WRAP Norway suspends role until political crisis resolved

• Report rights infringement
• published: 21 Jul 2015
• views: 17

AUDIO QUALITY AS INCOMING Colombo - 14 November 1. Helgesen walking to podium 2. Cutaway media 3. SOUNDBITE: (English) Vidar Helgesen, Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister: "The resumption of peace talks are seriously impeded by the political crisis in the south. This has disturbed the peace process and it has caused considerable concern in the international community. We, as facilitators, deem this a very serious situation. Not because the peace process in itself is fragile, but because it is in the risk of being made fragile. Even though most concerned parties and most concerned politicians pledge their commitment to upholding the ceasefire, and even though there is overwhelming public support in all areas of the country for the peace process, we need to make clear that a ceasefire will be much more difficult to sustain in a political vacuum. If there is no negotiations, if there is no political horizon, the ceasefire in isolation will be much harder to sustain." 4. Cutaway media 5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Vidar Helgesen, Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister: "It is clearly not, and it has never been, and it will never be, Norway's mandate to facilitate between the political parties in the south. We have been asked by several politicians, civil society groups, media, what Norway can do to facilitate a solution to the political crisis in the south. I would say there is an irony in this because we too often, or very often, have been met with criticism that we're here at all, that we're engaging in this peace process. What on earth are we doing here? And now there are calls that we should even be engaged in southern politics. I can tell you what we can do about the political crisis in the south is: nothing. As far as our mandate goes, we have one clear conclusion: peace talks could have started tomorrow, provided there were clarity about who is holding responsibility on the part of the government for the peace process. Until last week there was such clarity, today there is no such clarity." Colombo - 13 November 6. Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga walking in, shaking hands with Helgesen 7. Zoom in to close up of Kumaratunga and Helgesen 8. Kumaratunga shaking hands with other Norwegian officials 9. Sri Lankan and Norwegian officials in meeting 10. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe entering 11. Wickremesinghe and Helgesen shaking hands 12.Various of Wickremesinghe and Sri Lankan officials in meeting with Norwegian officials STORYLINE: Norway is pulling out of efforts to restart talks between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil Tiger rebels until the country's president and prime minister settle their political dispute, Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen said on Friday. Speaking from the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, Helgesen said that holding peace talks in the current political environment would be impossible and that the Norwegian delegation was returning to Norway. "Peace talks could have started tomorrow, provided there were clarity about who is holding responsibility on the part of the government for the peace process. Until last week there was such clarity, today there is no such clarity", he said. On Thursday, Helgesen met with Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe following a meeting with Tamil Tiger rebels. Helgesen and special envoy Erik Solheim met with rebel leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran behind closed doors in Kilinochchi earlier on Thursday, and Tiger representatives later pledged to abide by the cease-fire despite the political turmoil. But those talks have been on hold since April, with the rebels demanding broader interim autonomy. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/d1eb6c303b74efa7e08b6d8e752f5dcb Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork