July 12, 2022
4 mins read

‘All-party govt should seek India’s support’

Solheim, who acted as the main facilitator of the peace process in Sri Lanka from 1998 to 2005, said no one should blame the island nation for purchasing oil wherever it can get it, including from Russia…writes Vishal Gulati

The people of Sri Lanka have bravely taken the first important step — to dismiss the incompetent and corrupt Rajapaksa family dynasty that brought the crisis upon the land. Now it is time to establish an all-party interim government that calls upon friendly nations like India to provide financial support, said Erik Solheim, Norwegian peace mediator in the 30-year-long Sri Lanka civil war.

In an exclusive virtual interview, former UN Environment Programme executive director Solheim told IANS that after establishing an all-party government it will start negotiations with the international financial institutions and call upon friendly governments like India, China, Japan and the West to provide financial support.

“Deep economic reforms will be a necessary part of the process,” he said.

Solheim, who acted as the main facilitator of the peace process in Sri Lanka from 1998 to 2005, said no one should blame the island nation for purchasing oil wherever it can get it, including from Russia.

Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in 2009, with the killing of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, who met Solheim more often than any other foreigner and persuaded him to enter a peace process and succeeded.

To a question: What is next for Sri Lanka that is facing its worst economic crisis with high inflation and rising and critically low level of foreign reserves?

Solheim, who has contributed to peace processes in Sudan, Nepal, Myanmar and Burundi too, replied, “After an initial phase of an all-party interim government, the next step will be elections for a new Parliament.

“The Sri Lankan revolution has been largely leaderless, so the people of Sri Lanka are likely to elect into power already well known opposition leaders. The current leader of the opposition Sajith Premadasa and the foremost Tamil politician in Sri Lanka, M.A. Sumanthiran, are likely leaders to steer Sri Lanka out of the crisis and back to normalcy.”

Responding to a question that the country might face a severe hunger challenge, Solheim replied, “No one should underestimate the debt of the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.

“The suffering of both poor people and the middle class is immense. People and businesses cannot get transport. There is a huge shortage of basically everything. Hopefully a hunger crisis can be avoided. Sri Lanka is a very fertile place with industrious people.”

Servicemen are seen on duty on a street in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on May 10, 2022. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua/IANS)

For India, what does the crisis mean?

At this, he said there was never any love between India and the Rajapaksas.

“After the overwhelming military victory over the Tamil Tigers in 2009, the Rajapaksa government constantly dismissed Indian advice to amend the constitution and share power and recognition with the minorities, particularly the Tamils.

“Rajapaksa followed a chauvinistic ethnic policy centralising decisions in Colombo, very different from the Indian federal model. Through this chauvinism, they also wasted large resources on military spending, money which would have been dearly needed to avoid the present economic crisis.”

Solheim, the president of the Belt and Road Initiative Green Development Institute, told IANS it is completely unfair to blame China for the problems caused by the mismanagement of the Rajapaksa governments.

“Sri Lanka has much larger debt to the west than to China. China constructed roads and ports at the request of the legitimate Sri Lankan government of the time.”

“But Sri Lankans should usefully look at the map. India is their only neighbour, a boat ride away. India is also a family — the same ethnicities, religions, languages, food. India will always be the main international partner for Sri Lanka. China, the US and others are next in line,” said the senior advisor of the World Resources Institute (WRI).

To a question: How and when did the government of Norway decide to mediate in Sri Lanka? At that time, were you acceptable to New Delhi too?

Solheim replied, “Norway was asked in 1998 by then president of Sri Lanka Chandrika Kumaratunga and the leader of the Tigers, Prabhakaran to mediate in the civil war.

“We played that role for close to 10 years. India throughout gave full support to the peace process and encouraged us to continue. We kept India informed and asked advice on even the smallest step. I am still very sad that at the end we were unsuccessful.”

“I believe Sri Lanka would have been in a much better place today if the peace process had succeeded,” Solheim concluded.

ALSO READ: Lanka’s new President to be named on July 20, confirms minister

Previous Story

Kerala village raises Rs 18 cr for treatment of 9-month-old

Next Story

China, Pak navies to conduct live-fire drill

Latest from -Top News

Harvard sues Trump over foreign students ban

Harvard University has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration after being barred from enrolling international students, marking its second legal challenge in a month against what it describes as politically

Pakistan may face stricter IMF terms

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will undertake its next funding review for Pakistan in the second half of 2025, with 11 new conditions now attached to the continuation of its Extended Fund

Indian diaspora in Japan backs Operation Sindoor

Members of the Indian diaspora in Japan have strongly endorsed Operation Sindoor, India’s targeted military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and

WHO adopts Global Pandemic Agreement

The agreement seeks to boost international coordination and ensure equitable access to life-saving tools during future pandemics, while reaffirming respect for national sovereignty in public health decisions In a move aimed at
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Colombo Stock Exchange shut amid unrest

The CSE said in a statement that they had been

India steps up aid to Lanka as China stays silent

A fresh $500 million additional support by India to Colombo