Colombo, Aug 28: The top cease-fire monitor in Sri Lanka flew today to the island's east to meet with army and rebel commanders and Muslim and Tamil community leaders to try to put an end to a spate of murders of Muslims, allegedly by the guerrillas. Tensions have been mounting in the island's east - where the majority of Sri Lanka's 1.3 million Muslims live - after at least four people were killed by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels earlier this month. Since then, the area has been hit by a string of protests against the insurgents.
The government says it will recruit and deploy 550 Muslim policemen to the east to improve security amid reports that Muslims are arming themselves against possible attacks.
Relations between Muslims and Tamils, who live in equal numbers in the east, deteriorated when Tamil rebels began moving into the area following a cease-fire agreement with the government signed in February 2002.
Muslims resent the Hindu Tigers' presence and their plan to administer the area under an accord being negotiated with the government.
Truce monitor Tryggve Tellefsen, a Norwegian, will hold the meetings in the town of Batticaloa, 220 kilometres east of the capital, Colombo, said a spokeswoman for the European cease-fire monitoring team, Agnes Bragadottir.
The rebels started fighting in 1983 for an independent homeland for ethnic Tamils. Nearly 65,000 people were killed before the truce.

Bureau Report