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by Manjula Fernando

Port Development, Shipping, Eastern Development and Muslim Religious Affairs Minister Rauff Hakeem pledged to the Norwegian peace team his full cooperation to bring a lasting solution to the country's protracted ethnic problem when the team met him to discuss the SLMC's stand on this issue yesterday.

The team was led by Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgesen and Peace Envoy Eric Solheim.

The Minister said: "A large number of Muslims were chased out from their homelands in North and live a miserable life in refugee camps since 1990. The war has taken their happiness and everything else. They live in fear and doubt".

He said that the SLMC was for a solution that would ensure lasting peace, protection for all ethnic communities including the Muslims and recognition of their individual identity.

The SLMC MPs who were present at the discussion pointed out that the solution must ensure a free and a normal life for Muslims in their villages in the North and East adding that the groundwork for a sustainable program must also be prepared to resettle refugees in their home villages.

The Norwegian delegation agreed that the SLMC's requests were fair and commended the cooperation extended to them so far.

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