Archive for the 'press coverage' Category

In the last 50 or 60 years, during which Sri Lankan government mounted a constitutional struggle, you will not come across a solitary Muslim voice against the aspirations of the Sinhala people. Muslim representatives did not go before Royal Commissions, or have they gone before the international community with any accusation and sought to blacken the image of Sri Lanka government. In fact, if there is one community that could legitimately complain of being discriminated against in the field of education, land alienation, public administration and security which come under the purview of the state, it could be the Muslims.

There are a number of events occurring in the East which directly affect the Muslim people. Muslims cannot understand why the government is not taking their concerns seriously. They have the feeling that they are being left to the grace and favour and the mercy of the TMVP which is a heavily armed terrorist organisation with a high record of atrocities against the Muslims in the East.

After the ceasefire during the UNP regime, the Muslims have been denied access to mosques during mass agitation promoted by the LTTE. Further, there are the incidents at Muttur, Kinniya, Valachenai, Eravur, Addalachchenai and Akkaraipattu where the LTTE – Karuna / Pillayan group and other Tamil militants destroyed properties worth billions and abducted and killed hundreds of Muslims while praying in mosques.

LTTE-Tamils are unlawfully occupying 63,000 acres of agricultural land belonging to 15,000 Muslim Families in the East.

Former Muslim majority Panamapattu DRO Division, 472 sq. miles, population 26,916. When redemarcating the new administrative divisions, 19,831 – 74% Muslim Majority Pottuvil AGA Division was given only 22% – 103.9 sq. miles and the balance 78% – 368.2 sq. miles land area was allocated to the 7,085 – 26% Sinhala majority Lahugala AGA division. Now the Sinhalese and the STF in Lahugala are objecting the Muslims cultivating the state land which they have been cultivating on government permit earlier.

In the Sammanthurai Muslim majority DRO division, nearly 50 sq. miles of land area covering the Hardy Institute, Ampara Tank and the Town area was separated and added to the Sinhala majority Wewagampattu South – Uhana AGA division.

When compared with the land area of Sinhala majority Lahugala AGA division and the land areas of Muslim majority Kalmunai AGA division, the Sinhalese are having 208 times more than the land area of the Muslims. When comparing the land areas for the Sinhalese with the land area for the Muslims in the Muslim Majority Ampara District, the Sinhalese land area is 13 times more than the Muslim land area.

Serious issues have been raised by Muslims of Batticaloa on the ongoing activities of the several international organizations assisted by the government and the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) in resettling the displaced Tamils on lands owned by the Muslims.

After 1985, LTTE forcibly occupied Muslim residential, agricultural and cattle farming lands – more than 35,000 acres in areas under their control. The GOSL did nothing to restore these properties owned by the Muslims on title deeds, government permits and the paddy cultivation register.

The displaced Muslims suffered untold hardships during the last 22 years. Now after the GOSL cleared these areas of the LTTE, the TVMP of Pillayan with the help of the government security

forces and INGO assistance, is putting up permanent houses, churches, temples and schools in the Muslim lands forcibly occupied by the LTTE without any consideration for MuslimsA?a??a?? right to settle the displaced Muslims who are the lawful owners of these lands.

The Batticaloa district consists of 14 Pradeshiya Sabhas and covering an extent of 2633 sq. km. There are four predominantly Muslim DS divisions and the land area – Kattankudi 3.4 sq. km. Eravur Town 3.89 sq. km., Koralaipaththu West (Ottamavadi) 6.84 sq. km. Koralaipaththu Central 6.50 sq. km. Total extent of Muslim land area approximately 20.0 sq. km., which is less than 1.0% of the total area of Batticaloa District where the Muslim population is 33% today.

Although the Local Government Commission declared Koralaipaththu Central – the area of historical habitation of the Muslims, covering more than 240 sq. km. and consisting of 11 Grama Sevaka Niladhari divisions, the boundaries have not yet been demarcated on ground. The TMVP of Pillayan has encroached on more than 110 sq. km.

Of the agricultural and cattle farm lands, more than 12,000 acres owned by the Eravur Muslims lie along the Chenkaladi – Badulla – A5 road. Today the entire area along this road has come under the control of GOSL armed forces. Arrangements are being made now to bring back the Tamils who have been unlawfully occupying Muslim lands and settle them permanently by the TMVP of Pillayan and the Government armed forces without any consideration of the displaced Muslims by the LTTE.

