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| Sunday, 28 September 2003 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Tigers, Eastern Muslims strike bargain by P. Krishnaswamy In a new turn of event, the LTTE and Eastern Muslims civil society organisations have reached agreements on several crucial issues, resulting in restoration of normal life in Batticaloa and Ampara districts. Tension remained high in the East in the past weeks as Muslim traders of Eravur, Kaththankudy, Batticaloa and Ampara staged protest demonstrations and hartals against the LTTE's high-handed acts, which impeded their trade and restricted their movements into Tamil areas of the district. At the meeting held last week, LTTE Eastern Commander Col. Karuna Amman had agreed to organise a similar meeting with regard to resettlement of Muslims in the North after consultation with LTTE political leader S. P. Thamilselvan, Secretary General of the North-East Muslim Peace Assembly (NEMPA), an umbrella organisation of the Muslims' civil society organisation said. In Trincomalee too, a meeting of this kind will be held soon, he said. Resettlement of internally displaced Muslims and Tamils in the North and East, free movement of traders of the two communities in Batticaloa and Ampara districts, immediate restoration of paddy lands to the Muslims, formation of zonal committees to maintain communal amity, dispensing with taxes on traders are issues on which agreements have been reached, according to M. I. M. Mohideen. The LTTE was represented by Col. Karuna Amman, Special Commander Ramesh, political leader Kausalyan, economic advisor Nizam and Ampara political leader Bawa while the NEMPA was represented A. L. A. Jawath, M. I. M. Mohideen, Y. M. A. Cader, U. L. M. N. Mubeen, M. H. M. Hakeem, I. M. Ibrahim, Dr. A. L. Farook and M. H. M. Munas, according to NEMPA sources. In a significant goodwill gesture, the LTTE returned 30,000 acres of Muslims' paddy lands to the Muslims immediately after the meeting, the sources said. It was also agreed to work in co-ordination at the village level to restore normal life, resettle displaced families in their original homes, strengthen the security of the Muslims and work for their economic prosperity, the sources said. NEMPA was formed after a meeting in Colombo on September 6-7 among leaders of the 20 Muslim civil society organisations, mainly to discuss the problems of human security in the North and East and other important issues with both the Government and the LTTE. The meeting was facilitated by the Foundation for Co-existence, Colombo, in the wake of the turbulent situation prevailing in the East, the sources further said. |
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