Minister Milinda Moragoda, who along with Minister G. L. Peiris is taking forward the peace initiative, had talks with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and the military hierarchy to decide on measures needed to arrest the deteriorating situation in the East, where a majority of Muslims live. The SLMM consisting of 20 members from Nordic countries is yet to go into full-scale operation. It is said they are awaiting the arrival of a few more monitors to fully implement the truce covering both the land and the sea. With the SLMM not working on full gear, the current phase of the truce has given rise to uncertainty.

In the circumstances, the Muslims feel that they have been let down by the government which signed a ceasefire agreement with the LTTE without giving sufficient thought to the Muslim factor. Their sense of insecurity in the hands of one of the world's most dreaded guerrilla groups has spilled over to Colombo. The developing scenario appears to be so disturbing that it prompted Muslim Parliamentarians from all parties to take up the matter with the government and the Norwegian brokers.
Of all Muslim politicians, it is SLMC leader and Minister Rauff Hakeem, who has come under the heaviest pressure from the eastern Muslims who form the support base of his party.

The Muslims have been shaken by utterances made by LTTE eastern leader Karikalan, who appears to hold the view that unless Muslims toe the LTTE line, they are doomed. Paul Harris, a journalist from the London Daily Telegraph interviewed Karikalan and wrote an article, which was not only thought-provoking, but also chilling. The article quoted Karikalan as saying that Tamil youths wanted to retrieve lands grabbed by the Muslims. "The official LTTE viewpoint is that. For a nationality to have a land of its own it must have its own language, separate culture and continuous territory."

The article published in our sister paper 'Daily Mirror' figured during a meeting of Muslim MPs at the Parliamentary Complex. The meeting presided over by former Speaker M.H. Mohammed saw Muslim MPs expressing fears and deep concern over what Karikalan had said. They, however, hoped that LTTE Leader Prabhakaran would not go along with Karikalan's utterances which builds up a case for mass scale land grabbing.

The other allegation of Karikalan is that the SLMC during the leadership of former Minister M.H.M. Ashraff stockpiled arms to declare Jihad at some point of time. However, Mr. Hakeem denied it saying that Muslims had always been supportive of a just and durable solution to the ethnic question and there would be no change in their stand.

He said the ceasefire agreement should not benefit only the government and the LTTE but all communities or parties linked to the conflict. While reassuring that his party would never take to arms, Mr. Hakeem said he suspected a sinister motive by certain elements to act in a way to sabotage the peace process and then blame the Muslim community.

But Mr. Hakeem's moderation in assessing the situation and offering a response is not evident in remarks made by some Muslim activists. They warn that Muslims would be pushed to an armed conflict in the east if the government and the LTTE ignored their role in the peace equation. One cannot dismiss these warnings as views of a minority within a minority. The government and the Norwegian peace brokers must without the slightest delay get together to resolve the eastern crisis.
Judging by the government's initial response to the Muslim grievance, we can say that the government is taking it quite seriously.

It is likely now that human rights lawyer Faiz Musthapha, who is highly respected in the Muslim community, will be included in the government team for talks to be held in Thailand. Mr. Musthapha is to assume duties as High Commissioner in London - apparently part of a UNP-SLMC deal. He was the chairman of the Human Rights Commission during the previous regime. Some ministers are of the view that he would make a useful contribution on behalf of the Muslims.

Will Mr. Musthapha fly to the Wanni shortly to meet the LTTE hierarchy?
Some government officials say he might go to the Wanni to take up the Muslims' case with the LTTE. They say he would be a good negotiator who could handle the situation diplomatically. It was in this backdrop that the pro-LTTE Tamilnet website carried a statement from LTTE chief negotiator Anton Balasingham who apologized for the past mistakes.

"Let us forget and forgive the mistakes made in the past. Tamil Eelam (nation) is also the homeland of the Muslims and we have to live in harmony," Mr. Balasingham was quoted as saying.. "We do recognise the unique cultural identity of the Muslim community," said Mr. Balasingham, who added that he and LTTE leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran planned to meet Muslim leaders soon.

"Linguistically, economically and territorially the Muslims and Tamils are inextricably inter-related and therefore they have to co-exist as brothers in the northeast. There are a lot of misapprehensions amongst the Islamic community with regard the LTTE'spolitical strategy," Mr. Balasingham said.

The website called the expulsion from Jaffna "a political blunder" and said Mr. Prabhakaran would discuss the grievances of the Muslims. "Mr Prabhakaran is willing to discuss all issues affecting the Muslim population and prepared to take immediate action to resolve them," Mr. Balasingham said.

Analysts say that it is possible that the LTTE may offer the olive branch to the Muslims for the time being. But once it gains control of the north and east, it might make life difficult for Muslims. It is important in the circumstances that any interim administration that would be set up in the north and east should come into force with in-built democratic safeguards to protect the interests of the minorities in the region. But calls for a separate Muslim unit within the Northeast region could complicate the interim administration setup.

Earlier in the week, Muslim political leaders met Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and discussed the plight of the eastern Muslims. The premier assured them that their grievances would be redressed once the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission came into full operation. In the meantime, the government has intensified security in Muslim-dominated areas of the east with joint police-military patrol.

