Norwegian embassy personnel in Colombo have secretly aided LTTE members out of Sri Lanka and provided political asylum in Norway for years, the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten has disclosed.
Staff members have helped approximately 12 people so far, purchasing flight tickets, driving some to the airport, and issuing visas at short notice both for emigrants and those who had already escaped from Sri Lanka, alleges Aftenposten.
Norwegian Opposition politicians call the move “quite unusual” and “bordering on activism”, fearing it will damage international relations between the two countries.
Head of research at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Iver B. Neumann, believes “it is a considerable violation of sovereignty as well as the basic principle of internationalpolitics.”
“It also undermines Norwegian interests because a small-sized country such as Norway benefits from transparency, rather than how this matter has been handled,” he says.
Meanwhile, Erik Solheim, Minister of International Development, defends the practise, saying there is a long tradition in Norway for helping people at risk.
“We occasionally go even further. Our role in this matter has been one facilitating the peace process, and we therefore believe we have a humanitarian obligation to assist. It is completely obvious Sri Lanka is a country where people are subjected to various forms of persecution, ” says the minister.- Aftenposten