Committee formed to promote Tamil-Muslim amity in Trinco

[TamilNet, Friday, 26 December 2003, 16:20 GMT]
A twelve member committee comprising six Muslims and six Tamils was formed at a meeting held Wednesday evening at the conference hall of the Jumma Mosque located on the Ehambaram Road in Trincomalee town to strengthen relationship between the Muslims and Tamils in the Trincomalee bazaar area and to resolve differences that may arise in future, sources said.

The meeting was convened to discuss latest situation following a bomb attack on a Muslim shop in the Trincomalee bazaar few days ago, sources said.

Trincomalee district parliamentarians Mr.R.Sampanthan and Mr.K.Thurairetnasingham and leading civil leaders of both communities participated in the meeting.

Mr.Sampanthan addressing the meeting said a lasting political solution could be found for the ethnic conflict only by accommodating the legitimate aspirations of Muslims in the east. Tamils and Muslims lived in the northeast for several generations and currently some sinister forces are bent on disrupting the cordial relationship between the two communities. Both communities should not give room for these forces to achieve their own ends, Mr.Sampanthan said.

Mr.Thurairetasingham said the LTTE leadership has been firm in its stand that any political solution to the ethnic problem should be found to the satisfaction of the Muslims in the east.

It was suggested at the conference that such meetings should be convened once in a month to review the situation, sources said.

Muslim representatives participated at the meeting said a meeting should be organized to discuss some issues with the LTTE leaders in the district, sources said.