Despite a plethora of condemnation, adverse criticism and serious concern expressed by international human rights bodies against human rights violations in the military occupied Tamil habitats, the report for the month of September 2007 compared to the month before, presents a very grim picture of the various types of violations all of which have a cumulative impact on a people already affected by two decades of civil war.

Related Links
Sri Lankan Soldiers Kill Civilians, Government Covers Up
Is the Government Redefining Eastern Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka's Muslims: Out In the Cold
Sri Lanka Muslims: Caught in the Crossfire

Presented below in summarized form is a list that contain the numeric relating to killings, abductions, disappearances, unlawful arrests, injured in various ways, aerial bombings and displacements consequent to military operations:

• Killings – 64 civilians

• Killing of clergy/humanitarian worker – 1 Catholic priest

• Disappearances – 36civilians

• Unlawful arrests – 164 civilians

• Injured – 74 civilians

• Aerial bombardments on civilian habitats – 4, one civilian killed, 20 including children injured, serious damage to civilian property – 10 houses

• Sought refuge with Human Rights Office, Jaffna – 75 civilians

• Displacements in Mannar – 20,882 people (5,561 families) from Mannar are now scattered round under trees in jungle clearances, in available school buildings, common halls, temples, churches and with friends and relatives

• Atrocities

NESoHR wishes to place before the world community this grim picture in the backdrop of a two decade old war, numerous displacements, loss of livelihood, loss of breadwinners in many families, the serious psychological impact on the student population when civilian habitats including schools are targeted by the air force jets, all of this during a period, the parties to the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) maintain that the CFA is still operative.

The entire report can be downloaded as a pdf file.

This violence has affected civilians across ethinic divides. One group, however, has not found any voice or representation in any process.

Although Muttur is a multi ethnic and multi cultural division in the Trincomalee district, Muslims are the majority. In the past Muslims have lived with other ethnic groups, mainly the Tamils and adopted a peaceful approach even though they have been victimised several times.

The exodus from Muttur in August 4^th 2006 due to shelling from both sides resulted in the masses of Muttur camping in Kantalai. After 33 days the armed forces made the people return to Muttur, not heeding the will of the people who refused to go back due to the volatile situation. It is one year since the return of the people of Muttur and the situation in Muttur has not yet come back to normalcy.

The plight of livelihood is pitiful due to the restrictions by the armed forces. During the period dominated by the LTTE there was some flexibility and the people were able to carry on with their income generation activities. After the so called Liberation of the Eastern Province people are compelled to abandon their livelihood activities due to the dominant iron fist of the administration of the ‘liberated’ areas by the armed forces.

Security

The so called victory of the Government in the east is not a victory for the people of the east. Several sentry points crowd the streets of Mutur. Some of the houses of the people have to be sacrificed to the armed forces to camp up. The “Karuna Faction” adds to this misery by bringing their enemies to Muttur and killing them in the areas where the Muslims live.

Fishing

Fishing is one of the major sources of income in Muttur. More than 2,400 families depend on fishing. Fishermen in Muttur depend mostly on deep see fishing (outer harbour)

After the eastern victory His Excellency the President ordered all restrictions on deep sea fishing to be removed completely, yet the security forces have been restricting deep sea fishing. Only a distance of two kilo meters is permitted for fishing by the forces. As a result the fishermen’s families face severe hardships, malnourishment and other problems. The deep sea fishing materials and machinery given by INGOs are abandoned on the sea shore. The fundamental rights of the people for earning their livelihood are violated.

The plight of these fisher folk who do not receive relief items or any compensation is dismal. There is no exposure to the prevailing ground situation thus the people outside Muttur and the international community are kept in the dark.

What is deplorable here is that the Sinhalese fishermen are permitted deep sea fishing by the Navy. This is high discrimination by the authorities. The prohibition of fishing in Muttur due to the Government’s alleged “Trincomalee Metro Urban Development Project” is complete disadvantage for the minority people of the area.

The Navy is currently directing the Muttur Muslim fishermen to fish in the Elekandhe area which belongs to the Tamil people. By doing this the government is trying to create problems between Tamil and Muslim communities. The Navy is deliberating to meet out harsh operations against the innocent fishermen to achieve their goals.

Agriculture

Although there was flexibility in their domination at sea during the last few decades the LTTE has been very bitter on land. Paddy fields harvested by the Muslims were burned down and the farmers were gunned down in their fields and there have been outbreaks of ethnic violence during harvest time. As a result thousands of acres of cultivation lands were dominantly cultivated by the LTTE.

