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| Sunday, 24 August 2003 |
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Eastern situation Efforts to bring Tamils, Muslims together The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) spokesperson Agnes Bragadottir told the Sunday Observer that the situation in the Eastern Province was now under control and SLMM officials in respective areas in the East were having meetings with the LTTE leaders and Senior Tamil and Muslim citizens. "The meetings have taken place amicably and all Tamil and Muslim citizens are showing great interest in restoring law and order in the region, Agnes Bragadottir said. by R. Thurairatnam, Batticaloa Corr. Mr. A. Ibralebbai (40y) and Mr. K. L. Ismail (21y) were shot dead on Sunday night by unidentified gunmen at Nelluchchenaivettai in Sammanthurai, Their bodies were recovered on Monday morning at the site. Sammanthurai police immediately launched an investigation into the killing which has escalated tension among the population in Sammanthurai and its suburbs. Denying any involvement in the killing of two Muslim civilians in Sammanthurai the deputy political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Ampara. Kuyilan, said, "Elements bent on derailing the peace process could have committed this dastardly act" according to media sources. Kuyilan appealed to all to join hands to identify persons who were behind these killing and urged Tamils and Muslims in the Ampara district to continue to live in harmony without giving room for anti-peace elements, media sources said. Kalmunai and Sammanthurai in the Amparai district were completely paralysed on Monday when residents and businessmen observed a hartal protesting against the killings. A Muslim community vigilantes' group organised only hartal Ibrahim Hyas 30 and Thambilebbe Marzook 20, left for Valaichenai on August 18, telling their relatives that they would return on the next day, but have not returned yet and the relatives say that they fear the two might have been abducted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Though the Muslim public and Muslim political leaders allege that the LTTE was behind the killing of Muslim men, the LTTE has denied any involvement, saying that such actions were carried out by forces intent on derailing the peace process who want to cause rift between the Muslim and Tamil communities in the East. On the other hand the Tamil public and political leaders in the East say that abductions and killings of Tamil youths by some Muslim extremist groups are common in the East. Adrian Sellan, 20, a Tamil youth who had been abducted on the 13th, the killing of two Muslims in Trincomalee, is now reported to have been killed. Earlier, another Tamil youth, Gunam Subaraj was shot dead in Muttur while he was asleep, according to the Tamil National Alliance parliamentarians. However, there were no violent incidents, and the police and the STF conducted increased patrols in the area. A night curfew starting at 6 p.m. has been declared in Kalmunai and Akkaraipattu. Members of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and officers of Sri Lanka Police met in Kalmunai ASP office on Thursday to review the tense situation prevailing in Kalmunai and to formulate solutions to de-escalate tensions in the area, security sources said. Priyantha Peiris ASP, I. Nazeer HQI, from Sri Lanka Police LTTE's Ampara district political head Bava, Kalmunai district political head Rajkumar, members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), members of the Human Rights Commission and Muslim clerics participated in the meeting. At the conference held on Thursday morning between Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) delegation led by its parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan at the parliamentary complex, it was decided to summon all Tamil and Muslim parliamentarians for a conference on Tuesday next week before finalizing the list of new recruits for the police in the eastern province. The Prime Minister will preside over the conference, which is expected to decide on the ethnic ratio in recruiting new hands to the police in the east TNA sources said. It was further agreed at the conference to continue the process of accepting applications for the posts of Tamil speaking sub inspectors and constables as decided by the Defence Ministry and the final selection would be made on the outcome of the proposed conference of Tamil and Muslim parliamentarians to be held next week, sources said. These decisions were taken following strong protest made by TNA parliamentarians that recruiting more Muslims in the new recruitment effort would lead to serious problems in ensuring security of Tamils in the eastern province, TNA sources said. The TNA strongly demanded that the new recruits to the police service should be appointed on the ethnic ratio in the eastern province. The TNA delegation pointed out to Mr. Wickremasinghe that not only Muslims but Tamils also had been murdered, abducted and harassed in the eastern province during the recent violence. The TNA delegation told the Prime Minister it was not advisable to take a hasty decision that the LTTE was responsible for the killings of Muslims in the eastern province. "Several anti-peace elements are working in the eastern province to derail the present peace process and such elements could also be held responsible for the killing of Muslim civilians to meet their ends", the delegation told Mr. Wickremesinghe. TNA sources said that Mr. Wickremesinghe had also expressed a similar view at the discussions. The TNA delegation comprised parliamentarians R. Sampanthan, V. Anandasangaree, Joseph Pararajasingham, Mavai Senathirajah, Selvam Adaikalanathan, M. K. Sivajilingam, A. Chandra Nehru and N. Raviraj again met the Prime Minister at the parliamentary complex and discussed in detail about the outcome of the talks it had earlier on Thursday with the Interior Minister Mr. John Amaratunge and Inspector General of Police Mr. T. E. Anandarajah. The TNA parliamentary delegation on Wednesday also met the Prime Minister at the parliamentary complex and discussed in detail regarding the security situation in the eastern province. CID teams despatched by JAYAMPATHY JAYASINGHE The government has despatched two CID teams to the Eastern province (EP) to probe into incidents of killings and abductions of muslim men in the recent past. "We are awaiting a report from the CID to decide on the course of action to be taken, the Inspector General of Police T.E. Ananadarajah said. Additional police teams have been sent to the Eastern province to quell violence that have erupted in the recent past he said. The Interior Minister, John Amaratunga addressing a media conference last week said the government has taken adequate steps to ensure the safety and security of people living in the eastern province both Muslims and Tamil people. The Prime Minister has enlisted the co-operation of Muslim and Tamil Member of Parliament (MP's) to bring about a settlement and to prevent violence that has marred peace and stability in the region in the past few months. He said Army and Police teams have been deployed in the eastern province to ensure peace in the region and to assist the police in preventing violent incidents. " An unforseen hand is seen behind the recent abductions and killings of persons in the Eastern province," he said. Because of the tensed atmosphere three Senior Supdt. of Police (SSP's) have been posted temporarily to Eastern province. They are SSP. Jurangan Savangan, A. Sherifdeen and J. Laffir. Interior Ministry's Secretary, M. Junaid said the government had decided to recruit 550 Tamil speaking youths from the Eastern province to the police force. Youths from both communities irrespective whether Muslims or Tamils would be eligible for recruitment provided that they do not belong to an armed political faction. Police sources said that the majority of persons killed during the last three months in Batticaloa belonged to several Tamil political parties. They are PLOT member Kumra Raperiban, EPRLF member Kalidasan Ramaneru, TELO member D. Sinnaih, EPDP member, Ponnai Ramachandran, PLOT member V. Meeganathan and EPDP member Arasaratnam Rapiskaran. Sources said no Muslim member in the Batticaloa police division have been assassinated so far although there was speculation that two Muslims who had come to Batticaloa town a couple of days ago have been abducted and murdered. So far their bodies have not been found. However the matter has been brought to the notice of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) for further inquiry. Meanwhile, in a separate incident the police had to baton charge a procession of Muslims people from proceeding towards the LTTE office in Kalmunai to perform a Satyagraha. |
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