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| Thursday, 29 January 2004 |
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by Ranga Jayasuriya The Eastern Muslims are on the verge of taking up arms in the face of increasing harassment by the LTTE and the divided Muslim political leadership, a group of Muslim intellectuals warned yesterday. The Council of Muslims of Sri Lanka, a Muslim community think tank after a fact-finding mission in the East, said LTTE activities in Government controlled areas of the province have increased since the ceasefire agreement, while beleaguered Muslims find that the Government is incapable of helping them. "They have not yet taken up arms, but they are on the verge of taking up arms. They have lost confidence in their leadership," Council President A.H.G. Ameen told a press briefing. He said increasing harassment by the LTTE had made the demerger of the North-East the number one preference of Muslims to secure their interests. "A demerger was not considered about 10 years ago. But now it has become the first preference," Ameen said pointing to an opinion poll -conducted by the Council- where almost all the Muslims interviewed supported the demerger of the two provinces. Pointing out that the absence of Muslim participation in the peace process have endangered Eastern Muslim interests, Muslim intellectuals called for a separate Muslim representation at the peace talks, echoing a widely publicised Muslim appeal. "Even Minister Hakeem who is in the peace delegation admits that there is a limitation to his role. Even he is insisting on a separate Muslim representation," General Secretary A.C.M. Shafeek, said. He said Muslims seek to live in the East in harmony with Tamils. He however stressed that they won't accept a concept of "exclusive Tamil homeland in the North-East" put forward by the LTTE. |
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