AS PRESIDENT ORDERS MAXIMUM SECURITY TO EASTERN PROVINCE, KILLINGS OF MUSLIMS BY LTTE SPREAD TO ERAVUR
By Walter Jayawardhana reporting from Los Angeles
December 03, 08.30 PM: While President Chandrika Kumaratunga ordered the Defense Ministry Secretary,. Cyril Herath, Interior Ministry Secretary .M. N. A. Junaid and the acting Inspector General of Police. Indra de Silva to take immediate steps to provide security to all communities in the troubled Eastern Province, Police sources said the alleged killings of the Muslims by the LTTE terrorists spread outside Trincomalee into Ampara and Akkarapattun area.
Police sources said at least suspected LTTE terrorists in the Eastern Province had killed eight Muslims so far and the latest killings had been reported from Eravur area.
Sources said the LTTE and the BBC’s Sandeshaya have been trying to give publicity to the baseless propaganda that a mysterious third force had committed the murders. Pro-LTTE broadcasters handle Sandeshaya, the Sinhala language program of the BBC.
The latest killing of a Muslim hospital employee was reported from Eravur. Sulaiman Lebbe Farouk (29) who worked in an Ambulance at Eravur Hospital returned late at night after transporting a patient to the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital and went to buy a late meal at a local eating house when he was shot by suspected LTTE terrorists who came by a three wheel taxi. Police investigations revealed that a T56 automatic weapon had been used in the shooting. Magistrate Ajmeer visited the murder scene and fixed the magisterial inquiry into the death on December 15. Security sources in the area said atleast two shootings have been reported in the area.
On December 1 suspected LTTE terrorists shot at Seyida Neyida Jaheer (33) at Kachcha Kodiththivu near Kinniya inflicting serious head injuries in the victim. The injured , a resident of Colony 5 of Kakamunai, Soorangal was first admitted to Kinniya Hospital and later transferred to Trincomalee Hospital, security sources said.
Meanwhile three Muslim youth who were traveling in a three wheel taxi fully armed also had been arrested by the Police. The Muslim youth, Abdul Latif Ansar, Mohamed H. Saffrulla and Mohamed Ameer Hansa were suspected of attempting retaliatory action , Police said.
National Unity Alliance leader Mrs. Ferial Ashraff said a previous step to recruit 500 Muslim Police officers in the Eastern Province had been abandoned by the Ranil Wickremesinghe administration under the pressure of the LTTE and the Tamil National Alliance. She said that scheme should be immediately implemented.
Eastern Province MP Hisbullah said the latest action was seen by Muslims as an attempt by the LTTE to drive out the Muslims from the Eastern Province just like they drove out the Muslims and the Sinhalese from the Northern Province.
