sinna
30 september 2006, 10:55
Norwegian law allows for Sri Lankan Tamils in Norway to raise funds,
which would be generated towards working for a cause, and a political
goal, for what they feel is important, back in Sri Lanka. Among the Sri
Lankan Tamil people in Norway there will be those who are sympathetic
to the LTTE, so in that context, there are Tamils in Norway who will
propagate the cause of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka. The Sunday Times
Special Assignment was told that such work however needs to fall within
the purview of Norwegian law. "We pride ourselves on the freedom of
expression and hope, and we pride ourselves on the freedom to be able
to fight within the laws of our country for causes of the individual he
or she think are important," Ambassador Jon Westborg said.
Asked if Norway did then feel the call for a separate state in Sri
Lanka was justified, Westborg said, the question does not arise.
The fact remains Sri Lankan Tamils in Norway are not breaking the law
by fund-raising for a cause, political or otherwise in Sri Lanka, even
if it means Eelam, is a cry for a separate state. Norwegian authorities
say it is doubtful if there exists any evidence to ascertain the scale
of LTTE funding-raising in Norway.
Fund-raising in Norway is taking place for humanitarian issues for the
Tamil population back in Sri Lanka. There are several humanitarian
organizations among the Tamil community, which are fund-raising for
relief and rehabilitation activities. It has not been identified if all
these funds are being used for humanitarian assistance for Tamils in
Sri Lanka, or whether in fact most of the collection goes to aid the
LTTE's war machinery in Sri Lanka. Special Assignment was told not all
fund-raising organizations in Norway are a front for the LTTE.
It may not be right to assume that all donations by the Tamils in
Norway is being forced by any one particular group. On the other hand
the duress if it does exist, has not been identified, interpreted or
defined in any court of law in Norway.
There still is no hard evidence to prove that funds raised in Norway
are being used to sustain the LTTE's armed struggle against the Sri
Lankan government.
Though the fact is almost obvious, Ambassador Jon Westborg asserted
that Norwegian law allows for fund-raising on humanitarian grounds and
political issues. He would not elaborate on whether Norway would turn a
blind eye to funds being raised for military assistance for a guerrilla
group in another country.
One great difficulty the law makers in Norway would face is, that it is
difficult to prove that funds raised in Norway could or maybe used for
terrorist offences in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. It cannot be
automatically determined that funds raised in Norway for a political or
humanitarian cause could in effect be diverted to propagate terrorism
or any other illegal activity in Sri Lanka, says Westborg. Once entry
is allowed into Norway no individuals or persons need register as an
organization before fund-raising in Norway. There is no registration of
organizations because Norway adheres to a freedom of congregation.
If members of the LTTE were to apply for entry into Norway their
application would be considered and forwarded to immigration
authorities in Norway who would conduct the necessary verification and
ascertain if there exists legitimate grounds for such persons to be
allowed entry. Norwegian authorities say it is difficult to determine
who may be a member of the LTTE.
The Norwegian Ambassador said that even if LTTE leader, Vellupillai
Prabhakaran were to apply for entry into Norway his application would
be considered, saying it would be upto the immigration authorities in
Norway to determine if such an entry should be allowed. (see box).
Norway has no legal structure of identifying an organization as a
terrorist organization unlike in the US and certain other countries.
Mr. Westborg countered that since Norway does not possess counter
terrorist laws similar to the United States, it is irrelevant on
whether Norway, perceives the LTTE as a terrorist organization.
Allegations are being made that the LTTE raises some half a million US
dollars per month in Norway and other Scandinavian countries.
Special Assignment however could not verify such statements as fact.
However what remains clear is that fund-raising by the LTTE in Norway
is active and Denmark, Sweden and Finland are considered to be safe
havens for LTTE operations.
At present, the main LTTE communications centre is based in Norway,
while the LTTE allegedly operates six offices out of Norway under the
names of front organizations. The Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC),
at P.O.Box 1699 VIKA, 0110-Oslo-1, Norway, and the Tamil Rehabilitation
Organization (TRO) - phone no: 4722 164 279, are two of the main LTTE
front organizations operating in Norway. Special Assignment contacted
the above organizations in Norway asking how a donation could be made,
but was told the office is in operation only after 5pm as its members
are employed elsewhere during the day. Special Assignment then
contacted the LTTE in London and asked how a donation could be made to
the two listed organizations operating in Norway.
