SRI LANKA MUSLIM REFUGEE ASSISTANCE (UK) – QURBAN PROJECT 2011

 

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2. CRITERIA FOR DISTRIBUTION

    It was decided to distribute Qurban meat as follows, with the availability of funds:

(a)     To distribute 1 kg. per family to cover a larger number of families.

(b)     To cover the border villages in the Polonnaruwa district.

(c)     To cover camps/villages in the districts of Anuradhapura and Vavuniya.  

(d)     To distribute to IDPs resettled in Mannar from Puttalam.

(e)     To distribute to those affected in Mutur

(f)      To distribute to Jaffna Muslims in Crow Island camp.

(g)     To distribute to IDPs from Jaffna resettled in Jaffna.

(h)     To distribute to IDPs from Jaffna living in Puttalam.

 

3. DISTRIBUTION

The distributions were carried out on Eid festival on 7.11.2011 and on two days thereafter, due to the logistical problems. Each family was given about 1 kg. of meat. Our contacts were entrusted with the distribution and it was not possible for me to be present.

(a)     Anuradhapura, Mannar and Vavuniya Districts

The job was entrusted to S.M. Sahabdeen. The meat of about 1 kg. per family were distributed as follows. The number of families in Anuradhapura was minimal as preference was given to those who are undergoing difficulties in Mannar and Vavuniya. The villages selected in the Vavuniya District are those close to the Medawachiya/Mannar road.

     

(b)      Polonnaruwa District

The job was entrusted to S.H.M. Ansar. The distribution was arranged through the Mosques. 1 kg. of meat, approximately, was distributed to each family. In 1992, following the Kattankudy killings in mosques, the LTTE brutally massacred a large number of families in the  Polonnaruwa/Batticaloa  border  villages  of  Alanchipotana,  Palliyagodella, Pangurana, Akbarpuram and  Ahmedpuram  in  the  Mahaweli  ‘B’ zones. The villagers  were  moved  to camps set up in Welikanda, Tambala, Sungawila and Nugagahatenne. They are now back in their villages.

          Rithithenna  is  close to  Punani on the  Polonnaruwa/Valaichenai  road. It was  decided  to  distribute to another village nearby                     namely Jayanthiyaya, but was not able to do so due to logistical problems. These and  other adjoining  villages  had  many  problems           during the ethnic  war, and  the villagers  returned in  2002 after the ceasefire agreement. I visited these villages, Oddamavadi and                 Valaichenai in 2002 when I went to  Eravur with  Ali Zahir Moulana and distributed cash during Ramazan. Though Karuna defected                from the LTTE, his cadres continued to harass these villages, until they were completely  wiped out later from Thoppigala.

 

 (c)      Crow Island Camp

  Two bulls were purchased for Rs. 33,000/- and 27,000/-, and the meat was divided into packs of about  1.0    to 1.25 kg. and  distributed to  118  families, who are from  Jaffna living in this abandoned school  since 1990.

(d)    Mutur

 The  assistance of  K.M.H. Akbar was sought.  5 bulls were slaughtered  costing  Rs. 130,000/-.  Meat  was  packetted  into  parcels of 1 kg. each and distributed to 540 families in the suburbs of Mutur where no distributions were made by others.

 

(e)          Jaffna

Many IDP families have returned to Jaffna. The Govt. has not assisted them and they are scattered in many places. Some families are living in Pommaveli undergoing many difficulties. The 140 families were given about 1 kg. meat after slaughtering 2 bulls costing Rs. 55,000/-. It was raining at the time and the photos shows the pathetic state of the flooded cadjun huts. The distribution was arranged by M.S. Raheem through the Small Mosque at Muslim College Road, Moor Street, Jaffna.

 

(f)           Puttalam

There are many IDPs from Jaffna living in Puttalam. Some are living in YMMA Nagar and Maligapuram in houses built by the YMMA and others. The rest are living in camps. Qurban meat of about 1 kg. per family was distributed as follows.

The distribution was arranged by M.S. Raheem through Masjid Shubbanul Muslimeen and Masjithur Rahman.           

                                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                                                    

            Photographs taken at  various places of distribution are enclosed.

 

5.  Comments and Observations

The collection of funds and distribution of Qurban meat this year covered 4,073 families, as compared to 2,737 families in 2010. The SLMRA contributions in 2010 and 2011 were about the same at Rs. 710,000/-, but in 2011 a sum of Rs. 1,160,000/- was spent with contributions from other sources as well.  This was due to the SLMRA Qurban Appeal being received this year and conveyed to potential donors by email. The SLMRA had not sent the Appeals for many years after 2004 and my critical comments made them realise their lethargic attitude. The local donations received were Rs. 100,150/- and Rs. 316,500/- from Canada was arranged by A.G.A. Barrie.

