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| Sunday, 15 January 2006 |
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Security |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Trauma of
Easterners
by Anura Maitipe The Muslim and Tamil community in the Eastern province live under constant fear of the LTTE. Torture, abduction and killing of people for not adhering to the LTTE command and demands, of ransom was revealed to us on a recent visit to this area. The LTTE charged money from people under the pretext of collecting taxes. In the event of failure to pay the LTTE meted out deterrent punishment, natives in Kathankudi, Kalmunai and Chenkaladi told the Sunday Observer. Former school Principal Mohomed Navaz living in Kalmunai south said "most people in the eastern province live on agriculture, fisheries and animal husbandry. Prior to the war Muslims lived along with the Tamils and Sinhalese in all parts of the eastern province. People in Kenneth farm, Dollar farm Kathankudi and Chenkaladi moved away from these villages following massacre of people by the LTTE in 1980". Following the ceasefire agrement between the government and the LTTE many of these families that escaped LTTE massacre in 1980 returned to their lands and now they engage in their day-to-day activities. And the fishing community, affected by tsunami disaster in Kalmunai, Batticaloa and Sainthamaruttu have also returned to normalcy. But even then they are living in constant fear of The LTTE. "The LTTE used to charge Rs1000 per acre of paddy and Rs. 500 from each fishing boat per day. It is very unfair because on the one hand we pay taxes to the government. On the other hand we got to pay ransom to the LTTE too", they said. M. Hidaya, housewife lives at Kathankudi said, "We are living in fear and the LTTE keeps on harassing us. A few weeks ago my husband was abducted along with two other Muslim men when they were collecting firewood in the jungle. And later after paying Rs. 15,000 my husband and two other people were released by the LTTE. Another Tamil lady who lives at Chenkaladi who opted for anonymity said: It was not only Muslims even Tamil people live in fear of the LTTE. This situation was further aggravated after the creation of Karuna faction. The LTTE abducts our children and kills people on suspicions of helping Karuna. She further added,the majority of people hate the LTTE but they keep quiet as they have no alternative. We cannot oppose them openly because then they will kill us. We would like to live in peace along with Muslim and Sinhalese people but the LTTE won't allow us to live in peace. R. Thangadori who lives at Kalmunai South said, "I have been living on fishing for the last four decades. At the time of war fishing was restricted in certain areas but now there are no such restrictions and we are free to catch in our waters. The biggest problem faced by the fishing community, Muslims as well as Tamils in the east is unauthorised taxes being enforced by the LTTE. For each and every boat we got to pay Rs. 500 to Rs. 2,000 per day according to the size of the boat and the catch, this amount could differ", he added. He further said, that the LTTE claimed that they are fighting for
liberation of Tamil people but after fighting for twenty years now the LTTE
has become a vicious force against the Tamil community itself. What we need
now is to get liberated from the LTTE gun and to have a peaceful life." |
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