பொய் மூட்டைகளை அவிழ்த்து விடுகிறார் ராஜபக்ஸ எரிக் சோல்ஹெய்ம் குற்றச்சாட்டு

பொய் மூட்டைகளை அவிழ்த்து விடுகிறார் ராஜபக்ஸ

எரிக் சோல்ஹெய்ம் குற்றச்சாட்டு

தேர்தல் நெருங்குவதால், பதவி பயத்தினால் என்னைப் பற்றி பொய்யான விஷயங்களை இலங்கை ஜனாதிபதி மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஸ அவிழ்த்து விடுவதாக இலங்கைக்கான நோர்வே அமைதிக் குழுவின் தூதராக பதவி வகித்த எரிக் சோல்ஹ்ய்ம் குற்றம்சாட்டியுள்ளார்.

சோல்ஹெய்ம் தனது டிவிட்டரில் கூறியுள்ளதாவது, இலங்கையில் விரைவில் தேர்தல் நடைபெற உள்ளதால், என்னைப் பற்றி பொய்யான விஷயங்களை ராஜபக்ஸ பரப்பி வருகிறார். திங்களன்று அவரது பொய்க் குற்றச்சாட்டுகளுக்கான பதிலை நான் வெளியிடுவேன் என்று தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

முன்னதாக, இலங்கையில் தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகளுக்கு எதிரான போருக்கு முன்னதாக, இலங்கையில் நோர்வேயின் சிறப்பு அமைதிக் குழுவின் தூதவராக இருந்த எரிக் சோல்ஹெய்ம், விடுதலைப் புலிகள் அமைப்புக்கு இரகசியமாக நிதியுதவி செய்ததாக ஜனாதிபதி மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஸ  கூறியிருந்தது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

17 November

Paris, France

Statement by Erik Solheim

President Mahinda Rajapaksa launched a most surprising attack on me in a speech he made in Kurunegala onNovember 15th.

I will not speculate as to what motivates such an attack, coming as it does at the start of the electioncampaign. Since I have no intention whatsoever of letting myself be dragged into the upcoming elections, I willthus only restate obvious facts well known to everyone – President Rajapaksa included:-

Norway as the third, facilitating party to the Sri Lankan peace process financed neither the LTTE in generalnor its military operations in particular.-

Norway made economic resources available to the LTTE peace secretariat in order to assist them in engagingmore fully with the ongoing peace process. This included a radio transmitter. This, moreover, was done withthe full knowledge of the Government of Sri Lanka under different leaders, including during the period when Mahinda Rajapaksa was prime minister. As with all our peace efforts in Sri Lanka, transparency with respect tothe government in Colombo was total.-

In the years before Mahinda Rajapaksa became President I met him dozens of times, and kept him fullyinformed of all the main elements of the peace process. As a government minister, and later as Prime Minister,Mahinda Rajapaksa was always fully supportive of our peace aims, and both encouraged Norway to continueand asked us to keep him informed of developments. We were and are grateful for that fruitful cooperation.-

After the 2005 presidential election President Rajapaksa publicly asked Norway to continue in its role asfacilitator of the peace process, and invited me personally to visit Sri Lanka. Thereafter President Rajapaksamade a number of political requests that he asked me to convey on his behalf to LTTE leader VelupillaiPrabhakaran. All these messages were duly communicated on to the LTTE leadership, and the killings ceasedfor a period. At the time the president also expressed his gratitude for this both to Norway and to myselfpersonally.-

When we last met in 2010, President Rajapaksa as a recognition of Norway´s peace efforts invited me tocome back to Sri Lanka, visit the country and experience the peace.

Further details on all these issues will be made public in spring 2015 in a book detailing the Norwegian peaceengagement in Sri Lanka authored by UK journalist and author Mark Salter, in co-operation with VidarHelgesen and myself.

Regarding the enquiry initiated by the UN Human Rights Council in March 2014, I consider it the duty ofeveryone with relevant information – Sri Lankans and foreigners alike – to provide the best possible knowledge and in full honesty – regarding war crimes allegedly committed by both the LTTE and the Government of SriLanka. The United Nations can only function as the leading global organization if we all assist in implementing important decisions taken both by the Secretary General and the UN’s subsidiary bodies.

Erik Solheim,

Chair of the OECD Development Assistance Committeeerik.

solheim@oecd.org

+33 614 100 487