CLASSIFIED | POLITICS | TERRORISM | OPINION | VIEWS

Northern Muslims Refugees Floating in Rain Waters. But Who Cares?

By Latheef Farook

It is 18 years since the entire Northern Muslim population of around 100,000 then were driven out from their homes and lands at gunpoint in October 1990.
This month marks yet another anniversary though their sufferings continue unabated in appalling conditions in the refugee camps.Under the existence complicated political situation they see no hope of return to their homes and resume their normal life.

As if, the existing sufferings not enough this week's heavy rains and floodwaters caused further misery. According to early reports, 15,059 families in different refugee camps in the Puttalam District alone were affected. These include 228 families in Rathmalyaya, Kuwait Nagar 685, and Puttalam town 4,263, Maleehapuram 326, Fourth Milepost 465, Rahmathnagar 430 and Madeena Nagar 135.

In Kalpitiya division, number of families affected includes Thetapola 231, Ulukkapallama 2,765, Karamba 1,535, Kalpitiya Town 1,265 and 25th Acre 695 while in Mundal Division this included 526 families in Chinnapadu 785 in Madurankuliya and 725 at Sixth Mile Post in the Wanathavilluva Divisions.

In view of the urgency, both individuals and organizations in the community have started collecting food and other essential items to help them tide over the situation. One individual who has been involved in such humanitarian activities said Non-governmental Organisations, NGOs, and International Non Governmental Organisations, INGOs, except a few, are rather reluctant to help Muslims stating that the Muslims float in wealth and they will look after these refugees.

A crime of such magnitude was unprecedented in the history of this island. Even the small section of the majority Sinhalese community, which indulged in frequent bouts of anti-Tamil communal riots, never attempted to drive out the entire Tamil population living in the south as the Sinhalese in general have realized that these innocent Tamils should not be punished for the LTTE's crimes.

The obvious question that strikes every reasonable and righteous person is what crime did the Muslims in the north commit to deserve this punishment? There is nothing they could think of. The expulsion was in complete violation of all accepted norms of basic human rights and the government forces were not in a position to provide them protection as they lived scattered all over in the north.

As a result, those who lived in comfort in their own homes with stable income suffered most, as they could not live in such conditions and that too on a paltry monthly dry ration. They not only felt humiliated but also thoroughly demoralized with no hope of brightening their prospects.

The local and international media did not scream about this crime as they did when the majority community attacked the Tamils in July 1983. Instead, they watched in silence.

These unarmed, ill-equipped and peace-loving Muslims appealed to the LTTE repeatedly to be allowed to return home and re-establish their lives, however, all these humanitarian appeals fell on deaf ears.

Unable to cope up with the sufferings many Muslim families returned to their destroyed homes in Jaffna after the February 2002 Ceasefire Agreement in the hope of restarting their lives despite uncertainty and fear. They thought it was better to suffer in their own homes rather than in the miserable conditions of the refugee camps. However, they were shocked and disheartened on their return to find their looted belongings in Tamil houses and business establishments.

Moreover, the LTTE was not sincere in their intention because they went to the extremes of imposing taxes on goods donated for the renovation of the Jaffna Jumma Mosque. Those Muslims who had decided to settle down elsewhere returned to Jaffna to sell their properties, in the same way many Tamils who did not wish to live under the LTTE also sold their properties and departed.

Muslim refugees today feel abandoned by all and sundry. They complain that no one takes note of their problems. The result, needless to say, is growing anger and frustration.

Most of these refugees today are a mentally- and physically-tortured lot living under extreme stress. They often think about how they lost all their assets including lands, houses, household items, jewelry, savings, their shops and other business centers, boats, agricultural equipment and everything else they owned. They even lost their identities and made paupers overnight.

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