During the ethnic conflict 1983, 1985, 1990 etc., more than 12,700 Muslim families were chased out by the LTTE and they forcibly occupied all the Muslim lands that came under LTTE control. The GOSL did nothing to provide any relief or pay compensation for the loss of livelihood of these displaced Muslims.

Resettlement of displaced Tamils on Muslim land in Iyankeni, Meerakerni, Mitchanagar, Hidayathanagar, Thakvanagar in and around Eravurpathu Pradeshiya Sabha would further deteriorate the peaceful co-existence of Muslims and Tamils in Eravur.

Ollikulam, Sikaram, Karbela, Palamunai, Kankayan Odai, Keechampallam are the Muslim border villages of Kattankudi in Arayampathi Pradeshiya Sabha. Displaced Tamils after the A?a??E?TsunamiA?a??a?? and GOSL military operations to flush the LTTE terrorists in the Paduvankarai Tamil villages have been temporarily settled in private lands owned by the Muslims and the Mosques. Now the TMVP of Pillayan with the assistance of government armed forces and help from INGOA?a??a??s is making arrangements to provide accommodation to settle the displaced Tamils who have come from Paduwankarai Tamil areas, permanently on land belonging to the Muslims and the mosques, depriving the Muslims, the lands belonging to them.

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Kuchchaveli in Trincomalee district is a predominantly Muslim area. Total population 29,967 and 8,058 families. 65% Muslims 19,443, 31% Tamils 9,282, 3% Christians 905 and 01% Sinhalese 337. Kuchchaveli Pradeshiya Sabha 9 members, Muslims 6, Tamils 3.

But the Divisional Secretary is a Tamil in the predominantly Muslim division. Of the total number of 24 grama niladharies 65% Muslims are given only 7 GSs and the balance 17 GSs are given to the Tamils who are only 35%. Average population of a Tamil GS division is 250 people whereas the population in the Muslims GS division is around 1350.

After de-merging in October 2006, the Eastern Province administration is being ethnically transformed. Appointing retired administrative and security officials well-equipped to implement the A?a??E?SinhalisationA?a??a?? process.

Sri Lanka government has designed a new flag for the Eastern Province. The Muslim community which is the largest ethnic group in the East today has raised serious concern over the failure of the government to recognise this community by not printing any symbol in the flag to represent the Muslims.

Although the Muslims have not staged a war against the government of Sri Lanka for the settlement of our grievances, they are the worst affected lot in the East. The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord, the 13th amendment to the constitution and the provisions of the Provincial Council Act have failed to meet the legitimate and reasonable demands of the Muslims. They have failed to protect our lives and properties. They have failed to promote socio-economic interest of our people. They have failed to recognise the different ethnic and political aspiration of the Muslims. This total disregard shown to Muslim sentiments brings to surface one truth – the government has little or no concern about the safety and security of the Muslim people in the North-East.

Muslims should consider more seriously the present trend and take immediate steps to safeguard our legitimate rights in an appropriate manner. If proper safeguards are not secured now it would amount to be the biggest betrayal of not only the present generation but also those yet to be born in the Eastern province as Muslims.

Land, security, allocation of legitimate share of state land and natural resources to predominantly Muslim local bodies and the resettlement of Muslim IDPs and Tsunami victims are the serious issues that the Eastern Province Muslims are facing today. Therefore it is very important that the majority Muslim community should take control of the Eastern Provincial Council with a Muslim Chief Minister.

source:
http://www.island.lk/2008/04/17/features1.html

Suicidal tendencies of politicians are monumental, as we have been repeating umpteen times in these columns. Lured by prospects of gaining political mileage, they resort to death-defying acts bordering on plain stupidity, which are suggestive of a kind of death wish. In so doing, they endanger not only their lives but also those of the ordinary people.

