The Norwegian Postal Authority, Posten Norge, has issued an apology to the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Oslo, E. Rodney M. Perera, for the recent issuance of LTTE stamps in Norway.
In his letter addressed to the Ambassador of Sri Lanka, the President & CEO of Posten Norge, Dag Mejdell, states, inter alia,
It is of utmost importance to us that these stamps [featuring LTTE symbols] are not related to any official stamp issued by Posten Norge. This is related to a production of “personal stamps” which can be ordered through our webshop by anyone, choosing a personal image by themselves. All orders related to personal stamps are checked by us, and it is our policy never to produce stamps showing “illegal, inappropriate or improper” images.Unfortunately, we regret to learn that the order in question passed our quality and assurance control without being stopped.
These stamps were ordered in a very small quantity. The customer has been informed that the order is violating the conditions for ordering personal stamps and the user account has been closed.
Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused by having delivered personal stamps with the LTTE image.
Other Norwegian government authorities too have publicly shared these sentiments expressed by the President & CEO of Posten Norge. Thus, LTTEimages and symbols have been termed as illegal, inappropriate and improper.
The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Oslo has always maintained that depicting well-documented symbols and personalities of terror, in any manner or form, are totally unacceptable to Sri Lanka as this would naturally glorify terrorism and cause grave pain of mind to victims and their families at the receiving end of heinous LTTE acts.
According to the Government Information Department, the Embassy has expressed its appreciation to the dynamic role played by the patriotic Sri Lankan community in Norway, in countering activities of the LTTE rump still looking for ways and means to continue its desperate quest to undermine reconciliation and development efforts carried out by the Government of Sri Lanka benefitting Sri Lankans of all ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds.