“We assumed that the threat came from extreme Singhalese, said Solheim today, twelve years later.
He confirmed that he was briefed about the assassination plans. Police Security Service (PST), which at that time was named service, was made aware of the threat several days before Solheim travelled to Colombo. The tip came from people in Norway with knowledge of radical communities in Sri Lanka.
“We were at different points in time, made aware of the threats and were also given access to highly classified information on the situation in Sri Lanka, said Solheim.
Had bodyguards
-During all the time in Sri Lanka, we were aware that we were at risk. Sri Lanka is probably the only place where we are vulnerable precisely because we are Norwegians.
“We never travelled in Sri Lanka without having bodyguards from PST. They were everywhere. In addition, there was a large security presence both from the Singhalese Government and from the Tigers when we visited them. but there is no absolute guarantee of that. The many leaders in Sri Lanka who was killed, had also a large security forces around them.
-Very excited mood
Today he does not remember whether the threats were related to the use of explosives or firearms, but points out that both have been used in attentive in Sri Lanka.
-It was very tense mood in Colombo since the Tamil Tigers had much military progress at that time. We were actually in dialogue with India about a possible evacuation of the entire army of the Singhalese to the Indian mainland, said Solheim.
On Wednesday, 21-24. May 2000, the same day as Solheim left Sri Lanka, unknown perpetrators threw an explosive at the Norwegian Embassy in Colombo. The thing went over the roof of the Embassy and ended up in the garden on an uninhabited neighbor’s House, where it exploded. Solheim don’t know for sure if he was the target of this action.
-It might have been, it is impossible for me to know. I perceived it as a warning against Norway.
Follow through
The ceasefire which came in 2002, in reality, short lived. Solheim resigned as a Special Adviser in 2005, when he was minister for environment and development. The Norwegian peace efforts on the island continued, but did an abrupt end in 2009, the same year as the Government initiated the violent offensive that finally crushed the Tamil Eelam. At the same time came news that Norway was no longer wanted as peace broker in the conflict. However, still with Solheim follows the development of the country.
Courtesy aftenposten
