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by Ranga Jayasuriya

Have the Norwegians failed in their role as the facilitators of the peace process? If the answer is in the affirmative, does that mean the peace process, which produced the longest ceasefire in the history of the ethnic conflict is a failure?

Sometimes rhetoric can be heard over the rationale.

That is partly the case with the Sri Lankan peace process, which four years ago halted a two decade long ethnic conflict-albeit minor confrontations between the two parties- but remains to be castigated as a farce and selling out to the Tigers.

One should not forget that two and a half years ago, the peace process between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was the most promising and indeed, was a model for the rest of conflict resolution efforts around the world. That was when a negotiated settlement to the East Timories conflict was not in sight and the Southern Sudanese peace process was at its infancy.

Tables turned

Tables were turned later and while both peace efforts mentioned above have sealed power sharing agreements, the Sri Lankan peace process remains bogged down since the Tigers withdrew from the peace talks in April 2003.

But should the Norwegians be blamed for the stalemate of the peace process?

In the popular discourse, the Norwegians have become the scapegoat of every downfall, whenever it takes place. Ironically, this may give the impressions that this is the peace process of the Norwegians and Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission, who have been witness to many a demonstration in front of their offices - and not an effort owned by the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

In a realistic perspective, if the final solution to the National Question to be a home grown one, understandably, the main parties to the negotiation process, should be the owners of the ups and downs of the peace process.

They are the main protagonists of the peace process and they are the ones who can decide its direction.

Now it seems that even the Norwegians want a guarantee of a reinforced commitment from the parties to the peace process, before they resume peace facilitation.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store should have spoken of the Norwegian frustration at what seems to be the indifference of the two parties to the lack of progress on the peace front, when he said, "for us, it is key that the process is owned by the parties...so they own the up side and down side".

Indeed, since President Mahinda Rajapakse met Ambassador Hans Brattskar to invite Oslo to continue with its facilitation role, a few notable pronouncements have been made from the Norwegian side, one by the International Development Ministry Erik Solheim and another by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, all of which demanded a renewed commitment to the peace process and suggested the need to formulate a framework and ground rules which would govern the conduct of the parties in the peace process.

When Ambassador Brattskar met LTTE political commissar Thamilselvan in Kilinochchi last week, soon after the President's invitation to Oslo to continue with peace facilitation, he made the point that the Norwegians need to discuss with both parties on the mandate of the Norwegian peace facilitators and the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission.

Access to Prabha

The Ambassador told Thamilselvan that peace facilitators need access to the Tiger supremo, Velupillai Prabhakaran.

This is indicative of the failure of the dialogue with the second-rung leadership of the LTTE, including its political commissar. Norwegians now want Prabha to get actively involved in the peace dialogue, obviously as he is the man who calls the final shots.

An LTTE source said that Prabhakaran would meet an high level Norwegian political delegation, which is likely to be headed by Norwegian International Development Minister Erik Solheim when the delegation visits the island. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera on Thursday met with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Hong Kong on the sideline of the ministerial summit of the World Trade Organisation held in Hong Kong.

The meeting centred on the peace process and what was described in a joint media communique as "operational modalities for the resumption of talks".

Apart from usual niceties of a reiterated commitment of the two governments to their respective roles in the peace process, the communique also said, "the ministers look forward to an early visit by Norwegian Minister of Development Mr Erik Solheim,to Sri Lanka to initiate the resumption of talks with the GOSL and the LTTE".

High note

The composition of the Norwegian team, including a Special Envoy, will be announced shortly. The communique ended in a high note that both the government and Norwegians are optimistic that talks on the strengthening of the implementation and effective monitoring of the ceasefire can commence early next year.

And as for the dual role of the Norwegians as the peace facilitators and ceasefire monitors, the Government has told them to give up the latter role. The President told Ambassador Brattskar of this position of his administration, which the latter accepted.

Japanese peace envoy Yasushi Akashi who visited the island last week was also briefed on this position, when he met President Rajapakse, who is envisaging an expanded ceasefire monitoring body comprising of the Asian countries, specially the South Asian nations which will play a prominent role along with the existing Scandinavian nations- Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Iceland.

Interestingly enough the Rajapakse Administration, which was touted by the foreign press as being hard line, has indicated that it can be flexible when a compromise is required to push forward the peace process.

One instance is its departure from the stance of its predecessor, by offering to meet the LTTE in an Asian country for discussions on the Ceasefire review.

In his meeting with the President, Japanese peace envoy Akashi offered to host talks in Japan, which was a venue for previous peace talks between the government and the LTTE.

