more about it. They are in their full rights to criticise me. And I know people will criticise me in future. This is something really which I had in my mind everyday.

There are limitations how much energy I can put into. We cannot take all kinds of responsibilities which are owing under different parties. That will be wrong.

DN: About the Muslim factor in the Eastern Province. Muslims complain about discrimination by the LTTE. There were many ethnic clashes in the East which is an ethnically mixed province. What role can the SLMM play in this regard, to strengthen security of regional minorities?

Our role is to ensure the relations between different social groups. So, of course the general interest is not only security. it is the normal relationship.

So how we in the SLMM define the normalisation is that to make relationship between different groups of society, in the whole hierarchy, without fear. That is how I define normalisation. That covers all the elements of human rights; moving of displaced families, reconstruction, end to violence. In my mind this has been a complex process. I am positive, I sincerely believe I can find a solution to this issue.

DN: There are complaints about the freedom of movement of the truce monitors in LTTE controlled areas. What steps are you going to take to remedy this situation?

I will bring up this issue when I am meeting Mr. Thamilselvan. This will be one of the key questions that will be raised.

DN: One success story in the Sri Lankan peace process is that despite deadlock in the peace negotiations and ongoing political crisis the ceasefire agreement stands. Your comments. Who should be credited for this success?

I think a lot of people should be credited. I think first of all the population. They have showed responsibility not to start any violence or any unusual tension. And that is extremely important. It is quiet obvious that the population has in mind that we are all part of this process and everybody is responsible to keep the peace or the ceasefire. For taking the responsible part, naturally they have to be credited for it.

Finally of course the Armed Force. Because they have also understood the importance of the ceasefire. Everybody has their share in this. It is very easy to disturb the situation. But nobody has done it, because everybody understand that this is in our own interest. That shows me very clearly that the ceasefire is here and the ceasefire will go on.

DN: Having returned to Sri Lanka after one year, what do you think will be the future challenges of the SLMM in ensuring the ceasefire agreement?

Actually the future challenges are to support the parties in the normalisation process. The de-escalation and normalisation process. De-escalation as we define is the reduction of the tension in the situation. That is how I am looking at the situation.

We are supporting to reduce the tension in the process through direct dialogue between the commanders in the field. That is very important.

How can they find solutions in the field, how to rearrange the High Security Zones to be able to let the people move back into these areas? There is no quick fix as I said. And it's a process. We have to realise the difficulty.

The political backing to the commanders in the field is extremely important. Therefore, it has to be explained in very much in detail to both sides. And we have to be very sure in this issue.

DN: Two years after the implementation of the Ceasefire Agreement, are you more optimistic than you were in early 2002?

When I started it was with only a trunk in one hand and good hope in my back pocket. Everything could happen in the first date. And I believe the success was because we reacted quickly, more or less immediately started to talk with both parties.

Now after two years I am convinced that this country will succeed in the peace effort.

(Concluded)

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