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"Better late than Never," Muslim Peace Secretariat tells Norway

Munza Mushtaq in Colombo, June 21, 2005, 8.34 p.m.. Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen today termed the possible non inclusion of the Muslim aspirations in the proposed Post Tsunami Operations Management Structure (P-TOMS) as an 'irreparable damage'.

During a meeting with Muslim peace Secretariat Officials today at the Norwegian Embassy, the Norwegian Facilitator had however claimed that it was now too late to amend the P-TOMS deal to accommodate the community's needs. But had noted the Muslim community was represented at both the Apex level and Regional level. However the Muslim Peace Secretariat officials had insisted upon the need for the Facilitators to impress upon to the LTTE and the Sri Lankan Government to include the Muslim Community's needs in the P-TOMS more commonly known to as the 'Joint Mechanism'. But Helgesen had claimed that 'its too late', to which the MPS officials had responded as 'better late than never'.

Sri Lankan Muslim leader expresses opposition to govt, Tiger joint deal

The minority Muslim community are to oppose the proposed joint deal between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers, the leader of the main Muslim party said Tuesday.

Rauff Hakeem, the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC)told reporters after a meeting with the visiting Norwegian deputy foreign minister Vidar Helgesen that he was planning to meet with President Chandrika Kumaratunga on the issue

Hakeem said he was disappointed with the Norwegian peace facilitator's failure to have the Muslim community as a signatory to the joint mechanism with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels.

Hakeem said Helgesen had told him that the final draft of the mechanism had been finalized and it was not possible to amend it now.

The government and the LTTE would be the only two signatories to the mechanism which has presented Kumaratunga with severe political repercussions.

The SLMC leader said that the Muslim representatives had earlier been assured that adequate accommodation of Muslim concerns would be made in implementing the mechanism and that Muslims would be given the status of a signatory.

He said he would be having talks with the rest of the Muslim representatives to discuss a common stand against the latest turn of events on the mechanism.

The main partner in the Kumaratunga's ruling alliance, the JVP or the People's Liberation Front had already walked out of the government reducing it to a parliamentary minority.

The Sri Lankan president, however, is determined to go ahead inimplementing it in order to ensure equitable distribution of tsunami relief assistance to Tamil regions in the north and east controlled by the Tigers. Enditem