The LTTE were suspicious of the phone call and demanded that the caller
speak in Tamil. They then refused to divulge details of the above
organizations in Norway. Maintaining that this caller intended
travelling to Norway and so wanted to make a donation, the LTTE then
told this caller that once she reached Norway details would be divulged
on how and to who the donation should be made. Sources in Norway said,
the LTTE Communication Centre in Norway is the most important for the
rebel organization who daily send information from the jungles of the
Wanni to Oslo the bustling capital of Norway, from which point, within
a period of less than twenty four hours, it is put on the internet and
distributed globally.
Jon Westborg, Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo, speaking to The Sunday
Times denied knowledge of the LTTE having an 'official office' in
Norway. He however said that since there is no need to register an
organization in Norway, the LTTE could operate out of an office, and
still not break Norwegian law.
According to Tamil expatriates living in Norway, who wished to remain
anonymous, the LTTE raises some US$ 65,000 per month on a till
collection basis from Sri Lankan Tamils who have sought refuge in
Norway and other Scandinavian countries.
Other methods of collection are also available they say and in practice
but done secretly. Special Assignment could not ascertain if in fact,
the LTTE do raise such large sums of money in Norway, and received
conflicting reports, which said the LTTE demand a annual payment of US$
400 from every Sri Lankan Tamil expatriate family living overseas.
There are a total of some 10,000 Sri Lankans living in Norway at
present. The LTTE it is alleged have invested in a variety of business
establishments in Norway and other Scandinavian countries.
The rebel group does not however violate Norwegian law, but do raise
considerable sums of money for the organization to carry out its
military battle against Sri Lankan government forces. The LTTE, uses
taped cassettes and video tapes together with Tamil publications to
gain sympathy for the fight for Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka. Such
propaganda material is also used to seek financial contributions
towards sustaining the LTTE in Sri Lanka.
Soon after 1983 when there was an influx of Tamil refugees into
Scandinavian countries. Sri Lankan Tamils sought refuge into Norway,
Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
Today, they celebrate festivals, arrange their own cultural and
religious activities and functions, have their own newspapers and shops
and have even created pre-school education programs in the Tamil
language. Many of them live in the northern part of Norway in the
villages of Hammerfest, Mold, Aalsund and Bergen.
Special Assignment was told that Bergen is yet another key city for
LTTE operations which continue unabated. Tamil expatriates told The
Sunday Times that it is into this society that the LTTE have
infiltrated and depend on its resources for funding the conflict in Sri
Lanka.
Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland are the Scandinavian countries
where the LTTE is actively involved in and controls fund-raising
activities, they said. While being conscious of the activities of the
LTTE the Sri Lankan Government however has failed in creating an
effective awareness programme in these countries to counter LTTE
activity.
A retired Ambassador of the European Union said the Sri Lankan Embassy
in Stockholm is not given adequate funds to even travel to Norway and
other Scandinavian countries to study or evaluate the depth of LTTE
activity with regard to fund-raising for sustaining the warfare in
northern Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government has placed no real
emphasis to cooperate with foreign governments in cracking down on LTTE
activities abroad.
Ravinath Ariyasinghe, Director Publicity, from the Foreign Ministry in
Colombo, said, as far as he is aware there is no effective machinery
set in place to counter LTTE lobbying in Norway and other Scandinavian
countries.
While the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry did appoint a press councillor for
their mission in Stockholm mainly with a view to counter LTTE
propaganda in Scandinavia, controversy has evolved around this
particular appointment. While a judicial hearing in this regard is in
progress, LTTE activities in Norway and other Scandinavian countries
continue unabated. Highly placed Norwegian sources revealed that
demonstrations and marches against the armed conflict and the plight of
the Tamil population in Sri Lanka, do take place in Norway.
They asserted the issue of Sri Lanka has not been very highly profiled,
claiming that it is a misconception that the Tamil community in Norway
is particularly tight knit, and live in a kind of ghetto community with
a high impact on their own culture.
When it comes to people entering Norway illegally, it is an issue that
concerns the entire European community. Sources revealed that there are
many groups actively engaged in human smuggling in Europe. It is
therefore not unnatural, to assume they said,that an organization like
the LTTE could be using a similar system to ensure that people are
getting the opportunity to gain entry into Norway. The Sunday Times was
told that human smuggling into Scandinavia in effect could be a largely
commercial operation that no doubt however the LTTE will use in order
to infiltrate cadre into these countries. The Norwegian Embassy in
Colombo said, they do not have any documented proof to ascertain if the
LTTE is indeed using such a method to illegally smuggle Sri Lankan
Tamils into Norway.