 

The cost of bulls in Colombo are usually higher than those in the outstations. On an average the SLMRA had computed the cost of a bull at UK Pounds 154/-, thereby a portion for a person was UK Pounds 22/- on the basis of 7 persons to a bull. Thus a portion was around Rs. 3,800/-. The number of total bulls slaughtered was 44 which slightly exceeded the stipulated minimum of 43 bulls.

 

There is no change in the status-quo of the displaced Muslims, who are still languishing mainly in refugee camps away from their homelands for the last 21 years.  Some families have returned to Mannar and Jaffna but the Govt. has not assisted them to resettle, unlike the Tamils who had been and are being helped in many ways by international pressure. There is a coterie of Muslim Ministers and Advisers but they do not seem to take any interest. The Northern Muslim IDPs have many problems to be resolved after being thrown out bodily 21 years ago. After the defeat of the LTTE in May 2009, there was hope that all the problems will be solved without any delays.

 

Mannar and Jaffna IDPs

In 2010 about 5,000 families in Puttalam returned to the Musali Division in Mannar as requested by the Govt. They were not given any facilities and were shuttling back and forth to Puttalam. The SLMRA gave dry rations to 515 families during Ramazan 2010. In the same year Qurban meat was distributed to 355 families in the Veppankulam area in Mannar. During Ramazan 2011 the SLMRA gave dry rations to 620 families in many villages. In  2011 Qurban meat was distributed to 1,133 families in selected areas  of Mannar.

 

Very recently about 600 families from Kalpitiya were asked by the Govt. to resettle in their original ancestral lands close to Talaimannar. When they went there the Army and Police evicted them saying that the land now belongs to the State. They were in dire straits without food and other facilities. This was reported in the Muslim Information Centre Newsletter of November 2011. When they occupied Mosque lands the Navy had stopped them saying that the lands belong to the Lands Reform Commission. It is now reported that they were settled in a large area of jungle land, but lack any facilities. Therefore, a larger part of SLMRA funds for assistance were diverted to the Mannar District.

 

About 500 families who returned to Jaffna are also facing difficulties without any assistance from the State, and are living in scattered areas. Unlike the Muslims in Mannar who were in large concentrations and occupied many villages originally, the Jaffna Muslims were a small community, and many are reluctant to go back without State assistance.

 

The Final Report of the Citizens’ Commission on the Expulsion of Muslims from the Northern Province by the LTTE in October 1990 was released in November 2011. It is a well researched and comprehensive document. It mentions that the Govt. considers only those displaced after 2008 for assistance and resettlement. Where do the Muslims of the North stand who were evicted in 1990 for no fault of theirs?  The Govt. is not bothered and the Report highlights all relevant details in the chapter on Conclusions and Recommendations. It is also critical in blaming the Muslim leaders and politicians for the sad plight of the Northern Muslims in particular and the others in general.

 

The President appointed the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) in May 2010 to look into events of the Sri Lankan civil war between 21st February, 2002 and 19th May, 2009. The dates are, obviously, politically motivated to begin from the Ceasefire Agreement. The war intensified from July 1983 and the period does not cover the brutal killings of Muslims and the eviction of the Northern Muslims in 1990, which again shows the discrimination of Muslim IDPs by trying to avoid these significant events. However, the Citizens’ Commission made a lengthy and informative presentation to the LLRC.

 

Although the LTTE was defeated in May 2009, the Govt. has still not addressed the issues of resettling and rehabilitating the Muslim IDPs. They are silent on this matter todate, despite forever talking about the Tamil IDPs. The Muslim leaders should take up this matter but they are not taking interest, though representations have been made by those affected.

 

The LLRC Report which was released few days ago and presented in Parliament, says that the Muslims chased out from the North should be resettled in their native places. With regard to the Muslim IDPs displaced from Jaffna, Mannar, Kilinochi, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya, the Report adds that a State policy should include an assistance package including financial assistance and other material support such as housing construction to the IDPs. It adds further that the LLRC is of the view that durable solutions should be found to address this long standing IDP issue concerning the Muslims evicted from the North, which contains the seeds of disharmony and dissension if it remains unaddressed.

 

In this scenario it is disheartening and pathetic that there is no leadership nor statesmanship in the Muslim community, despite the presence of a large number of Muslim Ministers and Advisers.  Quoting Dr. A.C.L. Ameer Ali, “There are now more Muslim politicians and ministers than ever in the history of the community at the national level. There is a need for a statesman like leadership.

Inshah Allah, it is hoped that the Muslim IDPs, in particular, will be looked after and their problems  resolved soon and that they will be able to resettle in their original homelands..

 

M. ALI AZEEZ

Co-ordinator for SLMRA(UK) in Sri Lanka

 

18th December, 2011.