“The LTTE’s political philosophy may be based on intolerance to any minority ethno-religious group who in their perspective may be an irritant factor in their conduct of their affairs. As a minority the Muslims may in their envisioned Tamil homeland create difficulties by demanding their due rights which the LTTE itself has experienced in the hands of the Sinhalese.”_______________________________
by S. Subairdeen
(April 18, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) History records that the Muslims of Sri Lanka, whose ancestors were Arab Traders, have been living here for more than 1100 years. They were politically united, economically integrated and culturally autonomous with the other two communities - the Sinhalese and the Tamils.
The Muslims led a peaceful and harmonious life until 1505 AD when the Portugese set their foot on the shores of Sri Lanka as invaders.
The Portugese coming from Europe with ill-effect of the crusade in the contemporary Europe, saw the business oriented Muslims here as their trade rivals and social enemies. Hence, the Muslims were mercilessly persecuted by the Portugese on the basis of religion and ethnicity. The massacres of Muslims at Matara in 1575 and in Colombo in 1580 cannot be easily forgotten. At the Matara massacre alone more than 3000 Muslims were lined-up along the sea beach and were brutally killed, for the mere reason that the patriotic Muslims were in the forefront in helping the Sinhalese Kings like Mayadunna and Wimaladarmasooriya to fight against the Portugese invaders. Never in the history of Sri Lanka was so much sacrificed by any community as the Muslim community, to protect the motherland.
Repeat
The history repeats itself. The communal riots against the Muslims in 1915 was an unpalatable historical event in the Sinhalese - Muslim relationship. Even after the independence in 1948, the Muslims were intermittently subjected to sporadic attack. The horrendous attack and the resultant death in Puttalam in 1974 and the communal violence unleashed on Muslims in Galle in 1980 were horrible nightmares.
In the series of these violences the attack against the Muslims at Beruwala in July 1991 and the devastating attacks against the Muslims and their properties in Mawanella on 2nd May, 2001 - created mistrust and disharmony among the communities. We have also witnessed the pathetic situation created at Maligawatte on October 2002, by the communal riots. These are incidents of violence that occurred in the Sinhalese majority areas out of North and East.
No threat
The striking features in these incidence of violence in the Sinhalese areas were that these were very short lived, and did not pose any threat to the existence of the Muslims as a community, nor did they effect ethnic cleansing of Muslims. These atrocities were quickly brought under control by peaceful negotiations and mutual understanding between the Sinhalese and the Muslims. It did not have any ulterior motive to wipe out the Muslims.
The seeds for the violent growth of Tamil terrorist activities were sown, with the l958 riots against the Tamils. As a result, many Tamil militant groups emerged in the name of Tamil Liberation movement and recklessly indulged in terrorist activities under the notion that the ‘ends justified the means". Ironically they have directed their attacks against the minority Muslims while claiming that they are fighting for the salvation of minorities including the Tamil speaking Muslims.
Consequent to the 1958 communal riots many Tamil militant / liberation movements sprang out spontaneously. The LTTE, TELO, EROS, EPDP, PLOTE and EPRLF are some of the organisations, to name but a few.
The LTTE being the largest and the mightiest of them all, systematically embarked on a process of annihilating all other liberation movements and some of the leaders of political parties. Now the LTTE claims that they are the sole authority and the spokesman for the Tamils.
No clashes whatsoever occurred in the long history of the Tamil-Muslim relationship which had existed for more than thousand years, until the latter part of the 20th century in April 1985 when Muslims were attacked and their properties pillaged and destroyed by the Tamil Armed Group at Akkaraipattu, Sammanthurai and Kalmunai.
Onslaught
Demanding a separate independent homeland for the Tamils, known as the Tamil Eelam, which was said to encompass the Northern and Eastern provinces wherein the Muslim population is over 520,000, they carried out their onslaught against the innocent Muslim community who form the second largest minority. Paradoxically it is surprising to note that the Tamil minority who claim to be fighting for the rights of the Tamil speaking people simultaneously attacks another minority group who are also Tamil speaking.
