Criticism
The organisation has been criticised by persons from various sides of the conflict for not being impartial and for appeasing the parties. Locally, SLMM is criticized for not taking action to end cease fire violations by the LTTE. The SLMM's reaction on this fact (that the majority of violations is done by the LTTE) is that the parties have the responsibility for the CFA (Cease Fire Agreement). The SLMM's role is documenting CFA violations, assisting the parties in local mediation and supplying Norway and the co-chairs of the peace process with facts.
The leader of SLMM, known as "Head of Mission - HoM" is appointed by the Norwegian government. The Norwegian facilitators are by some accused of being biased towards the LTTE. The Norwegians have support by the present Sri Lankan president and government, opposition party (UNP) and the co-chairs (USA, EU and Japan).
PA, the ruling party, was initially supportive of Norway's role. However, the ruling party raised many questions regarding credibility of Norway as an 'independent facilitator'. The Sri Lankan president once strongly complained to the Norwegian Prime Minister of Colombo's Norwegian Ambassador Jon Westborg. Former foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was critical of the role played by Norway, and demanded them to leave if Norway was unable to bring democracy to LTTE controlled areas. Anura Bandaranaike, a minister of the ruling party said Norway's role is highly questionable.
The popular view among Sri Lankans is that 'Norwegians direct SLMM'. Norwegian Government (through the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo) sent a consignment of radio equipment to the LTTE in 2002, and majority of anti-LTTE Sri Lankans saw this as Norway siding with the LTTE. The shipment was however cleared with the government of Sri Lanka. Norwegian Ambassador John Westborg was accused to have committed breaches of the 'customs ordinance' of Sri Lanka and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations by seeking clearance for goods for the embassy, which were actually meant for a third party (LTTE).
University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna), Sri Lanka, accuses Norway's 'appeasing the LTTE' strategy as being responsible for the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. The Norwegian deputy foreign ministers comment on the calls for more pressure on the LTTE was that the cease fire agreement and the peace process is the parties responsibility. Though both sides want Norwegian and SLMM support in handling the other, the Norwegian view is that they need to work it out themselves.
SLMM has ruled that LTTE has violated the CFA 3006 times, as opposed to 133 times by the Government, as of 30 June 2005. Despite the high number of CFA violations committed by the LTTE, the SLMM routinely issue statements urging "both parties" (meaning the LTTE and the Government) to observe the CFA.
These incidents are viewed by some in Sri Lanka as Norwegians conniving with the LTTE. Others however see the accusations as motivated by political reasons. However, a survey conducted in 2003 found only 27% of Sri Lankans feel the SLMM monitors are impartial, putting serious doubts on the SLMM's role.
However the general opinion of the international community seems to be that the SLMM is of vital importance for keeping the fragile cease fire. As a monitoring mission, the SLMM is not involved in the Norwegian government's facilitation of the peace talks.
After a Chinese ship was attacked off the northern Sri Lankan coast, on 20 March 2003 it was widely believed to have been carried out by the LTTE. Based on a recorded telephone conversation between the LTTE and General Trond Furuhovde, a Norwegian and then Head of SLMM, SLMM is accused of having indirectly suggested to the LTTE to put the blame on a "third party with stolen uniforms". No such "third parties" have previously carried out such attacks in Sri Lankan seas. SLMM later issued a statement blaming a "third party" without naming who that third party was.
On another occasion, the Sri Lankan navy was pursuing a suspected LTTE arms vessel, and an SLMM officer on board the Navy boat informed the SLMM HQ about the raid via a satellite phone. The SLMM HQ checked with the LTTE, which made the LTTE aware that the navy was pursuing the arms ship. The LTTE arms vessel escaped eventually. The Opposition party lodged the strongest protest and demanded government to declare the SLMM monitor in question as "Persona non grata" accusing 'SLMM leaking information about navy's pursuing to the LTTE'
Read more about this topic: Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission
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