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Sunday, 3 July 2005 |
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Muslims clamour for equal status by Ranga Jayasuriya The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, an umbrella organisation of Muslim religious and civil society organization has demanded equal representation for the Muslims in the Post-Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS) and a branch office of the secretariat be set up in the Eastern province. The Muslim Council has written to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, raising its concerns and requesting a meeting to discuss Muslim concerns in the P-TOMS. "Muslims should have equal participation in these functions (of the P-TOMS) in the light of the loss and damage sustained by the community," said the letter. Pointing out that the High Level Committee (HLC) is not given any corresponding right or power to distribute or allocate funds and that its functions are confined to formulate the policies, the Muslim Council demands the functions of the HLC be extended to the allocation and distribution of resources. "The HLC in our view is an eyewash," says the letter. It also demands the GOSL to be the Chairman of the HLC all the time. The Council, saying that the suspension of cooperation by the parties in a dispute is not the answer to a lack of consensus, demands a mechanism to be set up to resolve such disputes at both levels, i.e High Level Committee and Regional Committee, perhaps with the mediation of the donors . It also complains that the Muslims have been left out in the process of establishment of the "Regional Fund," under which Muslims should get "at least one half or more of the funds". "The mechanism for the establishment and operation of the Relief Fund should have the participation of the Muslims," it says. |
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