UPF commends Norwegian role in Sri Lank's peace process

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 22 February 2005, 16:28 GMT]
Mr.Periyasamy Chandrasekaran, leader of the Upcountry Peoples Front (UPF) and an elected member of Sri Lanka parliament, appealed to the Norwegian government, in a statement issued Tuesday, to continue its facilitator role in the peace process in Sri Lanka without succumbing to pressures by "chauvinistic elements" attempting to derail the peace process.

UPF issued this statement to mark the completion of the third year of the Ceasefire Agreement signed between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 22 February, 2002.

"Norway came to the rescue with courage as a facilitator three years ago when Sri Lanka's future was bleak with the war destroying much of the infrastructure in the NorthEast and Sri Lanka's economy was crumbling. Because of the Norwegian facilitation the ceasefire agreement has been holding for the last three years without disruption," the statement said.

Norway entering as a facilitator would have clearly understood that to find a political solution to the ethnic problem trust and better mutual understanding between the parties concerned are needed, statement said.

Because of Norwegian facilitatory role several countries are impressing upon the Government of Sri Lanka that it can find a lasting political solution to the ethnic problem only through talks with the LTTE, the UPF statement said.