They however conceded the possibilities do exist. According to Rohan
Gunaratne's book on 'Sri Lanka's Ethnic Crisis &National Security' the
LTTE in pre 1991 held three bank accounts in Norway at "DNC den Mordke
Credit Bank" under the name of account holder 'Tamiler.'
The LTTE held another account at Bergen Bank, Bergen under the name of
account holder, 'Uthayam' and at Sparebanker midt-norge under the name
of account holder, "Koneswaran Tharmalingam."
Tharmalingam uses at least 10 different names but is well known as S.S.
Kumaran Pathmanathan and is the LTTE's chief arms procurement officer.
Pathmanathan is also head of the LTTE's international network.
The background of Sri Lankans gaining entry into Norway dates way back
to 1967. In the 1960's the Norwegian Development Cooperation came into
being, which meant that work began in India, certain parts of Africa
and Sri Lanka. This programme consisted of a strong group behind the
entire question of Norwegian participation and development cooperation,
where youth organizations, non governmental organizations, and research
organizations cooperated with Norway in building international links.
In Europe at this time there also began a solidarity group building
links with developing countries.
A Norwegian group which was particularly interested in working towards
strengthening alcohol laws in developing countries, at the time
established contact with Sri Lanka. The Youth Organization of the
Temperance Movement established the 'CEY-NOR Development Foundation.'
It yet exists in Sri Lanka and at present is a wholly government
directive. They started their work way up in the northern peninsula of
Jaffna in Karainagar. This was in 1957 -58.
There was a problem of excessive alcohol consumption among the fishing
community and it was originally in this context that CEY-NOR began
their work in Sri Lanka. CEY-NOR worked actively to improve the fishing
communities daily trade and livelihood.
It was during this course that a need for training was identified and
some Sri Lankans were taken to Norway for training. They were taken to
the northern part of Norway where the fishing industry is strong.
These people were Tamil, Muslim and some Sinhalese, all from the
fishing community. The consequence of that was that most of them were
to work in the fishing industry for a while in Norway and then come
back to Sri Lanka. Subsequently however with the changes occurring in
Norway's fishing industry as well, Norway required labour. This program
continued through the nineteen sixties and the seventies. The Sri
Lankan Tamils settled where there was work. They settled in the
northern most point of Europe. In fact the Sri Lankan Tamils were very
well spread out, mostly in the north of Norway and along the Western
coast. At times in some villages you would not find more than two or
three Sri Lankan Tamil families. Most of them started work in the
fishing industry in Norway. Gradually over the years some of them
started becoming Norwegian citizens. One needs to be domiciled in
Norway for a period of seven years before applying for citizenship.
Through family ties more Sri Lankans gained entry into Norway.
Then came 1983. With the race riots in Colombo and elsewhere, there was
an exodus of Sri Lankan Tamils seeking entry into Norway, the UK,
Germany, US, Australia and other Scandinavian countries. By this time
however because of the very high input, Norwegian immigration laws were
tightened. Even when family ties were claimed, reportedly, an intense
scrutiny was carried out to verify how authentic such relationships
were.
During 1987 to 1989 due to the JVP insurgency in Sri Lanka, Norway had
members from the Sinhala community who sought refuge. They had all
experienced some kind of pressure for whatever they had been doing, in
Sri Lanka.
With the situation in Sri Lanka being what it has been since 1983 a
continuous trickle of people have tried to get into Norway, legally or
illegally. Seeking refuge in one way or another. Norwegian authorities
say they cannot clarify by what percentage there was an increase in the
number of Sri Lankan Tamils who sought refuge in Norway by this time.
Asylum has been awarded for both Tamils and Sinhalese. But there is
another group of people who have been allowed to stay in Norway on
humanitarian grounds. Norway adheres to international convention
protocol which determines the grounds on which persons may seek
humanitarian refuge.
As a consequence of this entire process, there are some 6000 Norwegians
of Sri Lankan descent. The other category are those who are not
Norwegian citizens, but who have been given entry on humanitarian
grounds which would fall into the region of about 4000. 'By far the
majority of them are Tamil,' Westborg said.
Special Assignment discovered that over the last three years there has
been groups of people gaining entry illegally into Norway.
People who end up one way or another in Norway and who then apply for
the right of abode. These people are according to Norwegian law
scrutinized, and their statements verified if a genuine need exists,
that they be given asylum or the right to stay on humanitarian grounds
or not.
Those who have been refused entry over the last couple of years are in
the region of 400 to 500. Mr. Bernt Hauge, a Norwegian national, went
on a hunger strike in Trondheim, Norway on January 13, this year, a
strike which lasted forty days.
