Some clarifications

First of all, I am really pleased, and a bit surprised, to see that there are some Srilankans out there too, who are visiting Globen Café. It seems deciding to write in English was not wasted after all. 7 comments in 24 hours is a new record, for sure. If Dr. Goonatilake struck a nerve with me, I obviously struck a nerve with you. I hope I didn't provoke any of you to the point where you stop visiting, though. But I suppose it works the other way around.

I really feel I should clarify a couple of things. In case I came across as pro-LTTE: I am not. I am fully aware of LTTE's violent and oppresseve history and it is abhorrent. I am fully aware of the expulsion of Muslims from LTTE-controlled areas. I have several Muslim friends who's families were directly affected. There is no excuse for such an act. Whether the LTTE or JVP are the most racist however, is a futile debate. First off, we would have to define what we mean by "racist". What led me to write what I wrote is that I believe the LTTE are motivated more by lust for power than nationalistic ideology. They have had no qualms with executing whoever stands in their path, regardless of ethnicity. The JVP on the other hand, claim to be socialist, but it their "socialism" is only for the Sinhalese.

Irony is a literary tool begging to be misunderstood. I hope it was clear that what I wrote about Dr. Goonatilake was far-fetched nonsense, but I did it to prove a point. He had perhaps done his homework when writing of Solheim, but I doubt his schoolteacher would have been happy with the way he did it, twisting each bit of information he could find to fit his purpose. This is dangerous. Especially considering his work as a university lecturer, a position which carries a great deal of influence. He should be more responsible.

To answer some of your questions:

To you who gave me this link: Thanks for making me aware of the probe and the compensations. What I wrote was obviously wrong, my sources too old. Still it shold be noted that more than 20 years passed before any compensation was given to affected Tamils, and that many of them still have not received compensation.

Chandare: As for the Tamil membership in the JVP, can you give me some numbers? I have no doubt that there are a few Tamil members, but I doubt sincerely they are many enough for you to beat your chest about it. I could launch into a debate about Tamil and Sinhala nationalism, but suffice it to say here that after independence there was a strong movement among the Tamils to build an inclusive nationstate where there would be some self government in the predominantly Tamil areas. There was no talk of Eelam, a separate Tamil state. Contrast this to the surge in Sinhalese nationalism when Bandaranaike came to power in 1956 and tell me who wanted a state based purely on ethnicity (and religion, but in this country the two are one and the same).

On to Goonatilakes claims against Norway.

1) Whether it is in the Norwegian constitution I don't know, but it is a fact that all officials in Norway must know not only Norwegian, but also the second official language, nynorsk (or Newnorwegian). What exactly do you find so repulsive about requiring an official in a country to know the language that country's affairs are conducted in? This beats me.

2) Regarding conversions... Again, I don't know the wording in the constitution. In reality however there is noone stopping anyone who wants to convert to another religion, or wanting to become an atheist, agnostic, nihilist, satanist or subscribe to any other belief of his/her choice.

3) It is true that Norway has a sad history of discriminating against the Saamis, as well as some other minority groups, such as kvenene (I don't know the English term) and the Gypsies. Some gruefull things happened in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including experiments with lobotomy and forced sterilizations. This is a dark chapter in the history of Norway, and unfortunately a chapter it shares with most of the Western world.

In more modern times other minorities have been discriminated against, too. The Jews were not given the protection they deserved during the Second World War, although many Norwegians laid down their lives against the Germans. And the Lebensborn children, those born during or after the war with Norwegian mothers and German fathers, recieved harsh treatment by other Norwegians.

In recent years, like in other European countries, a neo-nazi movement has gained popularity, and xenophobia has driven many to the political right wing. It is sad. Very sad. I think it is the curse of the rich, that they are so afraid of a change of the status quo that they are never happy.
So, yeah... you can dig up a lot of dirt on Norway. Did I mention we sent soldiers to Afghanistan and Iraq (allthough in Iraq they are only doing humnitarian work)?

I just did some quick research on the economic rights of Saamis, and think I undertand the core of the controversy now. According to this source (in Norwegian) Norway was the first country to ratify the 169th ILO-convention on the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples. That was in 1990. The convention obligates Norway to recognize Saami rights of ownership of resources in those areas that they alone traditionally have made use of. It is argued that proposed legislation for Finnmark, the northernmost county of Norway, where half of the Norwegian Saamis live, does not live up to our international obligations. The legislation proposes a Saami minority (3 of 7 seats) in the administrative body looking after the regions resources. The Saami Parliament, and its president, are among the heaviest critics.

It seems our friend Dr. Goonatilake may actually have a point. I fail to see how this is relevant with regard to Norway's role as an invited fascilitator in Sri Lanka, though.

The issue of traditional Tamil homelands is a controversial one where there has been an amazing amount of partisan writing by shcolars and politicians on both sides. I do not want to get into this now, but may come back to it at another time.

Thanks for all the comments!

/haakon/