Sri Lankan government in power in 2002 ordering radio equipment for the LTTE has "left a bad taste in everyone's mouth" stirring controversy that the government and the Norwegian facilitators have gone too far to please the Tigers, a cable dated December 20, 2002 sent by the United States mission in Colombo said.
The United National Party (UNP) government in power in 2002 with the assistance of Norwegian Embassy in Sri Lanka has ordered the radio equipment for the LTTE radio station "Voice of the Tigers" which was legalized by the government as a private entity and given permission to broadcast.