The LTTE also carried out their campaign attacking the Tamil speaking minority Muslims, the government institutions, police and armed forces, and at times the Sinhalese settlements in the border villages.
Tabulating their brutal attacks and destruction of life and property, we may mention below a few of the tragedies chosen at random on the basis of their grave nature:
1. The very first unexpected and shocking attack launched by the Tamil Armed Group on the Muslims in April 1985 at Akkaraipattu, Sammanthurai and Kalmunai resulted in dwelling houses, shops and properties being destroyed. That marked the beginning of the onslaught on the Muslims by the Tamil armed group.
2. The LTTE attacks on Muslims at Kattankudy in 1988 where 69 Muslims were killed and their properties destroyed.
3. In 1989 the Muslim police personnel were isolated from the police force and brutally killed by the Tamil National Army.
4. In 1990 nearly 100,000 Muslims were forcefully evicted from Jaffna Peninsula enmasse and they were deprived of their properties worth more than billions of rupees.
5. 103 Muslims were massacred in 1990 at Kattankudy while they were observing prayers in the Mosque.
6. In the same year (1990) 122 Muslims were killed at Eravur, in the most inhuman way.
7. In 1992, 24 Muslims were butchered in Kalmunai.
8. The LTTE launched a pre-dawn attack against the Muslims in 1991 at Palliyagodalla, Allinchipothana and Pangurana, the bordering villages of Medirigiriya which is situated in the Polonnaruwa district. 109 Muslims including women and children were hacked and shot dead on the spot. In this incident a further 135 Muslims were seriously wounded, in addition to which, a total of 650 families were displaced.
9. A similar attack was launched in 1990 in the village of Ollikulam at the Arayampaththu division in the Batticaloa district. As a result of this attack nearly 230 Muslim families were chased out of this village, and they are presently living in refugee camps at Kattankudy.
10. With the dawn of the 21st century while fresh efforts were afoot to bring peace to the country, a devastating attack on the Muslim villages of Valaichchenai, Oddamavadi and Mutur was launched by the LTTE, in July 2002. Here too, several innocent lives were lost and damage caused to their property was officially estimated to be in the region of Rs. 350 million.
11. With the breath of relief emanating from the ongoing peace talks between the LTTE and the government reaching the sixth round of talks, a barbaric and brutal attack was directed against the Muslims in Mutur, Thoppur and the adjoining Muslim villages in the Trincomalee district on April 15th 2003. The death toll was nine. More than 9100 Muslim families were made homeless, making the number of refugees around 35,000 who are crammed up in army camps, mosques and schools.
Some of the border villages which came under severe attack, apart from Mutur and Thoppur are: Azad Nagar, Jinnah Nagar, Alim Nagar, Salih Nagar, Khairiya Nagar, Neithal Nagar, Selva Nagar, Palathoppu, Wattam and Jamaliya Nagar.
It is noteworthy that these incidents had occurred when the LTTE and the government had ceremoniously set their signatures on the Memorandum of Understan-ding and the ink thereon had hardly dried.
Pathetic
The conditions of the refugees are pathetic without sufficient food, clothing, shelter and sanitation which are the basic needs of human life.
The above mentioned events of tragedies with connected atrocities were some of the painful experiences which constantly springs in the minds. It is disheartening to note even today these type of atrocities have become the norms.
To put it in a nutshell, from the year 1996 to-date, the LTTE has relentlessly pursued more than 30 violent attacks against the Muslims.
Any political or historical analyst may observe a strange phenomenon in the Tamil - Muslim conflict. Even during the time of war between Dutugamunu and Elara, the Muslims were living in those areas. Even under the strong rule of Changili, the Tamil King of Jaffna, Muslims were treated very well with the spirit of brotherhood. It was during the reign of King Senarath II, the successor to King Wimaladarmasooriya, the eastern part of Sri Lanka was further fortified with the settlement of Muslims whom the Kings trusted as the patriotic people who would protect the eastern coast against any invaders. The Muslims led a harmonious life with Tamils in this part of Sri Lanka too.
