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| Sunday, 7 December 2003 |
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Security |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Normalcy returning to Trincomalee by P. Krishnaswamy Trincomalee and Kinniya are now relatively calm after three weeks of high tension, night curfews on eight consecutive days and intense security. Trincomalee police sources said that normalcy was returning, people were moving freely, transport services were operating and government offices as well as shops remained open. No incidents were reported during the last four days, other than one isolated incident in Muttur last Thursday evening in which a youth got killed when one of the two hand grenades he was carrying went off accidentally, the sources said. GCE (OL) candidates were appearing for their examinations without any impediments, with security provided at the examination centres and transport ensured, the sources also said. A volatile situation prevailed in Trincomalee, Kinniya and other neighbouring areas following the killings of eight Muslims by unidentified assassins, giving rise to various rumours. Hundreds of panicking Tamils and Muslims who fled their homes for safety have now begun returning to their homes, the sources said. Maj. Gen. Sunil Tennekoon, 22 Division Commander, told the Sunday Observer that a Joint Committee comprising representatives of Muslims, Tamils and the LTTE was formed last Tuesday in Alankerny, Kinniya and the committee has held two meetings. The committee has made considerable progress towards restoring normal life and strengthening communal harmony in the affected areas, he said. Food relief to displaced Tamil families of Alankerny and Eechantivu was now being despatched regularly, although the relief did not reach the families earlier due to certain transport problems, according to sources of the Trincomalee Divisional Secretariat. The sources also said that the CWC outlets in the two villages have now started distributing dry rations to the families. NGOs and other humanitarian organisations were also engaged in providing relief assistance to affected families in all areas, the sources said. Last week police arrested K.B.Weerasekera at his house in Marathady junction, near Kinniya. He had in his possession several hand grenades. He was remanded after being produced before the Magistrate, police sources said. Three Muslim youths intercepted while travelling in a trishaw in Trincomalee and found to be in the possession of a sword and two hand grenades were also arrested and remanded after being produced before the Magistrate, the sources said. Trincomalee SSP (STF), Upali Hewage, told the Sunday Observer that investigations were being conducted to ascertain as to who was behind the killings and that they would not be able to say anything conclusively until the investigations were over. Contentious views of political parties and political groups over the independent representation of the Eastern Muslims in the peace talks, have aggravated a political disharmony in the Eastern province. The turbulent situation that prevailed from time to time over the past several months should be viewed in that background. The Athaullah group broke away from the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) and later formed the Ashraff Congress on that issue. A North-East Muslim MPs Forum was formed in August 2003 to represent the stand of the Eastern Muslims as 'one voice'. Incidents of violence and civil unrest have aggravated in the Eastern province since June 2002. In Valaichchenai, Oddamavadi and Muttur properties worth about Rs.150 million were destroyed in arson during communal clashes which followed the detection of the bodies of two Muslims. There was also unrest over the imposition of taxes by the LTTE on Muslim traders. This scenerio has continued to this day causing untold sufferings to the civilian population and causing uncertainty among them about their future. Kinniya killings attributed to LTTE Apropos the news item appearing in the Sunday Observer of November 30 under the caption "Three killed in Kinniya - Police Rule Out Communal Clashes", General Secretary of the All Ceylon Jemiyyathul Ulama, Kinniya Branch, M. I. Hathiyathullah (Moulavi) attributions the killings to the LTTE states: "According to area residents the LTTE has been moving with weapons in this area and there are no armed groups other than the LTTE in the area". The news item in question was based on police statements. Meanwhile in a communique released to the press on December 3 the National Secretary General of the All Ceylon Jemiyyathul Ulama, Al-Sheik H. Abdul Nassar, has stated that "an anti-peace element that is bent upon teasing the Muslims and bringing disrepute to them internationally is behind the Kinniya killings". It also states "these barbaric killings are being committed in a pre-planned manner adding while peace is being advocated loudly on the one hand, it is also being strangled on the other." |
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