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| Sunday, 10 October 2004 |
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NE Muslims want 'equal partnership' SLMC says by Rashomi Silva Sri Lanka Muslim Congress urged the government to make clear its stance on the issue of North-East Muslims and to ensure an 'equal partnership' status to the Muslim Community in the future peace talks, if the government wishes its participation in the National Advisory Council on Peace and Reconciliation. "We want to know where we stand," said the Party General Secretary Hasan Ali. SLMC was invited among other political parties to be a member of the NAC, but the Congress wanted certain issues to be cleared before sending their representative, Ali said. Speaking on the issues on which the party demands clarification Ali said, they would want to know how the government will assure the rights and the aspirations of the community are safeguarded, if an interim authority is set up as was demanded by the LTTE. "We are an important stake holder in this process, we have lost over 17,000 lives, acres of lands were taken forcibly and millions and millions worth of properties were destroyed, we have burning issues that need urgent attention," he said. The party which went before the public with an election manifesto talked mainly about its stand on the peace process would support the move if their demand on equal participation is met. "What we will have to say in the NAC would also be the same as those we stated in our election manifesto which was accepted by the Muslim Community," he added. |
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