A deplorable incident
The LTTE is on
the brink of total defeat for the first time in its 30-year
history. Although the LTTE has suffered severe reversals in the
intervening years, it is under the Mahinda Rajapaksa
administration that the terror group faces total elimination.
With thousands of trained cadres including senior leaders
killed, all the strongholds gone and very little territory left,
the LTTE knows its days are numbered. It has tried every ruse in
the book to get the operations in the North stopped, so far
without any success.
One of these tactics adopted by LTTE sympathizers and front
organizations around the world is organizing demonstrations by
the Tamil Diaspora against the Sri Lankan Government. They have
exploited the freedom of assembly and free speech guaranteed by
the written and unwritten constitutions of these countries to
hold demonstrations against Sri Lanka, openly waving Tamil Eelam
flags and shouting anti-Sri Lanka statements. Several of these
protests turned somewhat violent.
But these are minor incidents compared to what happened in
Oslo, Norway on Sunday, April 12. LTTE operatives who were
holding a demonstration raided and severely damaged the Sri
Lankan Embassy there, apparently without being challenged or
stopped by Norwegian law enforcement authorities.
This is indeed a very serious incident, given that an embassy
premises of any country is regarded as sovereign territory of
that country under international law. Sri Lanka was well within
its rights to express shock and indignation at this serious
violation of diplomatic norms and its sovereign territory.
It appointed special representatives for the Sri Lanka Peace
Process and was one of the Co-Chairs of the Peace Process with
US, Japan and EU. Although subsequent UPFA Governments had
reservations about both the ceasefire and peace facilitation,
Norway remained as the facilitator.
Norway was among those countries that opened their gates to
Sri Lankans affected by the Black July in 1983 and consequently
hosts a significant percentage of the worldwide Tamil Diaspora.
It is well known that LTTE sympathizers are among them. There is
no indication that Norwegian authorities had cracked down on
these activities at any time.
Several independent observers had also expressed concern over
the Norwegians’ involvement in transferring high-powered radio
equipment to the LTTE during the ceasefire period and very
recently, moves to arrange contact between the LTTE’s chief arms
dealer KP and a senior UN official.
Now the latest incident leaves another question mark. As far
as we know, Norwegian authorities had granted permission for
this demonstration. It goes without saying that in the normal
course of events, security cover for the demonstration, the
public and surrounding buildings should have followed almost
automatically. Sri Lankan authorities routinely provide heavy
security to the Royal Norwegian Embassy whenever there is a
demonstration in Colombo against Norway’s role in the peace
process.
It has been provided security even during other
demonstrations that had nothing to do with the peace process.
That is because Sri Lanka has a duty by another sovereign nation
to protect its embassy.
Yet, Sunday’s events in Oslo unfortunately indicate that the
same protection and security had not been extended to the Sri
Lankan Embassy in Oslo. This is indeed a huge failure on the
part of Norwegian authorities and a major breach of trust. All
Sri Lankans are disappointed that a friendly country could not
protect the Sri Lankan embassy during what clearly appeared to
be a well-planned attack by pro-LTTE elements.
The Norwegian Government, being fully cognizant of the modus
operandi of the LTTE ought to have ensured the provision of
adequate security to the diplomatic premises and agents of the
Sri Lanka Government as obligated by the Vienna Convention on
Diplomatic Relations of April 18, 1961.
Article 22(2) of the Convention casts a special duty on the
receiving State “to take all appropriate steps to protect the
premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to
prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or
impairment of its dignity.” What is even more alarming is that
requests for adequate security for the Mission had been made
repeatedly by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Norway. It is
apparent that such requests have not been considered seriously.
The Norwegian Government should apprehend those responsible
for this vicious attack on the Sri Lankan Embassy and literally
be on guard to prevent any more incidents of this nature. All
Western countries where LTTE operatives are active should
provide protection to the Sri Lankan missions in the light of
this incident. It is time that they cracked down hard on LTTE
elements, thus helping Sri Lanka to crush terrorism. |