HAKEEM ACCUES LTTE FOR MUSLIMS' CLAMITY

Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauff Hakeem MP who briefed the media just after his meeting this evening (August 8) with a delegation led by Norwegian Special Envoy Jon Hanssen Bauer said that the delegation was apprised that the LTTE was responsible for the present calamity of the Muslims of Muttur while the government was also responsible for certain aspects of violence including indiscriminate artillery shelling at civilian targets. The delegation was also informed that LTTE invasion of Muttur appeared to be part of their plan of ethnic cleansing, according to reliable information, he said.

He said that other details that were apprised to the delegation with regard to the current tragic condition of the thousands of displaced families included:

" Maximum damage has been done to the Muslim families of Muttur and its neighboring areas in fighting between the government forces and the LTTE. Their houses and properties were devastated and a majority of the displaced the people are now languishing in open air shelters in Kantalai and other places without food, water, medical care and other basic humanitarian assistance. The barbaric attacks that led to their evacuation has deprived them of their source of livelihood and has also affected them psychologically.

"The barbaric LTTE invasion of Muttur has achieved nothing other than leaving innocent Muslims in the lurch as destitute people. It was a senseless act and heartless act perpetrated by them. The right of the displaced families to resettle in their homes in their traditional villages should be asserted by the Norwegians and the international community with arrangements for their rehabilitation and resettlement after assessment of the reasons and the background that led to their expulsion and exodus.

"We have reliable information that the LTTE which set up a check point at the 64th mile post on the Muttu-Kantalai road diverted the fleeing families into routes through areas under their control and detained over 100 Muslim youths in an effort to conscript them into their rebel movement and gunned down several of them. We have requested the SLMM to assist us to retrieve the bodies of those killed for cremation. The little confidence that the Muslim people had bestowed on the LTTE has now been totally shattered. They have also perpetrated other cruelties and atrocities on our people. On the other hand, the government forces had also staged brutal attacks with total disregard for civilian lives.

"We have conveyed our requests to the LTTE on provision of humanitarian assistance to the affected people and we are waiting for their reply.

"The security of the Muslims has now become a major concern. We also held discussions today with President Mahinda Rajapakse on the present calamity of the Muslim people and their immediate humanitarian needs. At the discussion, we also requested for measures to ensure that convoys transporting food and other relief assistance do not become targets of attacks.

"In the light of the events that have occurred we reiterate on the need for incorporating changes to the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA). The SLMM should be strengthened not only in numbers but it should be broad-based and more powers should be bestowed on it.

"Braving all adversities and calamities, nearly 5000 Muslim people of Muttur are still continuing to live in their homes."