Karl Nygaard

Mr. Karl Henrich Nygaard, Group Leader, Human Rights Committee, Norway#

Honourable Minister, Leaders of the Tamil Parties, Fellow Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very thankful to be invited to this conference to learn about the situation in Sri Lanka. Before I left Norway, I promised my Tamil friends to give you the greetings from this small country up in the cold North.

Totally there are 350 Tamils in Norway, 200 of them live in Bergen, my home town. Last year after the massacres in Sri Lanka, they took initiative to collect the members of all political parties in Norway, to give the information about the situation for Tamils. This meeting resulted in a solidarity group for Sri Lankan Tamils—The Tamil Human Rights group. I represent this group here today. This is a local initiative of their Local politicians in this town. I promise to bring back to Norway all the information which will come out from this Conference.

It is necessary to inform people all over the world about the Sri Lankan situation. But what can we do? We in Europe, we in Norway? We can first of all bring information about the situation. This conference is a place to get such information. Secondly we must put pressure on our own government to use pressure on the Sri Lankan regime through direction contact with Sri Lanka through United Nations and other International Organisations. Last year, my group had meetings with the Foreign Minister of Norway to inform him and the Government of Norway about the Sri Lankan Tamils and their situations. We tried to do this year too. The third thing that we must do is the proposal which came from Mr. Selbourne. It is a very good proposal. There must be an International Tribunal as soon as possible. I think Norway which has had such Tribunals before in our country will support that thought.

I am very thankful to be here and I will give all the information back to my friends in Norway.