Remembering the Eviction of the Northern Muslims:
Reconciliation and challenges of resettlement
On October 30, 1990 the entire Muslim population of close to
75,000 people living in the North were evicted by the LTTE. It is
now 25 years since the Muslim community fled the North fearing for
their lives and leaving behind their homes, livelihoods and
histories. Compelled to leave without most of their belongings, they
were allowed to take only 500 rupees and no jewellery.
Reflection
As the country attempts to move towards reconciliation and a
political solution, the Friday Forum calls for reflection about this
tragic eviction. This is not merely about condemning the LTTE's
ruthless dispossession of an entire community. Rather, it serves as
a crucial reminder of the deep divisions within our society that
needs to be recognised and addressed. Injustice against any
community requires all of us to reflect and together find solutions.
Despite the war having ended over six years ago, in places like
Jaffna the Muslims are in limbo, and their resettlement has for the
most part been a failure. Of the close to 8,000 families that
originate from the Jaffna Town, over 2,000 families registered for
resettlement soon after the end of the war. However, only about six
hundred families now remain in Jaffna, and that amidst tremendous
social and economic problems.
The loss of their original land and houses, most of which were
destroyed, has complicated the resettlement of the Muslim community,
and many are on the verge of giving up on their resettlement and
returning to the camps in Puttalam.
There still seems to be little acknowledgement of their economic
and infrastructure needs. They lack housing, land, jobs and even
decent schooling for their children. When resettlement fails and
families move between Puttalam and their places of return in Jaffna,
the children's education is a major casualty. In the Muslim quarter
of Jaffna town, where a section of Muslims still live in camp-like
conditions, problems of water, drainage and flooding during the
monsoon rains add to their travails.
Resettlement policy
For the Jaffna Muslims and the Northern Muslim community as a
whole, what is needed is a credible and immediate resettlement
policy. This is a right for all those displaced during the war.
Unfortunately, for the Northern Muslim community, when it comes to
forging a resettlement process, they have for the most part been
abandoned by the State and by Muslim and Tamil political parties.
The Northern Muslim community needs resources, but with the
process of return it also has to rebuild relations with neighbouring
communities.
Rebuilding relations
Rebuilding Tamil-Muslim relations is a priority to ensure
successful resettlement as well as for future coexistence. The Tamil
community in the North, in particular, should reflect on the
suffering endured by the Northern Muslims and extend their support
to the Muslim community.
Moreover, as the Government prepares to initiate the long overdue
process of reconciliation and a political solution, it needs to
realise that such processes are inextricably linked to rebuilding
relations between communities. \The Friday Forum believes that
addressing the problems of the Northern Muslim community is an
essential and urgent part of working towards meaningful
reconciliation throughout our country.
- Manouri Muttetuwegama and Ahilan Kadirgamar
On behalf of Friday Forum, the Group of
Concerned Citizens
