MUSLIM PARTIES’ PROTEST DEMO Today

A massive protest demonstration, sponsored by the Muslim United Liberation Front (MULF) and participated by all major Muslim political parties and organizations, is to be held tomorrow August 11 in front of the Dematagaha Jumma Masjid near the Colombo Town Hall to condemn to condemn LTTE war crime that has left over 40,000 Muslims of Muttur and over 15,000 of Thoppur as displaced refugees while also massacring over 100 of them. At this protest demonstration to be held at 1:00 p.m. after Jumma Prayers the government's failure to protect the innocent civilians will also be condemned at this demonstration, according to a media release issued by the MULF. Sri Lanka Muslim Congress national leader Rauff Hakeem MP and representatives of the MULF, United Socialist Party, All University Muslim Students' Federation, All Ceylon Muslim League Youth Front, Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum, Sri Lanka Sharia Board, Board of Tharikkas, YMMA national Council, Friends of Free Palestine, Palestine Solidarity Movement, Kashmir Solidarity Movement and Young Lawyers' Association will join the protest demonstration.

50,000 LANGUISHING IN KANTALAI- HAKEEM TELLS PARLIAMENT

Sri Lanka Muslim Congrss (SLMC) national leader Rauff Hakeem MP,speaking in parliament on Tuesday, August 8, on the current calamity of the displaced Muslim of the war ravaged Muttur town in Trincomalee said that over 50,000 people from areas in and around Mutur have fled to Kantalai and are now languishing in a deplorable condition. He said that more refugees were pouring in from there into many areas in Kurunegala, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruxva districts. Colombo and Kandy districts too have begun to receive small numbers of these unfortunate victims of war. Thousands of unfortunate victims of the Mutur eviction are recounting their harrowing experiences at the hands of the LTTE and the deliberate unceasing artillery and mortar attacks from security forces' camps, with the objective of flushing out the LTTE, despite calls to suspend this mode of attack and, unfortunately, this had resulted in scores of people dying, he said. He said that all of us are aware that in war the first casualty is truth.

Vivid details of the atrocious and inhuman treatment meted out to the fleeing civilian population by LTTE cadres, in the vicinity of Pachchanoor on the Mutur - Kantalai road. starkly exposed the LTTE's brutality, he said. The thousands of civilians who left Mutur on an assurance by the LTTE that no harm would be caused to them if they chose to leave were subjected to such harassment and cruelty resulting in the Muslims realizing that as in instances before, the LTTE's assurances could not be taken for granted, he further said.

He stated that ever since the invasion of Mutur by the LTTE, his appeals and statements have unfortunately been the subject of critical retort by some elements in the government, adding that in some print media and websites supportive of the LTTE, including the Tamil net, his statements were taken out of context and portions of the statements have been used to give the impression that he had attributed disproportionate blame on the government forces. There, armed cadres of the LTTE separated the young and able bodied men from the women, the children and the elderly and some of the cadres were seen beating the women, the children and the elderly who chose to plead on behalf of the detained men, he said. An artillery attack which targeted this checkpoint, according to scores of eyewitnesses resulted in the death of some civilians as well as a few LTTE cadres. In the ensuing confusion many civilians managed to escape from the LTTE cadres and reach Kantalai after trekking for many hours through inhospitable terrain, he also said.

Speaking further, he said that:

" The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress as a Party that has received preponderant mandate repeatedly from the Muslims is duty bound to bring to the attention of this august assembly and place on record the grave injustice caused to the innocent civilian population of Muttur and the surrounding villages as a result of the recent military engagement between the LITE and the Government of Sri Lanka that was aimed at gaining control of territory.

" The GoSL whilst claiming that their offensive was to ensure the security of the State and the LTTE the areas under their control have continued with absolute impunity to desecrate the human security of the innocent civilian population caught up in the cross fire.

" All of us are aware that in war the first casualty is truth. Unfortunately this has resulted in scores of people dying and the constructive expulsion of Muslims caused by the LTTE's surprise attack.

" The LTTE claims that they had withdrawn their forces to pre CFA positions after having achieved the limited objective of attacking selected targets of the Sri Lankan forces From the morning of 4th August, thousands of fleeing civilians, including children, pregnant mothers and the elderly who have been subjected to virtual starvation for over forty eight hours, as a result of incessant attacks on Mutur both by the government forces and the LTTE, were forcibly diverted to Kiranthimunai, off the 64th milepost on the Mutur - Kantalai road.

" Quite paradoxically the government stated that they are resorting to a limited offensive operation on humanitarian grounds to help the farmers who were served by the Mawilaru anicut, the sluice gates of which were forcibly closed by the LTTE. Similarly the LTTE in its statement announcing the withdrawal of their forces to pre-CFA positions all over the Trincomalee district also stated that they are doing so, in consideration of the humanitarian crisis.

"On Sunday 6th, we heard of the offer by the LTTE to voluntarily open the sluice gates of Mawil Aru provided the government agrees to certain conditions.

"All the peace loving people of Sri Lanka have come to realize that both the government and the LTTE continue to make sanctimonious pronouncements supposedly with the objective of respecting the humanitarian needs of the people. In real terms their motive is to pursue a relentless military option totally disregarding the sanctity of life and limb of innocent civilians. The destruction caused to property and other economic assets of the innocent Muslim, Tamil and Sinhala people of this area is incalculable. The psychological trauma experienced by these people is going to leave an indelible impact on their psyche for years to come. The cost of the ammunition, the bombs and all the military hardware that are employed and estroyed by both sides to this conflict could have fed the affected farmers of Mawil Aru and all the other victims who have been forced to leave their homes indefinitely.

" In terms of the CFA it is the GoSL that is responsible for the protection of human security particularly in government controlled areas. The events that unfolded in the recent past reiterates the SLMC's repeated call that the CFA must be reviewed and strengthened to address the legitimate concerns of all stakeholders and every possible step taken to protect and ensure security of the civilian population at all times.

" It is also our considered view that these incidents cannot be seen in isolation but need to viewed together with the events of the recent past, including the notices that were distributed in Muttur area calling the Muslims to vacate the areas. It is also pertinent to analyse as to whether the GoSL has unwittingly been lured into a trap, where it could easily be accused of triggering the exodus of the people of Muttur or have the radical elements clamoring for war as the solution to the ethnic problem skillfully achieved their objective of pitting the Muslims against the Tamils.

" It is also our reiterated position mat as a responsible political party we are committed to finding a lasting, durable and dignified peace that would be acceptable to all communities through negotiations. It is in this backdrop that we would find it difficult to endorse indiscriminate violations of the CFA that has resulted in forced eviction of Muslims from the areas of their traditional habitation and systematic destruction of the political and economic power of the Muslims of the Northern and Eastern Provinces. "