Source: Translated from Meelparvai, Tamil daily June 2000 |
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Atrocities Against Muslims in Trincomalee
continues, protest in Kinniya
Tamil Terrorists have started to commit atrocities again against Muslims in Trincomalee. Abduction and collection of Tax on cattle, motor vehicles, shops and boats (which differs to the types of net used to catch fish) are done forcefully on gunpoint. Imposing Tax on ordinary poor citizens, threatening those who oppose to pay tax, abducting them and murdering them have become daily events in these areas. Because of this, people of this area are living in fear. People are concerned that none of the mass media are covering these events. It is a worrying factor that none of the media properly covered when Jabbar Labbe Hasbullah, a Muslim youth from Kinniya was murdered on 25th June 2000 On that day at 7.00 pm he was returning from his cattle farm at Maniarasan Thievu. The terrorists stopped him and demanded to hand over his motorbike. Hasbullah who has already given two of his motorbikes to them refused to give this time. Hence they stabbed him by a knife which had cyanide on it. Many similar incidents have taken place in the past. Muslims observed Hartal on 29th June 2000 condemning the atrocities committed against them. All the schools, government and business institutions were closed to mark this. Muslims have been used as tools throughout the liberation history of Sri Lanka. Muslims of North were evicted from their own homes on gunpoint within two hours time. Muslims have also been mercilessly massacred at the mosque during their prayers and at their homes in the past. Since then armed terrorist groups applied every acts of brutalities on Muslims who lived on border villages. In the meantime, the terrorists have abducted many Muslim fishermen from Mutur, in the Trincomalee district, and took them to the middle of the sea to forcefully take the blood from their bodies. There is no limit to the injustice committed by Tamil Tigers to the Muslim fishermen. It is reported that hundreds of thousand rupees of ransom are collected from Muslims in Mutur and Kinniya. People are very scared to report it to outside. Forgetting all these atrocities a statement calling Muslims to join in the liberation struggle, has been released in the Internet by the name of Tigers. In Batticaloa, another handbill has been distributed in the name of Tigers saying that Muslims should not cooperate with majority forces and that they should assist Tigers, so that they will get their share in the prospective Ealam. So far, Tigers has not officially released any statement about their status on evicted Muslims of North. Their contradicting statements are always fearful and suspicious. On the other side, Muslims have been caught in the harsh treatment of the government forces as well. It is sad to realize that the direct victims of this war are the Muslims who are not directly involved in the war. |