TNA should support resettle Muslims - PM

Sandasen Marasinghe, Irangika Range and Disna Mudalige

The Tamil National Alliance and other Tamil political parties that kept silent when the LTTE violated the rights of Muslims should support resettle 80,000 Muslims who were chased away from the North by the LTTE rather than shedding crocodile tears, said Prime Minister D M Jayaratne.

Prime Minister D M Jayaratne

The prime minister made this observation in Parliament yesterday in response to a special statement made by TNA MP R Sampanthan stating that the rights of Muslims should be guaranteed.

The MP made this observation amidst the interruption of Deputy Minister Abdul Cader and MP A H M Azwer. Prime Minister Jayaratne stated that the objective of the TNA’s statement is clear in a peaceful situation though they didn’t make any statement when the Muslims’ rights were blatantly violated. He said the TNA’s behaviour is a matter of ridicule.

Prime Minister Jayaratne said only some parts of MP Sampanthan’s statement were correct and most were incorrect. He said no member should make statements in Parliament that would affect the harmonious existence of the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities.

The prime minister said the government is concerned over the local and foreign inimical forces and the NGOs that would act to affect the country’s harmonious existence disrupting the country’s reconciliation process and development programmes.

The prime minister said the rights of the Muslims whose religious rights were violated under LTTE terrorism, were guaranteed under the government’s move to eliminate terrorism.

He said Muslim countries and African countries supported Sri Lanka when the US moved a resolution against Sri Lanka at Geneva.

The government has voiced for Muslims at the issue of Palestinians. Sri Lankan kings accommodated Muslims in the Kandyan Kingdom those days by providing facilities for them to observe their own religion. On the other hand, Buddhist monks supported them to establish their religious places, the prime minister said.

He said the government is committed to build peace and reconciliation among the communities. He said an isolated incident cannot be accepted as a conflict between two communities.

He said the incident at a shop at Pepiliyana had been on a personal problem. Later, they have settled their problem.

The prime minister said using these incidents for petty gains by political parties cannot be accepted.

He said the statement of R Sampanthan includes both good and bad and when the bad sections of the speech is removed the ‘good’ will remain.

He said the LTTE did not have a single word about Muslims in their homeland concept but today the TNA is speaking of their rights. He said all should work together to unite Sri Lanka.

R Sampanthan making his statement under Standing Order 23 (2) said that he spoke on a grave issue of national concern, relating to the safety, security and well-being of the Muslims of the island.

The Muslim people have been historical inhabitants of this island.

During his speech, MP A H M Azwer said the rights of Muslim people were violated by the LTTE. About 80,000 Muslims were chased away by the LTTE from North and still they are not resettled. The TNA was silent about them, he said.