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| Monday, 27 October 2003 |
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by Ranga Jayasuriya Tension-hit Kinniya was returning to normal as Muslim religious leaders and LTTE representatives pledged to cooperate in restoring peace in the Eastern town which saw four days of communal unrest. Local Muslim leader - the members of Ulama Council - met Trincomalee LTTE chief Thilak at the Trincomalee Sri Lanka Monitoring mission, in a meeting arranged by the police. "The two parties agreed to work together to reduce tension. The LTTE denied charges of abduction and ransom taking, but they pledged to help Muslims to locate their missing tractors," A spokesman for the China Bay police told the Daily News. He said the police were patrolling the town as a precautionary measure even though the town is limping back to normalcy. Police have found two missing tractors belonging to Muslim farmers abandoned in the jungle. A Police curfew was clamped on Thursday afternoon in the Muslim majority town after Muslims staging a hartal against the LTTE went on the rampage attacking the residences of three local Muslim parliamentarians and clashing with the Army. Tension erupted in Thursday morning when LTTE cadres allegedly kidnapped a Muslim woodcutter and seized his bullock cart. Angry Muslims staged a hartal and abducted three LTTE cadres travelling in a three-wheeler. The Army intervened to rescue the LTTE cadres from the angry crowd, who were taken to a local army camp for safety. The Army intervention infuriated Muslim crowds who pelted stones at the Army and Police. Police fired into the air to disperse crowds and imposed a curfew. Crowds later attacked the residences of Parliament members, Thideer Thoufeeque (SLMC), M.S. Thoufeeque (SLMC) and M.A.Maharoof, accusing them of their inability to ensure the safety of local Muslims. |
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