Govt. not obliged to attend Oslo talks - PNM

Uditha Kumarasinghe

COLOMBO: The Patriotic National Movement (PNM) yesterday held the view that it was totally unnecessary for the Government to participate in the Oslo talks since the SLMM has had no problem at any time with the Government in connection with truce monitoring activities unlike with the LTTE.

"Talks scheduled to be held in Oslo will not focus on any problem affecting Sri Lanka. The country sought the assistance of the Norwegians to play the role of facilitator to find solutions to the problems between the Government and the LTTE. However, the Norwegians are now telling the Government that they are having a problem and inviting the Government to Oslo to sort it out, PNM General Secretary MP Wimal Weerawansa told a media briefing yesterday.

Weerawansa questioned as to what was the problem faced by the SLMM, from the Government. There has been no interference on the part of the Government whatsoever in respect of monitoring activities.

They can go to any Government controlled area for their monitoring activities. If the SLMM has problems with the LTTE, they should sort it out with the LTTE. But the SLMM need not go to Oslo. They can discuss matters with the LTTE in Sri Lanka itself.

The intention of the Norwegians by getting the Government to participate in the Oslo talks is to give the impression to the international community that the SLMM is not only having problems with the LTTE but also with Government to conduct their monitoring activities. This is done with the aim to demonstrate that like the

LTTE the Government is also causing problems to the truce monitors.

Therefore Government has been dragged into an unnecessary problem by forcing it to participate in the Oslo talks, he said.

"The hidden agenda of Oslo talks is to wash the blood stained clothes of the LTTE through the international laundry and apply them with a new make to pave the way for lifting the ban on the LTTE by the EU and other countries."

Weerawansa said the SLMM and the Norwegians move to seek the Government's participation in Oslo talks is a crafty attempt to place the blame on the Government regarding the present situation. The main aim of this move is to put more international pressure on the Government to fulfil the objectives of the LTTE. In such a situation in what advantage can accrue to the Government by taking part in the Oslo talks? The Government has been placed as a virtual defendant by its participation in the Oslo talks.

"If the SLMM has a genuine problem with the Government, why can't they discuss it in Colombo with the Government? The motive behind Oslo talks is to pretend that the SLMM monitors cannot work in Sri Lanka," he asked.

According to Weerawansa in terms of the statement made earlier by Japanese Special Peace Envoy Yasushi Akashi, the Oslo talks will only serve to create the necessary environment for a UN Peace Keeping Force to land in Sri Lanka.