Why has the LTTE turned against the Muslims?
If these two communities have lived in harmony, for over a thousand years why has the LTTE - the armed Tamil group turned against the Muslims overnight - beginning in the year 1985? It is very pertinent to remind the fact that in all communal riots between Sinhalese and Tamils that took place from 1958, Muslims were in the forefront in protecting the Tamils in Sinhalese areas, even risking their own lives - a fact that cannot be denied by anybody.
Despite the fact that the Muslims have been sympathetic towards the cause of the Tamil people; yet the Muslims were discriminately viewed and periodically harassed in their day-to-day endeavours. This is beyond our comprehension. The probable reasons could only be surmised as follows:
1. Although the Muslims and Tamils have much in common linguistically and culturally, the fact that they are of different ethnicity may be the reason for the LTTE’s animosity towards the Muslims. They may be visualising, a homogenous, mono-ethnic society which will facilitate their objective of achieving a Tamil homeland.
2. The LTTE’s political philosophy may be based on intolerance to any minority ethno-religious group who in their perspective may be an irritant factor in their conduct of their affairs. As a minority the Muslims may in their envisioned Tamil homeland create difficulties by demanding their due rights which the LTTE itself has experienced in the hands of the Sinhalese. This may be the reason for the attitudinal changes towards the Muslims, which has given way to the change in their pattern of behaviour towards the Muslims.
3. To achieve the conceptualised Tamil homeland, the LTTE may have thought of adopting and implementing vigorous and stringent measures such as imposition of taxes, levying of fines and obtaining free services for their militancy. When they set out to implement these measures on all the inhabitants irrespective of whether they are Tamils or Muslims, the LTTE is bound to expect some resistance from the Muslims. In their view this would be an obstacle in their march towards Eelam. Further, the LTTE may have foreseen opposition from the Muslims living in the other corners of the island.
4. Since the Muslims were a unique ethnic group with a high degree of patriotism, the LTTE might have perceived that their presence in the North and East may turn out to be an impediment in maintaining their jealously guarded tactics. Hence it is widely believed that they may have designedly engineered massacres through which the Muslims will be forced to vacate their ancestral homeland in the North - East.
Historical proof
There is historical proof that the Muslims have throughout been sincere and loyal to other communities with whom they have lived harmoniously. It is also a well known fact that no Muslim has ever engineered any riots against either the Sinhalese or the Tamils.
When we analyse and compare the communal riots that occurred in the Sinhalese dominated areas and those in the Tamil areas, the salient characteristics are that the riots in the Sinhalese areas has always been sudden eruptions of events which were not pre-planned, to get rid of the Muslims from a particular area.
These riots were mostly emotional and short lived and were easily settled with the mediation of religious leaders and elders of both communities, with a mutual understanding. Therefore no permanent hatred was inculcated in the minds of the Sinhalese nor the Muslims. These riots were similar to unexpected out burst of emotions which is experienced in normal life.
Hidden scheme
However, the formidable nature of the riots that took place in Tamil areas against the Muslims bears evidence of a hidden scheme to evict the Muslims from the soils which were also the traditional homeland of the Muslims. This tantamounts not only to the denial of the birthright of the Muslims, but also contributes to the violation of Human Rights embodied in the UN Charter and the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
This is quite evident from the sequence of attacks against the innocent Muslims, beginning from the forceful eviction of Muslims from the Jaffna Peninsula as well as from Mannar and Vavuniya in the year 1990.
Tears
When the defenceless and innocent Muslims including women and children were chased out from their own soils overnight with a mere pittance of Rs. 500 in their trembling hands, even the angel from the heaven would have shed tears. The tears rolling down the cheeks of these hapless and helpless refugees might have narrated volumes of tragic and horrific stories.
