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SLMC Leader hits out at Government and party rebels, “the same way LTTE views Karuna, we view our dissidents,” declares Rauff Hakeem
Munza Mushtaq in Colombo,
February 27, 2005, 4.49 p.m..
(in Puttalam) Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem yesterday insisted that the thousands of Muslims who were evicted from the North due to the Tamil National struggle, should be conferred with their rightful respect, dignity, and due compensation should be paid to all these victims who are still housed in refugee camps.
Addressing the SLMC Jaffna District Convention, held at Puttalam’s Bishrul Hafi Memorial Hall (Puttalam Town Hall) yesterday evening (February 26), the SLMC Leader stressed that the Northern Muslims should be resettled in their original land, where their homes once stood. He emphasised the Government’s and the LTTE’s holds the responsibility of ensuring that the Muslims are given their rightful place. “The SLMC which is the main Muslim party of Sri Lanka will work towards realising this task,” he said.
Mr. Hakeem noted that only if this Muslim resettlement issue is carried out in the correct context will there be true meaning to the word ‘peace’ in Sri Lanka. He also emphasised that even the Tamils respectability will be placed upon the Muslim resettlement issue. He recalled a statement made by the LTTE leadership soon after signing the ceasefire agreement, where at a news conference the Tiger Leadership accepted that evicting the thousands of Muslims from the North was a foremost mistake made by them and he termed it as a ‘tragic event’
Pointing out the party’s decision not to join the Government, the SLMC leader said that he did not wish to join with a Government which did not respect other minority communities. “They even refused to recognise the participation of a separate Muslim Delegation at peace talks,” he said.
“We are not part of anti peace elements, the Tamils should recognise this as a pivotal point, towards the strengthening of the Tamils and Muslims relationship,” he said. Adding that the Tamil community should give due place for the Muslim rights, he noted that it will only be then that the Tamil struggle will be considered as fully victorious.
“We don’t need to depend on Ministerial portfolios to win our community’s rights and aspirations. During a meeting with the Tamil National Alliance, we told those MPs that the Sinhalese and Tamil leadership can’t decide on what place to give the Muslims in the tsunami joint mechanism structure. The Muslims will decide on what place they should be placed upon and the aid component that should be given to the Muslims will also be decided by us,” he said.
Hitting out at the SLMC rebels who joined the Government, Mr. Hakeem said, “We view those dissidents the same way the LTTE views their rebel Karuna. The SLMC rebels did not only betrayed the SLMC, but betrayed the entire community and also the Tamil-Muslim relationship.
Published: Sun Feb 27 05:48:15 EST 2005
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