Dokument #1145986
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
Tamil-speaking Muslims make up approximately seven per cent of Sri Lanka's population (BBC 31 Oct. 2002). However, despite sharing a common language with the majority Hindus of the north, Muslims fear that their interests will not effectively be represented should the northern and eastern parts of the country unite under Hindu-Tamil administrative control (ibid. 27 June 2002). Due to these concerns, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress has chosen in recent years to align itself with the Sinhalese-dominated coalition government (ibid.). Moreover, Tamil-Muslims have requested that a separate administrative body be established prior to any binding agreement regarding the northern and eastern regions (ibid. 31 Oct. 2002).
Several reports of violence involving Tamil-Muslims were found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. A 7 August 2003 report by Human Rights Watch on political killings in Sri Lanka during the ceasefire agreement states that, on 5 January 2003, "the body of a Muslim auto rickshaw driver, A. T. M. Hussain (Kalanthar), 68, was found in the Tamil neighbourhood of Kalmadu in Oddaimavady." The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were allegedly "threatening Tamils not to do business with Muslims" around the time that Hussain was killed (HRW 7 Aug. 2003). The report also documents that, on 2 January 2003, a grenade thrown into the Muslim market area of Oddaimavady injured five Muslims and one police officer (ibid.).
Several sources documented a violent conflict that erupted between Tamil villagers and Muslims in the primarily Muslim fishing town of Muttur on 17 April 2003 (AFP 18 Apr. 2003; ibid. 20 Apr. 2003; AP 18 Apr. 2003; ibid. 21 Apr. 2003). Tension in Muttur had reportedly been rising since the disappearance of two Muslim residents in March (AP 18 Apr. 2003). The 17 April 2003 incident began after three Muslim protesters were killed and five others injured in an attack by unidentified armed men (ibid.). Muslims maintained that armed Tamils were perpetrating the 17 April violence; however, Muslims were also seen carrying sticks and knives (AFP 18 Apr. 2003). Although the police believe the LTTE was responsible for the attacks, the Tigers denied any connection with the incident (AP 21 Apr. 2003; ibid. 18 Apr. 2003). Rauf Hakeem, a senior Muslim minister and government negotiator, told journalists that over 100 Muslims homes were destroyed and some Tamil businesses were burned down during the conflict (AFP 18 Apr. 2003). Government troops attempted to quell the violence, and a curfew was imposed on the town (ibid.; ibid. 20 Apr. 2003; AP 18 Apr. 2003).
According to TamilNet, several Tamil and Muslim men have been abducted and killed in the northeastern District of Ampara in August 2003 (21 Aug. 2003a). A. Ibralebbai and K. L. Ismail were both killed in Sammanthurai, Ampara, by unidentified gunmen (TamilNet 18 Aug. 2003). Although police are investigating the deaths, the killings have reportedly contributed to rising tensions in Sammanthurai (ibid.). Two other Muslims were recently killed in Trincomalee (ibid. 21 Aug. 2003a). Another report states that a Muslim vigilante group arranged a general shut down in Ampara to protest the disappearance of two young Muslims (ibid.). The relatives of Ibrahim Ilyas and Thambilebbe Marzook are afraid that the two men have been abducted by the LTTE (ibid.). While the Muslim community maintains that the LTTE is responsible, the LTTE blame "forces intent on derailing the peace process who want to cause [a] rift between the Muslim and Tamil communities in the East" (ibid.). Both the Sri Lankan police and the LTTE are reportedly investigating the disappearances (ibid. 25 Aug. 2003).
For information on a riot that broke out between Muslims and Sinhalese in the southern town of Beruwela, please consult LKA41909.E of 29 August 2003.
During a meeting at the Kalmunai police station, Tamil and Muslim community members created a peace committee intended to address the current violence in Ampara and to prevent future conflicts (ibid. 25 Aug. 2003).
