2010 will mark the twentieth anniversary of the expulsion of the entire population of Muslims from the Northern Province by the LTTE. It will hopefully also be the year of return for the Northern Muslims to rebuild their lives, livelihoods and a shared future with all communities of the North.

With the end of the war there was an expectation within the displaced Northern Muslim community, currently numbering over 100,000, that they would be allowed to and assisted to return. When resettlement did commence in the North it focused on the recently displaced Tamil IDPs. While recognizing and supporting the urgency for the resettlement of Wanni Tamil IDPs, Northern Muslims are worried that there is hardly any acknowledgment of their existence and needs and they are left out of any planning of the entire resettlement process. The Muslim IDPs have had to use their own resources and to negotiate at an individual level to secure permission to return. While there are many challenges to resettlement including de-mining, re-building infrastructure and providing basic assistance, the delay in resettling the Northern Muslims has raised fears that they will be excluded from the current resettlement process; which could result in their losing assistance both at a family and community level, increased conflicts between those currently settled and Northern Muslims trying to claim their original properties. Reintegrating the returning Northern Muslims with the Tamil community should be the priority; unfortunately so far little progress has been made.

In order to ensure a peace that will benefit and create co-existence among all communities, we the undersigned organizations demand of the next President:

Immediately implement parallel resettlement of Northern Muslim IDPs with the resettlement of the Vanni IDPs.

Recognise and ensure the right of return of all Northern Muslims, be they those expelled or the children who were born in displacement.

Give the choice to all Northern Muslims whether to return or opt for local integration in areas where they are currently living.

-Opening of Mannar- Puttalam road to facilitate Muslim IDP return.

-Equally prioritize Muslim villages and expedite the landmine clearance.

-Ensure equity in terms of returnee assistance, rehabilitation and development resources to areas which were inhabited prior to the conflict.

-Ensure community consultation and participation in the rehabilitation and development of the war affected areas.

-Create mechanisms and processes to address potential land problems and disputes, including allocation of public (crown) land, demarcation of village boundaries and sharing and allocation of public resources through inter-community mediating boards.

-Expelled Muslims who have lost their land and public resources due to resettlements that happened after their eviction in 1990 need to be duly compensated.

-Give access to local organizations from the affected districts, and national and international organizations, to areas where resettlement is taking place so that they could play a more proactive role in rebuilding communities. Current restriction on allowing only a handful of relief and rehabilitation agencies should be eased to bring in more help.

-In the event of villages and lands of the Muslims being declared High Security Zones, alternative land and infrastructure should be rebuilt and handed over to the people.

-Devise means of settling land disputes arising from land transactions and land allocations done by LTTE and government in the absence of Northern Muslims in their areas of residence, giving full recognition to the land rights of the Northern Muslims.

-Appoint a truth commission that includes civil society group with a cross section of all communities to investigate the forcible eviction of the Northern Muslims.

-Amend the Prescription Ordinance in the North and East, where large scale displacement had taken place and the inability of the displaced to reclaim the land during the last nineteen years.

Currently Muslims are returning to the north without much assistance from anyone, simply in the hope that they can restart their lives from scratch and co-exist once again with their Tamil brothers and sisters. On behalf of the Northern Muslims the undersigned community based organisations and members of the Muslims community request all the Presidential candidates and others who are involved in northern resettlement, rebuilding and development to fulfil the above requirement to reintegrate the expelled Muslims as part of the northern communities after twenty years.

Dated: January 22, 2010

Signed

Civil Society Organisations:

Citizen Committee for Forcibly Evicted Northern Muslims,
Community Trust Fund Puttalum,
CTF Women’s Forum Vavuniya and Mannar,
ORDER - Sri Lanka (Organization for Relief, Development, Education and Equal Rights),
Mannar Women for Human Rights and Democracy,
Musali Civil Societies for Rights, Media forum for Musali,
Muslim Council of Sri Lanka, National Muslim Assembly,
Mullaithivu welfare Society,
Al Ameen Islamic Cultural Development Association,
Asian Muslim Action Network,
Asian Resource Foundation,
Women Bureau Periyamadu- Mannar,
Peace Networking Committee Puttalam,
Organization for Peace and Education Development (OPDE),
Child Vision Puttalam, APDC- Puttalam,
Social Aid Puttalam,
Social Improvement Foundation- Alankuda Puttalam,
Al-Kafala and Unity Lanka International

Religious Institutions:

Federation of Mullaithivu Mosques,
Fathuwa Committee Puttalam,
Jaffna Mosque Committee,
Mohideen Jummah Mosque Mannar,
Mannar District Mosques Federation,
Mullaithivu Masjith Trustee Board,
Mullaiihivu District Jammiyathul Ulama,
Killinochchi District Trustee Board, Periyamadhu Mosque Federation,
Veppankulam and Vidathalthivu Mohideen Jumma Mosque,
Periya Karisal Mohideen Jumma Mosque
Periyamadu Ilmiya Arabic College Committee.