Don’t blame it on Norwegians – Mark Salter

01/03/2016 

Mark Salter, author of To End a Civil War: Norway’s Peace Engagement in Sri Lanka, who is based in Sweden, will be in Colombo on 3 March 2016, to launch the book at an event co-hosted by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES). Lately, he has been travelling in Europe and North America launching the book with former Norwegian peace negotiator who has become a household name in Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim. The book, which tells the story of Norwegian efforts to facilitate a peace process between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil Tigers from close up, has received some remarkable raves and reviews. In an exclusive interview with Ceylon Today Salter explains the book’s focus and outlines his views on the peace process that – ultimately – failed.

By Sulochana Ramiah Mohan.

You and Erik Solheim have been travelling around the world promoting your book To End a Civil War: Norway’s Peace Engagement in Sri Lanka, but Solheim is not going to be in Colombo for the book launch. Why has he decided not to visit Sri Lanka?

A. Originally, it was hoped Erik would take part in the Colombo launch. Not least because after so many years of absence from a country he loves, he was keen to return. In the end, however, it was felt that his presence might pull the focus away from the book and onto him personally.

Why did you take up the task now to write the book, as narrated by Solheim and the Norway Foreign Ministry, when the war was over six years ago?

A. First I should explain that while Erik and other Norwegian officials were important sources, they were by no means the only ones. I interviewed countless in Sri Lanka, India, the US, EU, UN – anybody who had played a significant role in Norwegian-facilitated peace efforts.
I was approached about doing the book in 2012. My impression is the Norwegians felt their side of the story had not been told either properly or objectively. And a particular issue was that in the latter stages of the war, as well as after it, Norway became a sort of whipping boy for just about anything in Sri Lanka. If something went wrong – simple, blame it on those ‘salmon eating busy-bodies’ in Oslo! 

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