A week has passed and not a single officer attached to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has gone to Muttur to verify the actual fate of the estimated 100 to 200 Muslims who were reportedly slayed by the LTTE for their alleged links to an Islamic organization named Jihad, a newspaper report in the Sunday Standard (www.standardnewspaperslk.com) newspaper said.
Senior Muslim Minister A.H.M. Fowzie who had just returned to Colombo from Kantale told the Sunday Standard that he was absolutely mystified as to why none of these 'big-time INGOs' had not visited the crisis zones.
"I don't understand why they haven't gone. Even Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe in the presence of President Mahinda Rajapakse phoned the ICRC head in Sri Lanka and assured security protection to all ICRC staff who go to Muttur courtesy the Army, but they still haven't' gone," the minister said.
He further noted that although no official number was available it was estimated that at least 100 Muslims were massacred by the LTTE, and the bodies may still be strewn across the onetime battle areas.
Meanwhile, the government's main Muslim ally's deputy leader Abul Kalam has slammed non Muslim political parties, international non-governmental organizations, and other 'big time' groups for differentiating between the hardships faced by the Muslim civilians and failing to issue even a statement expressing concern on the plight of their community.
Mr. Kalam, representing the National Unity Alliance (NUA) noted that it was shocking to note that the majority of these parties and INGOs had come out and expressed their condemnation and shock over the slaying of the 17 aid workers attached to the non-governmental organization Action Against Hunger, while not a single of these organizations had made any statements with regard to the situation faced by the Muslims in the East, where an estimated 100 reportedly been killed and some 35,000 are displaced.
"Not a single Tamil party or any other democratic party has openly condemned the situation which has befallen the Muslims. Why is everyone communalizing this, Why isn't anyone looking at this problem from a 'national issue' perspective ?" the NUA deputy leader queried.
He also noted that reaching out to the Islamic international community in hope of solace for the Sri Lankan Muslims would be an utter myth, when taking into consideration that this same Islamic international community has failed to open its eyes and react in the most ethical manner with regard to the Lebanon crisis.
"The Muslims who have been victims due to the battle between security forces and LTTE are frustrated even in the manner the international community, including the co-chairs and the European Union and even the United Nations has reacted to their plight. Everyone seems to be only interested in the 17 dead aid workers. There is absolutely no mention about the plight of the Muslims, which includes the killing of more than 30 and an estimated 100 still missing," Mr. Kalaam stressed.
Meanwhile, social service workers currently based in Kantale demanded to know where all these 'so called big organizations and their representatives' are. "Not a single authoritative officer representing INGOs in the capacity of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), a plethora of bodies coming under the United Nations have visited these camps. It is only smalltime NGOs such as Muslim Aid, United Methodist Committee on Relief, Jamiatul Ulama, Muslim Foundation for Culture and Development and Jama'at-e Islami who are active in these crisis areas," sources said.
The sources also pointed out that it was 'absolutely appalling' to witness these so-called INGOs who claim to be working for the people peacefully traveling in their plush four-wheel drives and holidaying in expensive resorts, while civilians who are in need of their assistance are languishing.
Reports reaching the Sunday Standard disclosed that the sufferings of these IDPs are much worse than the victims of even the 2004 December 26 tsunami. Sources claimed that the situation was so bad that although many days have passed since they came to Kantale, most of them are still 'utterly confused'.
Citing reasons for their claim, sources pointed out that most of the camps housing these civilians were overflowing and was so bad that in many instances people were sleeping on top of each other.
"A small school in Parathweli in Kantale which taught some 1000 students is now overflowing with Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) numbering a whopping 10,000 to 12,000 civilians. Kantale simply cannot cope with this sudden requirement, while lodging spaces and even basic facilities needed for these displaced persons are grossly inadequate," sources said.
They also stressed that in comparison with the tsunami victims, they always had the possibility of going back to their homes after the catastrophe ended, and most of them were relocated in close proximity to their original homes unlike in the case of these nearly 50,000 displaced, who have been temporarily sheltered some 50 kilometres away from their homes.
"The most important factor was that the tsunami victims had absolutely no security threat unlike what has befallen these Muttur IDPs," sources added.
Sri Lanka's displaced Muslims demand security guarantee to return
The nearly 50,000 displaced civilians from Muttur, Thoppur and surrounding villages have laid down tough conditions if they are to return to their original homes. The majority of the displaced consisting of about 35,000 Muslims have categorically demanded that both the government and the LTTE must 'guarantee their absolute safety and security', sources from the East said.
"Hands off us, do whatever you'll want to each other but keep us out of your fighting," is what they are echoing to both parties. The recent incidents in Muttur and Trincomalee in general have also infused the minds of many of these civilians who may likely even demand arms if authorities fail to provide them with adequate security in the future.
The civilians will not be 'comfortable' with a unilateral guarantee, because after all the STF, Army and police were present when Muttur came under siege by the LTTE, sources noted.
However sources pointed out that although the demand for adequate security had been echoed often in the past, it would very likely fall on deaf ears once again, thereby paving the way for these civilians to have no option but to return to their homes with or without security, which may also make them rebellious.
