JVP attacks Solheim for placing Govt and LTTE on equal footing

The JVP in a press release yesterday condemned the media announcement by Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim on December 27 in which he had given equal emphasis calling for both the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE to act with restrain to observe the ceasefire agreement between the two parties.

The JVP also expressed concern over the Norwegian Facilitator's emphasis to resume peace talks immediately without splitting hairs on the venue claiming the venue is not a matter of importance to the Norwegian Government.

The JVP release deplored Solheim's silence on the serious and outright violations of the Ceasefire Agreement by the LTTE. Ever since Velupillai Prabhakaran's Birthday message, the LTTE killed over 50 service personnel including Police Officers.

Solheim never uttered a word of condemnation of these killings. Instead he has ventured to enjoin both the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE to obey the Ceasefire Agreement on an equal footing. The Norwegian facilitator has taken this stance in the face of the glaringly manifest patience and restraint on the part of the Government Security Forces.

This situation is a clear demonstration of the Norwegian facilitator's bias in favour of the LTTE, the media release said.

It criticised Solheim's warning on the choice of a venue for resumption of peace talks and pointed out that he must understand that he is not a colonial ruler of Sri Lanka to dictate terms to the sovereign State of Sri Lanka. The venue of talks may not be important to Norwegian facilitator, but it is of paramount importance to the Sovereign State of Sri Lanka, specially in view of the assassination of former Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar.

The JVP called upon the Government to condemn Norwegian facilitator Erik Solheim and make him humble enough to convey his apology to the Sri Lankan Government for his derogatory statement against a sovereign State.