It is believed that the Muslim factor would be given top priority when Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Vidar Helgessen holds talks with government and LTTE leaders. Mr. Helgessen is expected to be in Sri Lanka on April 15. While the peace process moves along a bumpy road, there is still no truce in the war between the UNP and the PA with President Chandrika Kumaratunga and Interior Minister John Amaratunga once again locking horns.

This time it is over the arrest of Presidential Security Division chief Nihal Karunaratne.
Soon after the UNF government came to power, the President expressing concern over her security had queried from government leaders whether there were moves to arrest PSD personnel. She later alleged there were moves to undermine the presidential security.

Presidential Secretary Kusumsiri Balapatabendi made a public announcement on the state television absolving PSD personnel from criminal acts. The President even wrote to the Attorney General when she realised that the police had not dropped the case against the PSD personnel who were being held in connection with an alleged assassination attempt on Minister S. B. Dissanayake, her erstwhile lieutenant.
The President asked the AG to direct the CID to refrain from carrying out a witch-hunt.

But despite such presidential concerns, the CID, acting on an arrest warrant issued by the Teldeniya Magistrate, arrested ASP Karunaratne. The arrest was made by a CID team including Inspector Samudrajeeva who successfully probed the Inoka Sewwandi murder case. Inspector Samudrajeeva had a running battle with the PSD Chief when he once tried to arrest underworld colleagues of Beddagane Sanjeewa, a PSD officer. The inspector was later transferred to a danger zone, but later he was moved to a safer area.

Having learnt that Inspector Samudrajeeva was playing a prominent role in the investigations, the President apparently directed Acting Police Chief Ananadarajah to remove him from the probe team. Interior Minister John Amaratunga who was infuriated by this move said he had not been duly informed and gave prompt orders to the police top brass to have the inspector in the probe team.

This is not the first time that Minister Amaratunga clashed with the President. Last month, the duo clashed over the deployment of troops during the local council polls. On that occasion, the President wanted the deployment of the armed forces but the minister said police were capable of providing security. Judging by these events, some analysts say the UNF is setting the stage for a major clash that would eventually clip the wings of the powerful executive presidency.

Despite these clashes, the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday went off smoothly without any problems. However, President Kumartunga expressed reservations over a Cabinet paper presented by Tertiary Education Minister Kabir Hashim regarding certain appointments made prior to the December elections. She asked Education Minister Karunasena Kodituwakku as to why only some appointments made during that period were to be confirmed.

Dr. Kodituwakku explained the reason behind the move but the President sought further clarification on the matter. On the advice of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mr. Kodituwakku agreed to submit more details at the next meeting. The government was also planning to extend the life of several local authorities including the Colombo Municipal Council in view of the petitions filed against nominations list.

Earlier the government was of the view that the cases might drag well past May but on Wednesday the Department of the Elections Commissioner fixed the polls for 20.
The amendment to the local government ordinance may not be necessary now but the government is likely to keep it ready in case the Commissioner decides to put off the elections once again.

A team including past UNP regimes' top bureaucrats such as K.H.J Wijedasa and Mr. G. Aillepperuma were busy finalising the draft which will go to the legal draftsman and the Attorney General subsequently. Mr. Wijedasa and Mr. Aillepperuma also held discussions with Colombo Mayor Omar Kamil. However the term of the Municipality expires on April 15 and there would be a vacuum during the intervening period from April 15 to the 20.

Colombo Governor Alavi Moulana had apparently informed the President and the Prime Minister of the imminent problems. The worry of the UNP is that the Western Provincial Council would extend its writ over the Colombo Municipality, especially when an election is round the corner. The information received by the UNF is that Sripathi Suriarachchi will be appointed to run the show in place of a UNP Mayor hence there had been some preparation on the part of the UNF to thwart any such move.

In the meantime the opening of the Jaffna-Kandy main route A-9 has been delayed by a couple of weeks due to various reasons. Although landmines buried on the road had been removed the LTTE states that the mines laid on both sides of the highway are yet to be removed. The LTTE has also laid down a condition that while they would allow all light vehicles to pass the Omanthai check-point, commuters using buses should alight at Omanthai and board LTTE buses to their destinations within the LTTE territory.

The government disagreed. It took up the position that the main route should be opened to all vehicular traffic including buses coming from the South.
However, after a meeting with Norwegian Ambassador Jon Westborg the LTTE revealed its plans to operate a bus service in the North to raise revenue.
The government then agreed to help the LTTE by providing buses.

The government also agreed to co-operate with the LTTE by allowing it to take over the passengers coming from South at the Omanthai check-point. But the government is facing a big problem with nearly 4000 buses confined to garages for want of repairs. The Treasury is trying to dispose of those buses as soon as possible, but it would give rise to a wave of protest by trade unions.

In another development, parliamentarians from the North-East irrespective of their political affiliations met at the Dharmayatanaya temple at Bauddhaloka Mawatha to discuss the grievances of the Sinhalese living in the North and the East and the alleged harassment caused to them by the LTTE.

The meeting was presided over by Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera and the parliamentarians resolved to collect facts relating to the problems and prepare a report to be presented to relevant authorities.

Clarification
In our issue of March 24 we stated that the highest poll for the UNF was recorded from Negombo with a massive 38429, but now it has been brought to our notice that the highest poll for the UNF was from Moratuwa with 43832 votes, which accounted for 56.59% of the total vote. We regret the error.

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