The Hindu : 'LTTE should not harass Muslims'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 08, 2002

International

International

'LTTE should not harass Muslims'

By V.S. Sambandan

COLOMBO July 7. With the ethnically-mixed eastern Sri Lanka having the potential to ruin the current peace process, there is increased pressure on the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to ensure that the situation does not break down.

The leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Rauff Hakeem, blaming the Tigers in the east as "the main cause for the strained relationships between Tamils and Muslims,'' has called upon the LTTE leadership to "discipline and constrain its eastern cadre.'' The crux of his demand is that the LTTE should honour the commitment given to him by its leader, V. Prabakaran, in April that Muslims will not be harassed.

Since the Tigers started a reconciliation process with the Muslims a few months ago, the eastern LTTE leadership has been making statements alienating the Muslims. Against that backdrop, maintaining the peace brought in after last week's meeting in Batticaloa, in which the LTTE's eastern political leader, Karikalan, assured Muslims that they will be protected, is crucial to the ongoing peace process.

Kethesh Loganathan, who heads the Conflict and Peace Analysis Unit of the Colombo-based think-tank, Centre For Policy Alternatives, told The Hindu that with the east on the boil, the situation had to be watched carefully. "The onus is on Mr. Prabakaran to implement the understanding with Mr. Hakeem to rein in the eastern cadres.''

A Tamil political leader said that, "the demography of the east, with a mix of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims, makes it a very volatile region that has to be managed carefully.''

The eastern troubles are also a manifestation of the multiplicity of political players within the island's Muslim politics. Mr. Hakeem, who won a succession battle after the death of the SLMC's founder-leader, M.H.M. Ashraff, faces challenges from Muslim leaders in the East. While Mr. Hakeem is aligned with the ruling United National Party (UNP), Ashraff's widow, Ferial Ashraff, is aligned with the Opposition Peoples' Alliance (PA).

The Tamil-Muslim clashes which hit Sri Lanka towards the end of June, has brought into focus the multiplicity of players who should be involved in attempts to resolve the island's ethnic crisis. In addition to the main protagonists, the Tigers and the Government, the emergence of Muslim politics is a factor that can no longer be ignored, especially as last year's Parliamentary elections, which brought the UNP to power, were triggered by the pullout by the SLMC from the then PA Government.

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