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| Sunday, 17 March 2002 |
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Ceasefire monitoring chief confident of co-operation from all by Ananth Palakidnar
Question: How do you see your role as the leader of the ceasefire monitoring committee? Answer: We are here to support the peace process. The parties in conflict have now chosen the right path by realising that the negotiation is the right way to find a settlement to the problem. Therefore my role is to create the precise climate for the peace process and to help the parties which are observing the ceasefire to have good understanding with each other. Q: How are you going to work out your ceasefire monitoring strategy? A: We will be fully mobilised in the areas of our concern. First of all the six ceasefire monitoring committees will be set up in six different locations in the North and the East. Three committees in the North and the three other committees in the East. When we come across any violation we will not try to dictate any solution. On the contrary our strategy will be to try to harmonize the situation and we will make suggestions to sort out the differences which could be acceptable to both sides. Q: Where will your office be situated and how will it function? A: My headquarters will be in Colombo, until all six monitoring committees are fully operational. Thereafter I will shift my office to a place in the north which is acceptable to both parties. From there I will be moving from one monitoring committee to another making myself available to the parties observing the ceasefire. Q: What is the outcome of the meeting you had with the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Veluppillai Prabhakaran? A: The meeting was very fruitful. I discussed with him the matters which I was discussing with the Government. I presented my views on the Memorandum of Understanding. I can say that Mr. Prabhakaran responded positively during the discussion I had with him and I got the impression that he will stand by the ceasefire agreement and cooperate in the peace process. The meeting between myself and the LTTE leader was very cordial and constructive. Q: What is your impression of the LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran? A: It is very difficult to form an impression about a person after a meeting with him for about an hour. But I can see that he will cooperate in continuing with the ceasefire and I also see him as a person who will support the peace process. Q: How is the response from the armed forces for the ceasefire? A: It is extremely positive. The government on the political side and the armed forces from the military side, their response for our efforts are very positive and appreciative. During the meetings I had with the government and the LTTE, I have found that both sides were supportive in one voice with regard to ceasefire related issues. Therefore I am optimistic, however I am also a pragmatic man. You have to realise that anything can happen at anytime. But whatever happens we should not allow the present atmosphere to get disturbed. All efforts must be made to stabilise the ceasefire, which could in return pave the way towards a healthy peace process. Q: If there is any violation of the ceasefire how will you deal with it? A: If there are violations, that will be a challenge to the whole process. So we should handle it carefully. First of all we have to identify the nature of the violation and must see what has gone wrong. After identifying the actual cause for the violation, we will put forward our solutions which could be acceptable to both sides. Q: Has Norway been a ceasefire monitor anywhere before and could you tell us more about your team? A: Of course Norway has taken part in several ceasefire monitoring missions in various trouble spots in the world. We have functioned in Europe, Africa and in the Middle East. So Norway has a wide range of experience with regard to ceasefire monitoring. The other members in the ceasefire monitoring mission now in Sri Lanka are partly civilians and partly persons with a military background. Our team comprises members from Norway, Sweden and Finland. Altogether we have twenty two foreign monitors. We have been working together on various monitoring missions earlier. We share the same experience and views when it comes to ceasefire monitoring. Q: How do you see here - the terrain of our country and the atmosphere for your job? A: It is very exciting. We have come here from the outskirts of the world, Scandinavia. We have to adopt ourselves to the landscape and to the lifestyle of this country. We depend very much on the support of the people. We expect to have a good interaction between our mission and the people in order to streamline our monitoring process. Q: Being a former senior commander of the Norwegian army could you elaborate on the Norwegian armed forces? A: The Norwegian armed forces have been well equipped with all necessary weapons. But our armed forces have been trained to be on the defensive side. We do not engage in any big time operations. The recruitment to the armed forces is done from the very best of the Norwegian citizens who are both mentally and physically very fit. Our armed forces are well equipped and very effective to suit the defence requirements of the country. Q: Please say something about yourself and your career background? A: Well I am a retired Major General in the Norwegian army. I was commanding the central region of Norway. My son is now continuing my career! He is a captain at a garrison in the northern part of Norway. I am now 63 years old and I turned 63 on the very day the ceasefire agreement was signed between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government on February 22, 2002. Therefore I think it is a good omen to launch my mission with confidence. |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
The head of the ceasefire monitoring mission Major General Trond
Furuhovde is very confident that the Sri Lankan armed forces and the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) will extend their fullest
cooperation to his mission after the discussions he had with both sides.
Maj Gen. Furuhovde who is a veteran in monitoring ceasefire in various
trouble spots in the Middle East, Europe, and in Africa, shares his views
with the Sunday Observer on his mission in Sri Lanka.