Mr. Hauge demands that the Norwegian government should approach the Sri
Lankan Tamil asylum seekers applications positively and should
reconsider their cases again. Mr. Hauge works for an NGO called
'Raadgivingsruppa I Trondheim' as a counselor for asylum seekers.
In May 1997, he visited a number of Tamil refugee camps in the north
and east of Sri Lanka where he met various people including those Tamil
asylum seekers who had been sent back from Europe.
Hauge, has written a report about the situation for Tamil refugees and
those who have been sent back from Europe, especially from Norway. He
concludes that it is not safe to send Tamil asylum seekers back to Sri
Lanka, and that in general the situation for Tamil refugees in Sri
Lanka is bad.
Mr. Hauge speaking to The Sunday Times by telephone from Norway said,
he is very disappointed with the actions of Norwegian authorities who
he says have not been completely fair in assessing the situation
regarding Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers.
When the Norwegian government changed in October last year, a decision
was made to stop sending back to Sri Lanka, Tamil asylum seekers, until
Norwegian government authorities had re-evaluated the situation.
By February 1998 two Sri Lankan Tamil persons, seeking asylum were sent
back to Colombo. The Norwegian government together with Sri Lanka are
at present negotiating a 'Memorandum of Understanding' to send those
seeking asylum in Norway back to Sri Lanka. One per four of every Sri
Lankan Tamil live outside Sri Lanka. They live in India, Western
Europe, America and different places in Asia.
There is also a category classed as floating refugees. These people are
in a horrible situation. They have not been granted asylum status in
foreign lands neither are they registered in any refugee camp
elsewhere. Most of these people are from the Northern Jaffna peninsula.
In Norway alone there are some 400 to 500 Sri Lankan Tamils in a
floating situation, where their application for the right to abode has
been refused and they move from border to another, refusing unless they
are placed under arrest to return to Sri Lanka.
Mr. Hauge said that it is clear that there are networks among the Tamil
population in Norway and also there are contacts between Sri Lankan
Tamils in exile with Tamils back in Sri Lanka.'It is some sort of a
network,' he said. The Sunday Times found that there is extensive
business networking officially and unofficially to get Tamils out of
Sri Lanka.
A large part of funds to get Sri Lankan Tamils to foreign climes is
sustained by money sent from Tamil expatriates residing overseas. The
Tamil struggle for self-determination in Sri Lanka has received world
publicity. Father S. J. Emmanuel, living in the United Kingdom is a
well known figure advocating the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils and their
struggle for survival in Sri Lanka.
In a book authored by him, "The Tamil Struggle for Survival and
self-determination in Sri Lanka" Father Emmanuel expresses deep sorrow,
and states how aghast he feels about the conditions of Tamils in Sri
Lanka. Father Emmanuel asserts that the Tamils in Sri Lanka need a
Prabhakaran to protect them from all the horrible and inhuman
atrocities of the cruel Sinhala army.
He asks, 'How is it possible that peoples and nations cry out so loudly
against a single bomb in the city of Colombo or in any part of the
world, including the horror of Oklahoma, but do not condemn the Sri
Lankan government, when its security forces under the pretext of
attacking terrorist bases and under the cover of a strict media
blockade, drop not one, but hundreds of bombs and fire thousands of
artillery shells over civilian areas causing indiscriminate destruction
and kill many civilians." The Sunday Times Special Assignment was told
that it this kind of rhetoric that allows for such immense freedom of
movement and expression in Scandinavian countries and Britain.
Once a person has gained entry into Denmark or Finland no passports
checks are required and one can easily cross the border into Norway.
Immigration authorities in Norway do not know if all those Sri Lankans
whose applications for asylum are turned down have actually left Norway
or not. The minute they are informed that they have been refused entry
some of them cross the border and get lost somewhere else.
Norway has a policy that those who have not been given the right to
stay should be sent back to Sri Lanka. As a consequence Norway has been
sending people back over the years and continue to do so. However
Norwegian law does not allow for force to be used on illegal immigrants
to send them back home. Illegal immigrants according to Norwegian law
cannot forcibly be gathered together and put on a plane back to Sri
Lanka.
