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Muslim Congress seeks to rule parts of Lanka

Muslim Congress seeks to rule parts of Lanka

Author: AP
Publication: The New Indian Express
Date:

An influential Muslim political party on Tuesday demanded the right to partially govern Muslim-dominated areas in Sri Lanka's civil-war-wracked northeast -- further complicating a fragile peace pact between the government and Tamil rebels.

About 1.3 million of Sri Lanka's 18.6 million people are Muslim. They live mainly in the north and east of the country, the same areas where predominantly Hindu Tamil insurgents waged a 19-year battle for independence from the rest of the country, which is mostly Buddhist.

Peace talks between the government and the Tamil rebels broke down in April with the insurgents complaining that the authorities were not doing enough to resettle thousands of Tamils displaced by the war.

Since then, the guerrillas have refused to re-enter peace talks until they are given political, financial and administrative powers in the northeast. Government proposals offering the Tamils' limited administrative powers have been rejected.

Government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, say they are working on a new proposal to present to the rebels, but the demands by Muslim politicians have caused delays.

The Muslim Congress party, which is part of the ruling coalition, said it wants substantial powers to rule in Muslim-dominated areas.

"We are prepared to share power with the Tamils but we will not be dominated by them. No way," the party's leader Rauf Hakeem said. "There has to be safeguards that will ensure substantial autonomy in Muslim-dominated areas."

Hakeem, who is also a Cabinet minister, said he met with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Monday to discuss the matter. He said Wickremesinghe gave him permission to negotiate directly with the rebels about sharing power.

"It's a joke for the Muslims to be ruled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam when they don't have the mandate to do so," he said.
 


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