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Sri Lanka Muslims arming against Tigers, says Chandrika
Colombo, Sept 24: Sri Lanka President Chandrika Kumaratunga today warned that the island`s minority Muslim community was arming itself against Tamil Tiger rebels.
Colombo, Sept 24: Sri Lanka President Chandrika
Kumaratunga today warned that the island's minority Muslim
community was arming itself against Tamil Tiger rebels.
Kumaratunga's spokesman Harim Peiris blamed the government for the rising militancy of the Muslim community in the island's multi-ethnic eastern province. "The last thing we need is another holy or religious war," Peiris told reporters here. "They are seeking to procure, and some of them are procuring weapons, maybe locally or overseas." "Muslims are concerned about the inaction of the state. Young people are beginning to be restive at the failure of the government to provide security," he said.
Kumaratunga's spokesman Harim Peiris blamed the government for the rising militancy of the Muslim community in the island's multi-ethnic eastern province. "The last thing we need is another holy or religious war," Peiris told reporters here. "They are seeking to procure, and some of them are procuring weapons, maybe locally or overseas." "Muslims are concerned about the inaction of the state. Young people are beginning to be restive at the failure of the government to provide security," he said.
Peiris said the militancy was growing because Prime
Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government had failed to
maintain law and order in the eastern province.
Peiris, however, declined to say to what extent the
Muslims had armed themselves or give details of the sources of
their weapons, but said President Kumaratunga had her own
intelligence sources.
Muslims in Sri Lanka are considered a distinct ethnic
community apart from being a religious group and are the
second largest minority after Tamils.
Bureau Report