The government, we are told, is toying with the idea of having its May Day rally in Ampara by way of a show of strength in view of the upcoming Eastern PC polls. The proponents of this harebrained political project seem to think that turning Ampara into a sea of people for a few hours is the surest way to eclipse the UNP-SLMC combine and demoralise its supporters. PretenceA?a??a??or boru showA?a??a??is part and parcel of Sri Lankan politics. All political parties are notorious for transporting people to their rallies from distant places. The two main parties even dish out free food and liquorA?a??a?? mainly sachets of kasippu (rot-gut)A?a??a??to those who take part in their political circuses. For a rally, say, in Kandy, people are bussed from places as far away as Moneragala, free of charge. (Today, NGOs are emulating the SLFP and the UNP to attract crowds to their events in a bid to impress their donors.) Diclofenac over the counter nz

This certainly is not the time for such gimmicks, especially in the Eastern Province. The LTTE has manifestly lost the East and it is unlikely that the outfit will be able to stage a comeback. But, it is capable of launching small scale terror strikes in any part of the country. Its sparrow units have struck in areas like Buttala and Hambegamuwa, killing dozens of people and injuring scores of others. All it takes for the LTTE to disrupt a rally is a single suicide bomber.

It was at a May Day procession that the LTTE assassinated President Ranasinghe Premadasa, one of the most protected leaders in the world. It has attacked a number of political rallies with devastating impact. Leader of the Opposition and UNP Presidential candidate Gamini Dissanayake and several other UNP stalwarts were assassinated at one of the UNP meetings at Thotalanga in 1994. President Chandrika Kumaratunga had a narrow escape at the conclusion of her final presidential election campaign meeting in 1999. A group of Opposition heavyweights perished in a suicide attack on a UNP meeting on the same day.

This is not the time, we repeat, for mass gatherings. PoliticiansA?a??a?? wisdom of holding May Day rallies anywhere at this juncture must, therefore, be questioned. The cancellation of a May Day rally is not an act of cowardice but the most sensible thing to do at a time when the war is raging in the Wanni and the LTTE is looking for something to offset the battlefield gains of the military. Nothing hurts the Tigers more than the fact that their invincibility pretensions have taken a serious dent at the hands of the military. They will do anything to boost the morale of their combatants. They will baulk at nothing in their desperate efforts to achieve that objective.

Ironically, it was only the other day that the government media announced that the ruling party politicians had been warned against making public appearances owing to high security threats against them. At a May Day rally, they will be there in their hundreds, exposing not only themselves but also those around them to terror strikes like the recent one that killed Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle.

Why should politicians get involved in May Day rallies in the first place? The International WorkersA?a??a?? Day has nothing to do with politicians. They had better leave that to workers!

The government-TMVP alliance and the UNP-SLMC coalition have turned the Eastern PC polls into a prestige battle. However hard they may try to flex muscles, it is doubtful that their vainglorious shows of strength will sway easterners, who will have to be assured of their safety and helped rebuild their lives.

We thought the government was confident when it threw down the gauntlet for the PC polls in the East. It has banished the LTTE from that province and initiated a number of massive development projects besides having the entire state machinery at its disposal. The JVPA?a??a??s conflict couldnA?a??a??t have come at a better time for the government as regards the Eastern polls, where the anti UNP-SLMC vote will be split due to the JVP’s entry into the fray. The intraparty dispute of the JVP has left a bad taste in many a mouth and many voters who would have voted with the JVP at a future election is utterly disillusioned. The recent vehicle robberies and incidents of assault and intimidation have evoked memories of JVPA?a??a??s reign of terror (1987-89). The government also seems to think that its alliance with the TMVP which is on a mission to liberate the East from the domination of the North will help secure a sizeable chunk of the Tamil vote.

Minomycin online dating The UNP-SLMC combine has sought to pooh-pooh military victories and development projects in the East. It is eyeing a block vote, especially in the Muslim areas and banking on a possible protest vote from the Tamils opposed to the TMVP and sympathetic to the LTTE in addition to the traditional UNP vote in the East.

Thus, the challenge before the government is how to eat into the SLMC vote bank and win over the Tamils whom it has antagonised through its military campaign and alliance with the TMVP. The UNP-SLMC coalition will have to give the people an alternative to the governmentA?a??a??s development projects and tell them what it proposes to do with the present military strategy and the de-merger. For, the government has apparently sought to give the people a choice between voting with it and losing development projects as well as paving the way for the LTTEA?a??a??s return.

These are not objectives that could be achieved through a show of strength. They need a great deal of effective campaigning at the grassroots level.

Boru shows serve little purpose in this regard. They only expose political leaders and their followers to danger.

source:
http://www.island.lk/2008/04/15/editorial.html