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| Sunday, 30 November 2003 |
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Three killed in Kinniya : Police rule out comnunal conflict by P. Krishnaswamy Tension remains high in Kinniya, in the Trincomalee District, following the killing of three Muslims who had gone to their paddy fields in the nearby village, Naduootru, yesterday morning. SSP, Trincomalee, Upali Hewage, told the 'Sunday Observer' that the three bodies were to be handed over to their families yesterday evening after the magisterial inquiry. Hewage said that the killings were connected to land disputes between the Tamil and the Muslim farmers and were not connected to communal or political conflict. " Muslim farmers began cultivating their lands in the Tamil villages, after the LTTE consented to return the fields recently, but the Tamil farmers who had owned the lands for over 15 years have turned now hostile", Hewage said, adding that, the problem would have to be settled collectively by the LTTE, the Government and officials of the land registry. Yesterday's killings follows a similar incident last week in which four Muslims were killed. Hewage said that according to investigations, the grenades were lobbed by Hindus during the Muslims' Ramzan festival as a revenge for staging a hartal during their Deepavali festival and thus disturbing their celebrations. Last week's incidence was in the villages of Faisalnagar and Ponnarativu in close proximity to the Muslim populated Kinniya town. Security was tightened by deploying joint police, navy and army patrolling. About 700 Tamil and Muslim families of the border villages fled their homes and took shelter in school buildings and houses of their relatives and friends in the neighbouring villages. Meanwhile Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Minister Rauff Hakeem who is on a tour of India has requested Joint Force Commander Lionel Balagalle to take necessary steps to strengthen security and make arrangements to bring the tense situation under control. Minister Hakeem has also conveyed his condolences to the families and the relations of the victims and requested the public to assist the Government, to maintain law and order. |
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