News Today

Muslim Council Meets Ranil

Bandula Jayasekara in Colombo, SLT 10.00 P.M Tuesday 28 June 2005. An eight member delegation from the Muslim Council of Sri Lanka met opposition leader Ranil Wickramasinge at the opposition leader's office at Cambridge Terrace at 4 PM today. During the meeting, the Muslim Council presented its concerns with regard to the P-TOMS signed by the Government and the LTTE. The Muslim Council pointed out the serious flaws in the agreement, with special emphasis on the need for the Government of Sri Lanka to maintain the chairmanship at all levels of administration and equal representation for the Muslim, Tamil and Sinhala community in the regional and district committees.

The opposition leader also commented on the injustice to the Sinhala and Muslim Community in the P-TOMS agreement and assured his support and consideration in a future government under him. The opposition leader also agreed to meet a delegation of Muslim Youth from the Eastern province on Friday at his office. Wickremasinghe wants to assure the youth that he will find a solution to their grievances under a UNP government and urged them to avoid violence, and conduct any opposition through peaceful means.

The Muslim council of Sri Lanka has also requested a meeting with President Chandirika Bandaranayke Kumaranatunga. They will also meet the Tamil National Alliance, The Prime Minister, other Political parties and Co-chairs of the Tokyo agreement to discuss their concerns.

Muslims Take Anti-JM Harthals To Mutur.

Udara Soysa(LM), June 28. Following the string of Harthals imposed by angry Muslims in the Ampara / Batticaloa districts yesterday, the mass anti P-TOMS agitations by the Muslim community will be extended to Trincomalee tomorrow , according to a member of the organizing committee in Mutur.

It was not immediately clear whether the Harthals will grip Trincomalee town but will certainly be launched in Mutur early morning, the sources said.

The organizing committee was in conference finalizing Harthal plans at the time of writing.
In yesterday's decisive Harthal action by the Muslims in Ampara and Batticaloa, traders of all communities were compelled to put up shutters while transport and other services were also shut down completely.

It is learnt that the Harthal, if staged in Trincomalee could generate adverse repercussions and might hence not be staged in Trincomalee town, where the controversial Buddha statue issue remains an explosive powder-keg issueand could give rise to unwarranted complications right now if a hartal is staged there.

Yesterday's Harthals in Ampara and Batticaloa was a historic first as an agitational exercise by the Muslim community in Sri Lanka, that spread with surprising rapidity through more than ten commercial areas in the district, bringing life to a grinding halt everywhere.

Our reporters in the province said scanty pro-PTOMS canvassing by other Muslim interests was drawing no response from an angry eastern province Muslim community.

Political sources said that a break up of another mushroom Muslim party in the government was expected within the next week.

Meanwhile, unprecedented responses from Muslims in the Ampara district has resulted in the SLMC leadership being compelled to extend its eastern province tour by another two days.