So it seems unlikely that Norway will follow in the foot-steps of its
European counterparts for example like Switzerland and France, which
have adopted a 'last in, first out' policy vis-a-vis illegal Sri Lankan
Tamil immigrants.
http://www.sinhaya.com/index.html
which would be generated towards working for a cause, and a political
goal, for what they feel is important, back in Sri Lanka. Among the Sri
Lankan Tamil people in Norway there will be those who are sympathetic
to the LTTE, so in that context, there are Tamils in Norway who will
propagate the cause of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka. The Sunday Times
Special Assignment was told that such work however needs to fall within
the purview of Norwegian law. "We pride ourselves on the freedom of
expression and hope, and we pride ourselves on the freedom to be able
to fight within the laws of our country for causes of the individual he
or she think are important," Ambassador Jon Westborg said.
Asked if Norway did then feel the call for a separate state in Sri
Lanka was justified, Westborg said, the question does not arise.
The fact remains Sri Lankan Tamils in Norway are not breaking the law
by fund-raising for a cause, political or otherwise in Sri Lanka, even
if it means Eelam, is a cry for a separate state. Norwegian authorities
say it is doubtful if there exists any evidence to ascertain the scale
of LTTE funding-raising in Norway.
Fund-raising in Norway is taking place for humanitarian issues for the
Tamil population back in Sri Lanka. There are several humanitarian
organizations among the Tamil community, which are fund-raising for
relief and rehabilitation activities. It has not been identified if all
these funds are being used for humanitarian assistance for Tamils in
Sri Lanka, or whether in fact most of the collection goes to aid the
LTTE's war machinery in Sri Lanka. Special Assignment was told not all
fund-raising organizations in Norway are a front for the LTTE.
It may not be right to assume that all donations by the Tamils in
Norway is being forced by any one particular group. On the other hand
the duress if it does exist, has not been identified, interpreted or
defined in any court of law in Norway.
There still is no hard evidence to prove that funds raised in Norway
are being used to sustain the LTTE's armed struggle against the Sri
Lankan government.
Though the fact is almost obvious, Ambassador Jon Westborg asserted
that Norwegian law allows for fund-raising on humanitarian grounds and
political issues. He would not elaborate on whether Norway would turn a
blind eye to funds being raised for military assistance for a guerrilla
group in another country.
One great difficulty the law makers in Norway would face is, that it is
difficult to prove that funds raised in Norway could or maybe used for
terrorist offences in Sri Lanka and elsewhere. It cannot be
automatically determined that funds raised in Norway for a political or
humanitarian cause could in effect be diverted to propagate terrorism
or any other illegal activity in Sri Lanka, says Westborg. Once entry
is allowed into Norway no individuals or persons need register as an
organization before fund-raising in Norway. There is no registration of
organizations because Norway adheres to a freedom of congregation.
If members of the LTTE were to apply for entry into Norway their
application would be considered and forwarded to immigration
authorities in Norway who would conduct the necessary verification and
ascertain if there exists legitimate grounds for such persons to be
allowed entry. Norwegian authorities say it is difficult to determine
who may be a member of the LTTE.
The Norwegian Ambassador said that even if LTTE leader, Vellupillai
Prabhakaran were to apply for entry into Norway his application would
be considered, saying it would be upto the immigration authorities in
Norway to determine if such an entry should be allowed. (see box).
Norway has no legal structure of identifying an organization as a
terrorist organization unlike in the US and certain other countries.
Mr. Westborg countered that since Norway does not possess counter
terrorist laws similar to the United States, it is irrelevant on
whether Norway, perceives the LTTE as a terrorist organization.
Allegations are being made that the LTTE raises some half a million US
dollars per month in Norway and other Scandinavian countries.
Special Assignment however could not verify such statements as fact.
However what remains clear is that fund-raising by the LTTE in Norway
is active and Denmark, Sweden and Finland are considered to be safe
havens for LTTE operations.
At present, the main LTTE communications centre is based in Norway,
while the LTTE allegedly operates six offices out of Norway under the
names of front organizations. The Tamil Coordinating Committee (TCC),
at P.O.Box 1699 VIKA, 0110-Oslo-1, Norway, and the Tamil Rehabilitation
Organization (TRO) - phone no: 4722 164 279, are two of the main LTTE
front organizations operating in Norway. Special Assignment contacted
the above organizations in Norway asking how a donation could be made,
but was told the office is in operation only after 5pm as its members
are employed elsewhere during the day. Special Assignment then
contacted the LTTE in London and asked how a donation could be made to
the two listed organizations operating in Norway.