Meanwhile, the Government's main Muslim ally, National Unity Alliance (NUA) has alleged that the general notion among the displaced Muslims was that the 'Mavil Aru' operation was just an excuse by both parties whose actual target appeared to be the 'Muslim civilians'.
NUA deputy leader Abul Kalam said that the intentions of both parties is questionable, on grounds that even the security forces had initiated action from densely populated Muslim areas in Muttur instead of the heavily populated Tamil areas in Muttur.
The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Kantale alone is estimated at around 40,000 while the balance are scattered around nearby areas including Kinniya and Mollipatana.
8 Tamil Tiger rebels killed in Sri Lanka , official says
Associated Press, Wed August 16, 2006 06:15 EDT . BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI - Associated Press Writer - COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - (AP) Government forces killed eight separatist Tamil Tiger rebels during a gunbattle in northern Sri Lanka - , officials said Wednesday, as air strikes and exchanges of artillery continued to threaten the country's fragile cease-fire. Separately on Wednesday, an elite police unit killed three rebels who had attacked a police patrol in eastern Sri Lanka - , military spokesman Maj. Upali Rajapakse said.
There was no immediate comment from the rebels, but each side routinely disputes figures offered by the other, and reliable casualty counts are nearly impossible to come by.The air strikes were concentrated in northern territories controlled by the Tigers, whose forces battled soldiers with artillery on the Jaffna Peninsula, the Tamil heartland on the country's northern tip.
``On and off, (the rebels) are firing artillery into government-controlled areas and we have successfully repulsed those attacks,'' Rajapakse said.
He said fighter jets bombed insurgent positions in an effort to aid the ground troops on the peninsula, which is controlled by the government but surrounded by rebel territory.
He refused to say if there were any casualties. Officials have said that following weekend clashes in Jaffna, soldiers recovered the bodies of 79 rebels out of more than 200 believed killed. The fighting also killed 90 soldiers and sailors.
Schools around Sri Lanka - , meanwhile, remained empty after the government ordered them shut, fearing they could be targeted by the Tigers.
Aid workers estimate that around 100,000 people have been displaced by fighting in northern and eastern Sri Lanka - since July.
In Jaffna, daily 22-hour curfews have kept the city's 500,000 residents locked in their homes. With the city largely cut off, prices were rising fast, there was only about an hour of electricity a day and mobile phones were barely working.
Norway brokered a 2002 cease-fire between the government and the rebels, who have been fighting since 1983 for an independent homeland for the country's 3.2 million minority Tamils, most of whom are Hindu. The government is dominated by Sri Lanka - 's 14 million predominantly Buddhist Sinhalese.
Although the truce remains officially in effect, violence has been rising for more than a year, and the open fighting in recent weeks in the north and east has pushed the country toward a resumption of full-scale war
PRESIDENT URGED TO RE-OPEN ACCESS ROADS
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) chairman Basheer Segu Dawood MP has appealed to President Mahinda Rajapakse to authorize the immediate reopening of all access roads in uncontrolled areas of Batticaloa facilitating resumption of transport services to main highways in the government controlled areas in the light of the untold sufferings now being encountered by nearly 90,000 Tamil and Muslim people for want of their essential food and medical requirements. In a faxed appeal to the President, the party chairman has stated that Vavunadivu, Chengalady Karuththapalam roads in uncontrolled areas that lead to the Badulla highway and other roads including the Vaganeri road through Sithandy, Sandanamadu and Kawattamunai and also the Paddiruppu bride which were used every by thousands of people to procure their day to day requirements are remaining closed for several days.
HARTAL IN LTTE AREAS OVER AIR ATTACKS
A hartal was observed yesterday, August 15, in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts in LTTE controlled Vanni region as a mark of mourning and protest over Sri Lankan air force air attacks on Monday on a purported children's home in Kilinochchi in which 61 teenage girls were killed and 129 were wounded. As a result transport services completely ground to a halt, all business establishments including shops and all offices and government establishments remained closed, according to reports. A massive protest rally and march was held in Kilinochchi, the reports said. The UNICEF resident representative who addressed the rally was reported as a saying that he visited the scene of the incident where innocent students had become tragic victims of air attacks and he fully understood the grief and sentiments of the people. The incident had drawn criticism from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as well.
While government spokesman, Minister Keheliya Rambukwela, has stated that those killed and wounded were LTTE recruits who were receiving guerilla training at an LTTE military camp which was targeted and attacked by the air force with pinpoint precision, the LTTE's Tamil Eelam Education Board director, V.Ilankumaran, is quoted by the pro-TamilNet website as saying that those killed and wounded were GCE(OL) students from different colleges in their areas who had come participate in a 10 day residential workshop on "leadership, self-awareness and first-aid".
Although it was stated by government high-ups within hours of the incident that a committee would be appointed to probe ‘to ascertain the facts and solve the mystery behind the deaths', Minister Rambukwela has now stated that the government has concrete evidence to prove that the target attacked was an LTTE training camp and the government has no regrets over the attack. The Minister had also reacted strongly on SLMM monitors' remarks that ‘they could not find any evidence of military installations of weapons at the scene of the incident'.