The talks on the ceasefire review have been delayed due to a dispute over a common venue though both parties to the CFA had agreed for a meeting. Of course, the LTTE had made contradictory remarks, insisting on the full implementation of the ceasefire agreement, mainly the disarmament of the para military groups and dismantling High security Zones, instead of reviewing the Ceasefire Agreement.

The Kumaratunga Administration had for long, specially after the high profile murder of Major Thuwan Muthalif demanded to review the ceasefire agreement in order to prevent the ceasefire violations and to add an enforcing capacity to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission.

However talks never took place due to the disagreement over the venue; the LTTE citing security concerns demanded the meeting to be held abroad, which was rejected by the government. The last ditch proposal by Norway to hold the meeting in the Katunayake International Airport was rejected by the LTTE.

Shift from predecessor's position

Now the Rajapakse Administration has shifted from its predecessor's position and the Peace Secretariat has written to the LTTE, inviting for a direct meeting with the government.

The LTTE is yet to officially respond to the government's invitation, though an LTTE spokesman suggested to the Sunday Observer that its leadership was likely to agree with Japan as the venue.

The Rajapakse Administration is engaged in a complex manoeuvring on the peace front. It is blowing hot and cold. It had ordered the Security Forces Commanders in the North and East not to meet LTTE local leadership on local level meetings. It has told them to safeguard national security and that the government would look after political aspects.

Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission chief Hagrup Haukland who met Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse was told of the decision. Indeed, last week Haukland told the Sunday Observer that he would brief the Defence Secretary of the need for a direct local level dialogue. But at the meeting he was told that the Government had stopped meeting between security forces and the LTTE at local level "for the time being."

Opposition Leader pledges support

And the President last week met Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to discuss the peace process where both parties agreed on the need to resume peace talks with the LTTE sooner than the later.

The Opposition Leader pledged his party's support to the government in the peace front. President's delegation comprised Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake, Ministers Maithripala Sirisena, Susil Premajayanth and MP Dullas Alahapperuma. UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya, MP Prof.G. L. Peiris and former Speaker Joseph Michael Perera were in the Opposition Leader's delegation.

Cabinet Spokesman Nimal Siripala de Silva said the issue of the nature of the solution, whether it is federal or unitary was not taken up at the meeting and both parties agreed to approach the peace process as a national issue and that both parties stressed on the resumption of the talks with the LTTE as an immediate concern.

Before he met the UNP, the President met his main coalition partners, JVP and the JHU on separate meetings to discuss the government's peace strategy.

The President in his manifesto pledged to consult political parties and civil society groups to reach a southern consensus - within three months - on the nature of the solution to the Ethnic Conflict before he talks to the LTTE.

Last week's discussions were the first of its kind in his effort to lead an all inclusive peace effort and Rajapakse in his manifesto has offered to convene a Constituent Assembly, if required to formulate constitutional reforms.

Meanwhile, in Jaffna on Thursday, a group of youth who identified themselves as "Roaring Tamil Force" showed up at the SLMM office and handed over a petition which warned of intense attacks against SLA, if the Security Forces continue with cordon and search operations.

The memorandum demanded that the immediate end to cordon and search operations, release of Tamil youth who have been arrested, return of security forces to barracks, immediate halt to the construction of new SLA check points and camps and all military activities that affect the education of Tamil students should be stopped.

This same group earlier took the responsibility for the recent attacks, including the two claymore mine attacks, on the security forces.

This group and its twin brother, High Security Zone Residents' Force, are only a cover for the LTTE cadres who have infiltrated the Jaffna peninsula.

Intelligence reports have indicated that two groups of undercover LTTE cadres are involved in the attacks against the security forces in Jaffna.

Positive balance sheet.

The Ceasefire Agreement and the peace process, albeit its pluses and minuses leave a positive balance sheet. But, that is how the Tigers keep on exploiting the freedom of movement it received through the ceasefire agreement.

The LTTE continues with the string of ceasefire violations. PLOTE senior cadre, Sinnathamby Ganeshalingam alias Faruk was abducted by the LTTE cadres last week in Vavuniya. Police later arrested three youth alleged to be the abductors of the PLOTE cadre.

They are also alleged to have been involved in the killing of a policeman inside the Vavuniya Hospital, before rescuing a female LTTE cadre treated there under police protection.

The success or the failure of the peace process depends on the commitment and the sincerity of the two parties to the peace process. When there are downfalls, it is not Norway, but the parties to the peace process who are responsible.

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