Today the Northern province virtually stands without any noticeable Muslim population from where nearly one hundred thousand Muslims were chased out, and billions of rupees worth of properties plundered and destroyed.
The Muslims are not prepared any more to be subjected to the vicious circle of frequent communal attacks and turned into refugees seeking relief.
The Tamil Armed Groups have destroyed the economy and the economic resources of the North-East Muslims. The intention was to establish the theory that the North-East belongs to the Tamils only by ridding it of the Muslim population. Despite the numerous impediments and hardships imposed by the LTTE, the Muslims were politicised and were able to withstand the harassments. Tamils and Muslims of the North-East reiterate that these areas are their traditional homeland.
Whenever we think of the North-East Tamil-Muslim problems, we must have a flexible approach with liberal mind and comprehensive knowledge of the inter communal conflict. What is basically needed here is the sincerity and wider understanding and commitment to the cause of achieving durable peace in the North-East. As long as the Tamil demands and the Muslim demand differ there cannot be lasting and peaceful solution to the North-East problem. Therefore, it is imperative that the leaders of the LTTE and the Muslim community put forward a joint proposal and fully devote themselves towards achieving it. There is a question of tenability of the solution without the LTTE’s active participation in the deliberation of peace negotiation. Similarly placed would be, any decision reached at, between the Government and the LTTE without the participation of others concerned in the negotiation.
Although the LTTE has withdrawn from the proceedings of the peace talks, it is the wish of the peace loving people that they should return back to negotiation. We reiterate that any such negotiation without the participation of a Muslim delegation will be incomplete.
Changed
There was a time when the Sinhalese leadership negotiated only with the Tamil leadership on the North-East issue. Now the situation has changed and a new picture has emerged. The Sinhala leadership should negotiate with both the Tamil as well as the Muslim leadership.
The Tamils and the Muslims would be pitted against each other and compelled to fight for their respective shares of power persistently if the present outlook continues. To change this perennial outlook there should be mutual understanding and commitment between the Tamils and Muslims to work towards a consensus and a collective approach to the ethnic problems and accommodate the aspirations of the Muslims of North-East.
We have seen the arrival of the Indian Peace Keeping Force to maintain peace in the North-East, consequent to the signing of the Indo-Lanka Agreement in 1987 with the objective of solving the North-East problem.
Indo-Lanka Agreement
It is note worthy to mention here, that provisions were made in the Indo-Lanka Agreement for the de-merger of the North-East after a plebiscite envisaged to be held within 1 year in the East. But unfortunately the agreement was not carried out.
So, what is the permanent solution to this perennial ethnic problem threatening the Muslims?
1. If the LTTE and the prominent Tamil political parties are sincere in their intentions, and committed to a principle of co-existence, and truly believe in the brotherhood of the Tamil speaking people, then it is nothing but fair for the Muslims to suggest that, in the event of a formulation of a Federal System of government as a solution to the ethnic conflict, a separate Federal Unit must be given to the Muslims as well in a merged North & East.
2. If the Tamil armed group is not prepared to stop the attacks on Muslim villages and facilitate the peaceful return and resettlement of the Muslim refugees, and guarantee the safety and security of the Muslims, then we are left with no other alternative but to demand the de-merger of the North-East, and ask for a separate council, or in the event of a Federal System being envisaged, a Federal Unit for the Eastern Province.
Quite recently the LTTE has demanded an Interim Administration for the North-East Provinces. In the light of the above-mentioned chronicles of horrific events the claim lack the vital conviction with which it could be supported by all the affected parties concerned in the conflict. Unless the LTTE makes amends in a substantial manner it is impossible to convince a change of heart not only among the Muslims but also among the Sinhalese.
There is no constitutional provision to accommodate such an Interim Admin-istration.
The Provincial Council Act gives sufficient scopes for the Interim Administration to work effectively.
Until a permanent solution is found on the basis of above-mentioned suggestion, a co-equal as well as a co-equal unit of administration has to be formulated to meet the aspirations of the North-East Muslims.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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