Human Rights Watch offers the following analysis regarding the effectiveness of the Sri Lankan police to investigate politically motivated killings:
The police remain primarily responsible for investigations, but they have often failed to undertake them. With the current ceasefire in place and the military confined to barracks, police are once again the main security force active in the north and east. But they are relative strangers to the areas they police and are vulnerable to attack should hostilities resume. The result is that they either forge relationships with the more powerful and locally influential LTTE, or try to stay out of the way. Police officers are well aware that when the LTTE broke a fifteen-month cease-fire in 1990, LTTE forces overran police stations throughout the north and east, abducting and killing hundreds of police officers (7 Aug. 2003).
According to TamilNet, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) recently protested the proposed recruitment of more Tamil-Muslim police officers in the east, and they demanded that police recruitment reflect the ethnic ratio of the province (21 Aug. 2003b).
Refugee resettlement is another key issue facing Tamil-Muslims in Sri Lanka (IPS 12 Feb. 2003; Daily News 13 Apr. 2003). A 19 January 2003 Xinhua article stated that the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and the LTTE agreed to develop a comprehensive plan for resettling Muslims in the northeastern region of the country. While the LTTE announced that Muslim returnees would be able to cultivate their lands in the east, the Daily News reported that Muslim-owned lands could have been sold to Tamils during the many years that the Muslims were absent (13 Apr. 2003). Jezima Ismail, a well-known Muslim educator and women's rights worker, maintains that "the homes of Muslims in Jaffna have been taken over by the Tigers and given to the families of dead suicide bombers" (IPS 12 Feb. 2003). The Center for Policy Alternatives identified the "restitution of property, access to land, destruction of landmines, assistance and legal redress" as some of the most important issues facing people returning to their northern homes (ibid.).
No further information on the treatment of Tamil-Muslims by the government or the police was found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP). 20 April
2003. "Refugee Crisis in Sri Lanka Muslim Town After Rioting."
(NEXIS)
_____. 18 April 2003. "Sri Lankan Muslim
Town Under Curfew Amid Bombs and Bullets." (Dialog)
Associated Press (AP). 21 April 2003.
"Mulsim Civilian Shot Dead by Suspected Tamil Rebel in Eastern Sri
Lanka." (NEXIS)
_____. 18 April 2003. "Muslims, Tamils
Riot After 3 Muslims Killed in Attack on Tamil Rebels." (NEXIS)
BBC. 31 October 2002. Priyath Liyanage.
"Sri Lanka's 'Muslim Question'." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2381015.stm
[Accessed 27 Aug. 2003]
_____. 27 June 2002. Thirumalai
Manivannan. "Analysis: Tamil-Muslim Divide." http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/2070817.stm
[Accessed 27 Aug. 2003]
Daily News [Colombo]. 13 April
2003. Kumar Rupesinghe. "Regaining Muslim Lands in the East." http://origin.dailynews.lk
[Accessed 14 Apr. 2003]
Human Rights Watch (HRW). 7 August 2003.
"Sri Lanka: Political Killings During the Ceasefire." http://hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/srilanka080603.htm
[Accessed 27 Aug. 2003]
Inter Press Service (IPS). 12 February
2003. Feizal Samath. "Rights-Sri Lanka: Many Refugees Wary of
Returning Home." (NEXIS)
TamilNet. 25 August 2003. "Tamil-Muslim
Peace Committee Formed in Ampara." http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=9618
[Accessed 27 Aug. 2003]
_____. 21 August 2003a. "Hartal in
Muslim Areas in Ampara." http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?artid=9688&catid=13
[Accessed 27 Aug. 2003]
_____. 21 August 2003b. "Maintaining
Ethnic Ratio in Police Recruitment Imperative-TNA." http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?artid=9687&catid=13
[Accessed Aug. 27 2003]
_____. 18 August 2003. "Two Muslims Shot
Dead in Sammanthurai." http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?artid=9666&catid=13
[Accessed 27 Aug. 2003]
Xinhua News Agency. 19 January 2003.
"Sri Lanka Muslims, Tamil Rebels to Work Out Resettlement Plan."
(NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
Dialog
IRB Databases
Internet sites, including:
Amnesty International
BBC
Forum for Human Dignity
Human Rights Watch
TamilNet
Situation of Tamil-Muslims and their treatment by the government and the police (2002-2003) [LKA41896.E] (Anfragebeantwortung, Französisch)