Where Do North East Muslims Stand on the Ethnic Issue
PEACE AS A LAST RESORT

S.M.M. Bazeer Esqr.

Attorney-at-Law

Having endured the agonising time of civil war, peace is now desperately sought after by all the peace loving Sri Lankans. In the period of ethnic crisis we have had alternating war and peace. We have seen several models from Pondicheri to the Basque claim, being occasionally suggested, at the expense of thousands of lives and the tangible loss of millions of Rupees. In pursuit of peace, however, the politicians may have a hidden agenda. The people seem to have subscribed to the optimistic view, well above their party politics. The government and the LTTE are very much concerned about the installation of civilian administration with a reasonable return to normality. Until recently, there was no indication of whether the peace initiative would be based upon any identifiable principles.

However, it has emerged that the LTTE would like the Canadian Federal System (Quebec) to be used as a possible guide for an agreement in the North East Sri Lanka. In a climate where the entire nation has to bear the burnt of the civil war, it is incumbent on every Sri Lankan to express his solidarity with those who aspire for peace.

Norwegian peace process and Muslims

Any solution to the ethnic problem should be a permanent one and ought to satisfy the legitimate right of the Tamils and Muslims. As for Muslims any peace process should accommodate their aspirations in the North East provinces on the basis of social justice. Ignoring the Muslims resolute and distinctive identity in any peace process will escalate to unpalatable scenarios.

In the backdrop of peace initiatives in Sri Lanka led by the Norwegian Government it is indispensable for the Tamils and Muslims living in the North and East to arrive at some consensus in order to marginalize the regressive forces, which have always been a stumbling block to peace. The time has now come for the Tamils to realize that the Muslim ethnicity is also a reality in the resolution of ethnic crisis. Being victims of war for over a decade, Muslims are weary of the ongoing war like rest of the population. Muslims living in the North and East realize that their problems are unique by being territorial part of the Tamil traditional homeland with distinctive identity of their own.

Tamil-Muslim political reality

The Tamils who claim for self determination, without further hesitation, should agree that there is a Muslim factor in the North and East which by all means, self -dependant politically, religiously and culturally although simultaneously being interdependent economically, linguistically and geographically. It has been unfortunate that the Tamil politicians have distanced themselves from the Muslims by simply claiming that there is a Muslim party to solely deals with the Muslim affairs and never attempted to include the Muslims who could jointly stand for the overall Tamil Muslim territorial integrity and political stability. This was especially since the 1990’s rift between the Muslims and Tamils. No Tamil parties or groups sincerely stepped up any effort to bring the Muslims in line with a common political solution for the North East Tamil speaking communities. Nor did Tamil parties dare to look at the Muslim issues in the light of Thimpu principles. However some of those parties or groups frequently claim that the Muslims are a kind of cultural ethnic group, which should be allocated a reasonable delegation of power sharing by institutional arrangements within the merged North East provinces without seeking any territorial partition of the administration. It is a proposal of harmony with mutual recognition between the two communities living in the North and East Provinces. This is less than what was envisaged by S.J.V. Chelvanayagam who even supported autonomy for Muslims in the North East. In spite of this, what lacked in every proposal and accord was the recognition of Muslim nationality.

The LTTE and The Muslims

The independent view of the Muslims living in the North and east on ethnic issues has now been delegated not only to the SLMC but also to other national parties, as there have been significant castings of votes for the national parties. As the LTTE is the major party to Peace it is time for the LTTE to clarify their stance about the Muslims who form substantial claim to the territory and administration and are prepared for reconciliation in order to achieve a durable solution to the ethnic crisis. It was devastating to learn that the Muslims were subjected to ill treatment by the LTTE after they had signed a historical Pact with the Muslim delegation in Chennai in April 1988.