The LTTE were suspicious of the phone call and demanded that the caller
speak in Tamil. They then refused to divulge details of the above
organizations in Norway. Maintaining that this caller intended
travelling to Norway and so wanted to make a donation, the LTTE then
told this caller that once she reached Norway details would be divulged
on how and to who the donation should be made. Sources in Norway said,
the LTTE Communication Centre in Norway is the most important for the
rebel organization who daily send information from the jungles of the
Wanni to Oslo the bustling capital of Norway, from which point, within
a period of less than twenty four hours, it is put on the internet and
distributed globally.
Jon Westborg, Norwegian Ambassador in Colombo, speaking to The Sunday
Times denied knowledge of the LTTE having an 'official office' in
Norway. He however said that since there is no need to register an
organization in Norway, the LTTE could operate out of an office, and
still not break Norwegian law.
According to Tamil expatriates living in Norway, who wished to remain
anonymous, the LTTE raises some US$ 65,000 per month on a till
collection basis from Sri Lankan Tamils who have sought refuge in
Norway and other Scandinavian countries.
Other methods of collection are also available they say and in practice
but done secretly. Special Assignment could not ascertain if in fact,
the LTTE do raise such large sums of money in Norway, and received
conflicting reports, which said the LTTE demand a annual payment of US$
400 from every Sri Lankan Tamil expatriate family living overseas.
There are a total of some 10,000 Sri Lankans living in Norway at
present. The LTTE it is alleged have invested in a variety of business
establishments in Norway and other Scandinavian countries.
The rebel group does not however violate Norwegian law, but do raise
considerable sums of money for the organization to carry out its
military battle against Sri Lankan government forces. The LTTE, uses
taped cassettes and video tapes together with Tamil publications to
gain sympathy for the fight for Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka. Such
propaganda material is also used to seek financial contributions
towards sustaining the LTTE in Sri Lanka.
Soon after 1983 when there was an influx of Tamil refugees into
Scandinavian countries. Sri Lankan Tamils sought refuge into Norway,
Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
Today, they celebrate festivals, arrange their own cultural and
religious activities and functions, have their own newspapers and shops
and have even created pre-school education programs in the Tamil
language. Many of them live in the northern part of Norway in the
villages of Hammerfest, Mold, Aalsund and Bergen.
Special Assignment was told that Bergen is yet another key city for
LTTE operations which continue unabated. Tamil expatriates told The
Sunday Times that it is into this society that the LTTE have
infiltrated and depend on its resources for funding the conflict in Sri
Lanka.
Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland are the Scandinavian countries
where the LTTE is actively involved in and controls fund-raising
activities, they said. While being conscious of the activities of the
LTTE the Sri Lankan Government however has failed in creating an
effective awareness programme in these countries to counter LTTE
activity.
A retired Ambassador of the European Union said the Sri Lankan Embassy
in Stockholm is not given adequate funds to even travel to Norway and
other Scandinavian countries to study or evaluate the depth of LTTE
activity with regard to fund-raising for sustaining the warfare in
northern Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan government has placed no real
emphasis to cooperate with foreign governments in cracking down on LTTE
activities abroad.
Ravinath Ariyasinghe, Director Publicity, from the Foreign Ministry in
Colombo, said, as far as he is aware there is no effective machinery
set in place to counter LTTE lobbying in Norway and other Scandinavian
countries.
While the Sri Lanka Foreign Ministry did appoint a press councillor for
their mission in Stockholm mainly with a view to counter LTTE
propaganda in Scandinavia, controversy has evolved around this
particular appointment. While a judicial hearing in this regard is in
progress, LTTE activities in Norway and other Scandinavian countries
continue unabated. Highly placed Norwegian sources revealed that
demonstrations and marches against the armed conflict and the plight of
the Tamil population in Sri Lanka, do take place in Norway.
They asserted the issue of Sri Lanka has not been very highly profiled,
claiming that it is a misconception that the Tamil community in Norway
is particularly tight knit, and live in a kind of ghetto community with
a high impact on their own culture.
When it comes to people entering Norway illegally, it is an issue that
concerns the entire European community. Sources revealed that there are
many groups actively engaged in human smuggling in Europe. It is
therefore not unnatural, to assume they said,that an organization like
the LTTE could be using a similar system to ensure that people are
getting the opportunity to gain entry into Norway. The Sunday Times was
told that human smuggling into Scandinavia in effect could be a largely
commercial operation that no doubt however the LTTE will use in order
to infiltrate cadre into these countries. The Norwegian Embassy in
Colombo said, they do not have any documented proof to ascertain if the
LTTE is indeed using such a method to illegally smuggle Sri Lankan
Tamils into Norway.
