LTTE atrocities against North East Muslims

M. I. M. Mohideen

The Muslims from the Northern Province were forced to leave their homes in the third week of October 1990. The ultimatum in many places was that they should leave the region within 48 hours. Most Muslim refugees continue to live in abject conditions outside the North.

Contrary to many other situations of displacement in the country, the majority of the displaced Muslims as a result of the ethnic cleansing by LTTE have not been able to go back to their places of birth in the North. At present, there are about 65,000 Muslim refugees living in the North-Western coastal region in the Puttalam district.

The value of assets robbed by the LTTE during 1990 ethnic cleansing is more than Rs 10,256 million or US $ 110 million. Houses damaged 11,110 million.

Nearly 63,000 acres of paddy lands belonging to Muslims of the Eastern Province were forcibly taken over by the LTTE and agricultural produce confiscated. The lands belonged to the displaced Muslims from the Northern Province continued to remain under the control of the LTTE. Besides, agricultural implements, motor vehicles and cattle were taken away by force by the LTTE.

Under the law of property in force in the country, a land owner loses his or her right to possession if their property is occupied by usurpers for 10 years. It is now more than 20 years since Muslims in the North East have been forcefully displaced from their properties by the LTTE.

Economic destabilisation

A politico-military strategy of the LTTE has been to weaken the economic strength of the Muslim community. In order to realize this objective, the LTTE, as was the case with other Tamil militants, have targeted economic ventures and business places of the Muslims. Robbing of business goods and and abduction of businessmen for ransom remain the common specter in the North-East.

With the eviction of the Muslim community from the North East, a considerable section of the Muslim fisher-folk have been rendered unemployed. In areas such as Valaichchenai, Ottamavadi, Eravur and other coastal areas in the East, boats and fishing gears were routinely robbed by the LTTE. Many Muslim fishermen have also been killed while at sea by the sea tigers.

In many instances, in the North East, the cultural and religious symbols of the Muslim community have come under attack from the LTTE and other Tamil militant groups. The grenade attack on a mosque in Akkaraipattu and massacre of Muslims at congregational prayer in Kattankudy and Eravur, as well as the cold-blooded murder of Hajj pilgirms returning in 1990 in Kaluwanchikudi, demonstrate the extent of intolerance shown by the LTTE and Tamil militants towards the religion and culture of the Muslims.

Summary of identified Muslim civilians killed by LTTE -

26 Muslims were killed at Ottamawadi in December 1987
41 Muslims were killed at Karaitheevu in November 1987
35 Muslims were killed at Kinniya in April 1987
52 Muslims were killed at Mutur in October 1987
21 Muslims were killed at Sammanthurai Mosque in April 1989
67 Muslims were killed at Valaichchenai from April 1985 to July 2002
67 Muslims were killed at Kattankudy in December 1987
168 Muslims were killed at Kattankudy in July in 1990
147 Muslims were killed at Kattankudy Mosque in August 1990
58 Muslims were killed at Akkaraipattu in July 1990
14 Muslims were killed at Kattankudy Mosque in July 1990
13 Muslims were killed in November 1989
19 Muslims were killed at Alimnagar in August 1990
126 Muslims were killed at Eravur in August 1990
53 Muslims were killed at Ambalanthurai in August 1990
23 Muslims were killed at Sainthamaruthu in September 1992
15 Muslims were killed at Addalaichchenai in May 1990
?37 Muslims were killed at Pallitthidal, Akbarpuram in October1992
200 Muslims were killed at Kalmunai, Akkaraipattu and Pottuvil in June 1990
33 Muslims were killed at Ampara in August 1990
186 Muslims were killed by Police in June 1990
147 Muslims were killed at Alingippottanai in April 1992
30 Muslims were killed at Pottuvil in June 1991

The LTTE carefully observed the situation and entered Muthur on August 2, 2006. They disconnected the electricity. The Muslims were caught unaware. They vacated their homes and went into the mosques and Arabic College hoping that they will not be attacked in those places. However what happened was something else. The LTTE used the Muslims as human shields.

Since Muthur was totally surrounded by the LTTE, the town could not function normally. Business came to a standstill. People did not have means to acquire their daily food, children suffered without milk, patients both from the hospital and the casualties suffered without treatment. The Muslims had to struggle for their mere survival.

International support

The Muslims while running for their lives with white flags were attacked by the LTTE on the way. The women and elderly were tortured and the youngsters were separated and murdered.

The parties to the ceasefire agreement dated February 22, 2002, the government of Sri Lanka (GSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have accepted that the groups that are not directly party to the conflict have also suffered the consequences. This is particularly the case as regards the Muslim population in the North East.

However, from the behaviour of the LTTE, the Muslims suspected whether the separate state of Tamil Eelam had already been established in the North-East.

The opening of LTTE political and administrative offices, the system of taxation and extortion, the operation of Tamil Eelam Police Force and its own judiciary gave rise to many questions. Who is responsible for the rights and security of the Muslims in the North East?

President Jayewardene proclaimed the temporary merger during emergency subject to a referendum in the East at the end of one year. The referendum did not take place. The Supreme Court on October 16, 2006, in a judgment ruled that the merger of the Northern and the Eastern Provinces was null and void.

LTTE had been trying various methods, first it was the Interim Administration in the North East, then the Sub-Committee on Deescalation and Normalization (SDN) and later the Sub-committee on Important Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN).

The primary object of all these arrangements is to transfer the powers vested with the Centre to North East or rather to LTTE with international recognition. By this process the LTTE was trying to get legitimacy and international support for is role as the sole representative of the North-East - the area of historical habitation of theTamil-speaking peoples - Tamils and Muslims.