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| Sunday, 11 September 2005 |
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Norway's bloody flight of fancy
Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake Whatever one's opinion of Norway's performance as facilitator in the peace process, one cannot envy its situation in finding a location suitable for talks between the Government and the LTTE to review the Cease Fire Agreement. The Government wants it to be in Sri Lanka. The LTTE says OK, let's have it in Kilinochchi. The Government says no. Thanks to the flawed CFA, Kilinochchi although located in Sri Lanka is the capital of Tiger held territory or the putative separate State of Thamil Eelam. Also, the Supreme Court has turned down Kilinochchi as the headquarters of the P-TOMS arrangement. Discussing peace Whether through Norway's encouragement or not, the LTTE had got used to a lot of globe trotting to discuss peace in Sri Lanka. They went to Rose Gardens in Thailand, enjoyed Norwegian hospitality in Germany and Oslo, in the several sessions of the first round of talks that it suddenly ended, unilaterally. One of the reasons for the talks being ended was the UNP's failure to keep to a promise for the LTTE to be present at the pre-Tokyo talks at Washington DC. This was proof that the LTTE had certainly been struck by the travel bug in its search for peace. Norway has not done enough hunting for salubrious locations for the talks to be in Sri Lanka. There are so-many places here touted by the Tourist Board as being out of this world, endorsed by the large number of tourists who visit these places. If it's luxury for the Tiger there is the Kandalama Hotel; if it's cost there are places such as the "Elephant Corridor" attracting high spending visitors, to name just two among many new locations that have come up in recent times. Travel agents or diplomats? One wonders whether Norway discussed this issue with the Tourist Board or even a good travel agent or hotelier in suggesting Sri Lankan locations to the LTTE. Knowing well the LTTE's proclivity for five star plus comfort in negotiations for peace in Sri Lanka or a piece of Sri Lanka, pardon the pun, the Norwegians should do more home work. They must not look at this with the eyes of travel agents and not diplomats. Get the brochures of the best locations in Sri Lanka, in tranquil surroundings, or by the sea where it has not been ravaged by the tsunami, or in the hill country with its cool climes and the pervading scent of tea. Send them to the LTTE with video clips and DVDs of the attractions, (no matter that Pottu Amman's handpicked scouts must already be very familiar with them, thanks especially to the CFA) and urge the LTTE to pick on the choice fare that's on offer. There is plenty of time to do this. With the upcoming Presidential election, there can be no talks before it. With the refusal to have talks abroad being stated by the Government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who leads the SLFP, the UNP will also extend its complete support for a Sri Lankan location, in view of the UNP leader's statement that the UNP and SLFP had reached agreement on the peace process. This is where diplomacy must have the correct mix with the hospitality industry to achieve its given purpose. Of course no one would suggest that Norway recommends a National Park or wildlife sanctuary for these talks. That's because what the LTTE leadership seeks so eagerly is to get out of the wild they have fortified themselves in, and wish to see and enjoy other terrain. Logistics It certainly is no easy task. Which reminds me of the problem that those who organized the Paris talks between the US and the Vietcong to end the Vietnam war, having to spend nearly six months to agree on the shape of the table at which both sides would sit for the talks. Diplomats had to acquire the skills of furniture designers, carpenters and also have knowledge of ergonomics to come up with the correct shape of table and seating arrangements. Instead, Norway took the easy way out, proposing the Colombo International Airport. This was first to satisfy the Government as it is within Sri Lanka, and next to please the Tigers, with the simulation of time spent in transit when travelling for talks abroad. It looked to me to be a bit of cock-a-hoop at the Government for its insistence on talks in Sri Lanka. Cock-a-hoop No sooner Norway's flight of diplomatic fancy was known, there was a bomb threat announced in an aircraft ready for take off at the suggested venue. In a hurried evacuation of the aircraft many were injured and one died. The bomb threat was a hoax. Coincidentally, the LTTE announced it was rejecting the airport meeting idea outright. It is not a hazardous guess to identify who gave the false warning of the bomb on the aircraft. That too will be called a flight of fancy. |
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