They however conceded the possibilities do exist. According to Rohan
Gunaratne's book on 'Sri Lanka's Ethnic Crisis &National Security' the
LTTE in pre 1991 held three bank accounts in Norway at "DNC den Mordke
Credit Bank" under the name of account holder 'Tamiler.'
The LTTE held another account at Bergen Bank, Bergen under the name of
account holder, 'Uthayam' and at Sparebanker midt-norge under the name
of account holder, "Koneswaran Tharmalingam."
Tharmalingam uses at least 10 different names but is well known as S.S.
Kumaran Pathmanathan and is the LTTE's chief arms procurement officer.
Pathmanathan is also head of the LTTE's international network.
The background of Sri Lankans gaining entry into Norway dates way back
to 1967. In the 1960's the Norwegian Development Cooperation came into
being, which meant that work began in India, certain parts of Africa
and Sri Lanka. This programme consisted of a strong group behind the
entire question of Norwegian participation and development cooperation,
where youth organizations, non governmental organizations, and research
organizations cooperated with Norway in building international links.
In Europe at this time there also began a solidarity group building
links with developing countries.
A Norwegian group which was particularly interested in working towards
strengthening alcohol laws in developing countries, at the time
established contact with Sri Lanka. The Youth Organization of the
Temperance Movement established the 'CEY-NOR Development Foundation.'
It yet exists in Sri Lanka and at present is a wholly government
directive. They started their work way up in the northern peninsula of
Jaffna in Karainagar. This was in 1957 -58.
There was a problem of excessive alcohol consumption among the fishing
community and it was originally in this context that CEY-NOR began
their work in Sri Lanka. CEY-NOR worked actively to improve the fishing
communities daily trade and livelihood.
It was during this course that a need for training was identified and
some Sri Lankans were taken to Norway for training. They were taken to
the northern part of Norway where the fishing industry is strong.
These people were Tamil, Muslim and some Sinhalese, all from the
fishing community. The consequence of that was that most of them were
to work in the fishing industry for a while in Norway and then come
back to Sri Lanka. Subsequently however with the changes occurring in
Norway's fishing industry as well, Norway required labour. This program
continued through the nineteen sixties and the seventies. The Sri
Lankan Tamils settled where there was work. They settled in the
northern most point of Europe. In fact the Sri Lankan Tamils were very
well spread out, mostly in the north of Norway and along the Western
coast. At times in some villages you would not find more than two or
three Sri Lankan Tamil families. Most of them started work in the
fishing industry in Norway. Gradually over the years some of them
started becoming Norwegian citizens. One needs to be domiciled in
Norway for a period of seven years before applying for citizenship.
Through family ties more Sri Lankans gained entry into Norway.
Then came 1983. With the race riots in Colombo and elsewhere, there was
an exodus of Sri Lankan Tamils seeking entry into Norway, the UK,
Germany, US, Australia and other Scandinavian countries. By this time
however because of the very high input, Norwegian immigration laws were
tightened. Even when family ties were claimed, reportedly, an intense
scrutiny was carried out to verify how authentic such relationships
were.
During 1987 to 1989 due to the JVP insurgency in Sri Lanka, Norway had
members from the Sinhala community who sought refuge. They had all
experienced some kind of pressure for whatever they had been doing, in
Sri Lanka.
With the situation in Sri Lanka being what it has been since 1983 a
continuous trickle of people have tried to get into Norway, legally or
illegally. Seeking refuge in one way or another. Norwegian authorities
say they cannot clarify by what percentage there was an increase in the
number of Sri Lankan Tamils who sought refuge in Norway by this time.
Asylum has been awarded for both Tamils and Sinhalese. But there is
another group of people who have been allowed to stay in Norway on
humanitarian grounds. Norway adheres to international convention
protocol which determines the grounds on which persons may seek
humanitarian refuge.
As a consequence of this entire process, there are some 6000 Norwegians
of Sri Lankan descent. The other category are those who are not
Norwegian citizens, but who have been given entry on humanitarian
grounds which would fall into the region of about 4000. 'By far the
majority of them are Tamil,' Westborg said.
Special Assignment discovered that over the last three years there has
been groups of people gaining entry illegally into Norway.
People who end up one way or another in Norway and who then apply for
the right of abode. These people are according to Norwegian law
scrutinized, and their statements verified if a genuine need exists,
that they be given asylum or the right to stay on humanitarian grounds
or not.