Revisiting the Badiudin-Kittu (Muslim-Tamil) Accord 1988

It would be prudent to look back and evaluate the essence of the pact and review it in the light of the political development that has taken place in Sri Lanka since it was signed. Despite being an agreement between the LTTE and the then MULF it was an agreement of foresight but unfortunately it lacked commitment. The significant changes are now that the LTTE has started to address Muslims as “Muslims” in ethnic or political sense and have acted cautiously in its efforts to reconcile with Muslims. It is again for the LTTE to come to terms with the fact that the Muslims are an integral part of the territorial Tamil traditional Homeland.

LTTE & Muslims ACCORD 1988

I wish to highlight some aspects of the agreement that was a milestone so far as the LTTE and Muslims were concerned.

It is understood that although the Muslim people living in Sri Lanka speak the Tamil language, they are a distinct ethnic group falling within the totality of Tamil nationality.

	The Muslim people recognize that the area composed of the Northern and Eastern provinces are as much their traditional homeland as it is of the rest of Tamil-speaking people.
	The Muslim people believe that their interests could be safeguarded only in their homeland, and this could be achieved only through a greater unity between all Tamil-speaking people.
	Since the Muslim people constitute a minority in their homeland, and hence it is important that they should be assured of a life free from fear and insecurity, the LTTE will take all steps to ensure this and extend all co-operations in the future to have the security of the Muslim people guaranteed by law.
	Whatever steps taken to safeguard the interests of the Muslim people and the arriving at a reasonable power sharing agreement will be done in such a way as not to undermine the territorial integrity of the Tamil homeland
	While the Muslim people form 33% of the population in the Eastern province and will comprise 18% in the combined Northern and Eastern provinces, it is agreed that in order to ensure maximum safeguard for them and enable them to enjoy an equitable power- sharing, they will be entitled to not less than 30% of the representation in the provincial council and the cabinet.
	It is agreed that in all future land distribution, the Muslim people will be entitled to not less than 35% in the Eastern province, not less than 30% in the Manner district and not less than 5% in other areas.
	Unless otherwise a Muslim has been appointed chief Minister of the Northern and Eastern provincial council, legal provision should be made to ensure that a Muslim is appointed as the deputy chief Minister of said council.
	A de colonization policy should be evolved in order to redress the adverse effect caused by planned government colonization.
	It was agreed that in order to alleviate the sufferings of the vast mass of innocent civilians who are the ones who are truly affected by the military actions, and to enable them to return to normal, peaceful life,

Some of the implications that follow from this agreement are: the Muslims in the North eastern Provinces have decided that their future well-being lies in identifying themselves with the other Tamil-speaking people in these two provinces, and not look for succour outside; that they are no longer prepared to be led by Muslim leaders in the south-west; that they recognize in the LTTE its Tamil representative character, above all, they have decided to support the concept of the traditional Homeland.

Muslim Tamil Unity - A Way Forward To Peace

As the LTTE is the cardinal party to the peace process it is anticipated that the LTTE has to acknowledge its position in the light of the LTTE-MUSLIM Accord (1988) so as to encourage the Muslims of the regions to express their solidarity with the Tamil people in the prospective Norway led peace initiative, thus obviating any interference by the parties with vested interests.

We, Muslims need now to emphasise the development of facts that affected the Muslim Tamil relationship in the North East since the so called Tamil-Muslim Accord and redefine our place in any future agreement with the LTTE which has to play a greater role in the overall peace process. Given the past experiences, it would be more effective if the LTTE and the Muslims would make common proposals without Muslims legitimate claim to nationality being subordinated to a generalised Tamil speaking category. The joint proposals should incorporate the aspirations of Muslims as they stand as an individual nationality. In that process, the views of the non-political Muslim organizations and religious institutions representing Muslims of the North and East should also be consulted with, if lasting peace is to be attained. At this point in time, it is worth recalling what Martin Luther King once said about peace “True Peace is not merely the absence of tension, but it is the presence of justice and brotherhood”

05 March 2002

Where Do North East Muslims Stand on the Ethnic Issue PEACE AS A LAST RESORT