Animal husbandry is another major mainstay of Muttur. The Muttur Muslims lost thousands of cattle and acres of grasslands to the LTTE. The people became abject to extreme poverty suddenly.

After the so called liberation the government is constructing alternative roads through the cultivation lands of the farmers. Government has failed to make any replacement of lands or even compensate the already poor farmers. Authority is being used without the consent of these farmers on such projects. Added to this indecency the Sinhalese Home Guards with the support of the Army grab the tractors owned by Muslim farmers and use for cultivation in their own fields. This is the state sponsored open terrorism here in Muttur now.

Forest & Collecting

Another main source of livelihood by the marginalized community in Muttur is living in the resources of the surrounding forest such as firewood, honey etc. During the last 25 years this means of livelihood was in the hands of the LTTE who were threatening by levy and also due to the risk of murder and kidnapping in the forests.

With the so called victory of the east the poor people anticipated free movement and normalcy instead they are driven away by security forces, as such these poor people have become subject to continuous poverty as they are compelled to purchase these forest products from other districts.

Rehabilitation and Demographics

Since 1983, 14 Muslim villagers were dominated by the LTTE. For e.g. in 1985 people in Arafat Nagar were driven away by the LTTE. However after the so called victory of the east after 22 years when the people tried to resettle in Arafat Nagar they were driven away by the army stating it to be a High Security Zone.

The Navy base in Thaqwa Nagar has expanded by way of a dispensary, nursery school, play ground and public road by utilizing the resources of 14 village families who are eventually displaced by this.

Our community has suffered much due to the war and the tsunami. We lost 306 people in the tsunami of December 26 2004 and 1,426 were rendered homeless. Of the 426 houses destroyed only 391 have been rebuilt. Almost three years after the tsunami 35 families are still waiting for a house.  Due to the recent fighting in Mutur in August 2006 117 houses were damaged by the shelling. The partially damaged houses are being repaired after INGOs provided assistance but the completely destroyed houses have not still been re-built.

Due to the waves of displacement Muttur is facing high density in population. This causes infectious disease, polluted well water and also tensions and disputes. There could be more long-term problems if the people from the surrounding villages are not allowed to resettle in their own homes and villages.

Sinhalistion

The tsunami reconstruction is not still complete 35 families are homeless. To aggravate this situation the government agent of Trincomalee has directed the Muttur Divisional Secretary to distribute lands which was allocated to build the houses for the Muslim tsunami victims to the Sinhalese people who were not affected by the tsunami. Moreover the Sinhalese people acquired another land (PMB land) which is allocated to tsunami victims with the support of the armed forces.

In the meantime 1117 houses had been destroyed by the shelling of both warring parties in August 2006 when army was attempting to set up camps at Uppukkachimadu. There were many protest campaigns by the citizens but was thwarted by the iron fists of the army.

The Moonang Kattai (Third Mile Post) hill is the place where all communities engage in (stone breaking) quarrying. The Government Agent of Trincomalee suddenly prohibited the breaking of stones from this hill citing that that there is a Buddhist emblem on this hill. But there is no archaeological evidence to prove it. More than 420 families who earn their livelihood by quarrying are affected by this ban. Reconstruction of houses of tsunami and war victims and of roads depends on the stones from this hill. The Government Agent has instructed the people to purchase stones from Kantalai.

The price of one heap of stone in Muttur is Rs 2600.- while the price of one heap of stone from Kantalai is Rs. 7,000.-  This we feel is the initiative to draw back the Muttur Muslims economy and develop a “Sinhala Economy”.

As the Government Agent is a former army general of the eastern command, the minority civil officers are desperate.

In short the Eastern liberation of the government does not bring any harmony for Muslims. Contrasting discriminations increases day by day. This means, the people of the area are riddled from one domination to another domination.

Our Appeal

Our Appeal to the international community is to listen to the grievances of the Muttur people and help us to overcome the silent suffering over the years.

The following factors need deep consideration and understanding to promote the peace building process in this Muttur area.

• Take steps to re-settle the people driven out of their original homes.
• Pressurize the government to stop land acquisition on the pretext of High Security Zone, Holy Lands and Marine Security Zone.
• Promote deep sea fishing, animal husbandry, agriculture, forest collection and business without discrimination to the Muslims and Tamils.
• Advice Government to avoid erecting Buddhist statues on Jabal Nagar Mountain and other places which are not Buddhist areas.
• We urge the international community to intervene and prevent another civil unrest in the country due to ethnic discrimination