Those who have been refused entry over the last couple of years are in
the region of 400 to 500. Mr. Bernt Hauge, a Norwegian national, went
on a hunger strike in Trondheim, Norway on January 13, this year, a
strike which lasted forty days.
Mr. Hauge demands that the Norwegian government should approach the Sri
Lankan Tamil asylum seekers applications positively and should
reconsider their cases again. Mr. Hauge works for an NGO called
'Raadgivingsruppa I Trondheim' as a counselor for asylum seekers.
In May 1997, he visited a number of Tamil refugee camps in the north
and east of Sri Lanka where he met various people including those Tamil
asylum seekers who had been sent back from Europe.
Hauge, has written a report about the situation for Tamil refugees and
those who have been sent back from Europe, especially from Norway. He
concludes that it is not safe to send Tamil asylum seekers back to Sri
Lanka, and that in general the situation for Tamil refugees in Sri
Lanka is bad.
Mr. Hauge speaking to The Sunday Times by telephone from Norway said,
he is very disappointed with the actions of Norwegian authorities who
he says have not been completely fair in assessing the situation
regarding Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers.
When the Norwegian government changed in October last year, a decision
was made to stop sending back to Sri Lanka, Tamil asylum seekers, until
Norwegian government authorities had re-evaluated the situation.
By February 1998 two Sri Lankan Tamil persons, seeking asylum were sent
back to Colombo. The Norwegian government together with Sri Lanka are
at present negotiating a 'Memorandum of Understanding' to send those
seeking asylum in Norway back to Sri Lanka. One per four of every Sri
Lankan Tamil live outside Sri Lanka. They live in India, Western
Europe, America and different places in Asia.
There is also a category classed as floating refugees. These people are
in a horrible situation. They have not been granted asylum status in
foreign lands neither are they registered in any refugee camp
elsewhere. Most of these people are from the Northern Jaffna peninsula.
In Norway alone there are some 400 to 500 Sri Lankan Tamils in a
floating situation, where their application for the right to abode has
been refused and they move from border to another, refusing unless they
are placed under arrest to return to Sri Lanka.
Mr. Hauge said that it is clear that there are networks among the Tamil
population in Norway and also there are contacts between Sri Lankan
Tamils in exile with Tamils back in Sri Lanka.'It is some sort of a
network,' he said. The Sunday Times found that there is extensive
business networking officially and unofficially to get Tamils out of
Sri Lanka.
A large part of funds to get Sri Lankan Tamils to foreign climes is
sustained by money sent from Tamil expatriates residing overseas. The
Tamil struggle for self-determination in Sri Lanka has received world
publicity. Father S. J. Emmanuel, living in the United Kingdom is a
well known figure advocating the cause of Sri Lankan Tamils and their
struggle for survival in Sri Lanka.
In a book authored by him, "The Tamil Struggle for Survival and
self-determination in Sri Lanka" Father Emmanuel expresses deep sorrow,
and states how aghast he feels about the conditions of Tamils in Sri
Lanka. Father Emmanuel asserts that the Tamils in Sri Lanka need a
Prabhakaran to protect them from all the horrible and inhuman
atrocities of the cruel Sinhala army.
He asks, 'How is it possible that peoples and nations cry out so loudly
against a single bomb in the city of Colombo or in any part of the
world, including the horror of Oklahoma, but do not condemn the Sri
Lankan government, when its security forces under the pretext of
attacking terrorist bases and under the cover of a strict media
blockade, drop not one, but hundreds of bombs and fire thousands of
artillery shells over civilian areas causing indiscriminate destruction
and kill many civilians." The Sunday Times Special Assignment was told
that it this kind of rhetoric that allows for such immense freedom of
movement and expression in Scandinavian countries and Britain.
Once a person has gained entry into Denmark or Finland no passports
checks are required and one can easily cross the border into Norway.
Immigration authorities in Norway do not know if all those Sri Lankans
whose applications for asylum are turned down have actually left Norway
or not. The minute they are informed that they have been refused entry
some of them cross the border and get lost somewhere else.
Norway has a policy that those who have not been given the right to
stay should be sent back to Sri Lanka. As a consequence Norway has been
sending people back over the years and continue to do so. However
Norwegian law does not allow for force to be used on illegal immigrants
to send them back home. Illegal immigrants according to Norwegian law
cannot forcibly be gathered together and put on a plane back to Sri
Lanka.
So it seems unlikely that Norway will follow in the foot-steps of its
European counterparts for example like Switzerland and France, which
have adopted a 'last in, first out' policy vis-a-vis illegal Sri Lankan
Tamil immigrants.
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