Govt to raise immunity issue at highest level

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: Government Defence Affairs Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said yesterday that Norway's request from the LTTE for diplomatic immunity for the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) is tantamount to giving parallel status for the LTTE with the Sri Lankan Government.

The Government will raise this issue at the highest level if the Norwegian Government has requested diplomatic immunity for the SLMM from the LTTE too, placing it in parallel with a sovereign state, Minister Rambukwella said. The Minister said the Government will raise this issue at the highest level while keeping the cordial bilateral and economic relationship with the Norway.

"They can seek diplomatic immunity only from a sovereign state," the Minister asserted.

The Minister made these observations commenting on the five clarifications sought by the Norway from the Government and the LTTE with regard to the activities of the SLMM.

The Minister said Government has no issue with regard to the five requests made by the Norwegian Government and there is no problem for the Government to provide diplomatic immunity for the SLMM in accordance with the Vienna convention.

"But we have serious doubts about Norwegians making the same request from the LTTE," the Minister said.

Minister Rambukwella also said that the Government also feels the observation report forwarded by the SLMM Chief Ulf Henricsson on the incidents that followed the Geneva I was biased.

"We simply feel it is biased when considering the content of the reports filed by Henricsson," the Minister said.

He said it was unacceptable for the SLMM to state that the Government and the LTTE has equally violated the Ceasefire Agreement.

"This is unacceptable as the SLMM report came at a time when the EU imposed ban on the LTTE after seriously considering the acts of the LTTE following Geneva I. The EU ban on the LTTE came after an evaluation by a technical committee," the Minister said.

The SLMM cannot say that Government has violated the CFA in equal terms given the number of CFA violations committed by the LTTE, the Minister pointed out.

"We will raise this issue too at the highest level," the Minister added.

Commenting on Norway's decision not to take initiatives in the peace process the Minister said the Norway will remain as the facilitator.

He said the Norwegian Government took the initiative by arranging the Oslo meeting and has learnt a 'bit of an expensive lesson from the LTTE'.

"The Sri Lankan Government deserves an apology from the Norwegians for this," the Minister added.

Minister Rambukwella also said the Government took steps to provide safe air transport for the LTTE delegation who arrived in Sri Lanka yesterday morning after completing their visits in Norway and Switzerland.

"As a responsible Government we cannot behave in an irresponsible manner. We provided them with transport facilities as agreed prior to the Oslo meeting," the Minister added.