Muslims want presidential commission

Monday, October 30,2006
Source : Daily Mirror

The Northern Muslims driven out of the province by the LTTE in 1990 have called for the appointment of a presidential commission to inquire into the circumstances which led to their displacement and take immediate measures for their resettlement. The call was made at a ceremony held at the Palavi junction in Puttalam, where nearly 100,000 of the evicted Muslims have been living temporary shelter for the past 16 years, to mark the 16th anniversary of their expulsion from the North.

Musali Peoples Parliament (MPP) President S.M.A. Niyas said the Government should prepare the ground work for the resettlement of the displaced Muslims from Mannar and Kilinochchi.

He said issues faced by the displaced Muslims should be included in the talks between the Government and the LTTE, noting that remedial measures had not been taken, despite an increase in the number displaced from 85,000 in 1990 to 125,000 this year.

The MPP was formed by the Muslim IDPs from Musali division in Mannar.