“We may now go home”: Muslim Refugees from Northern Sri Lanka
-- Shahul H. Hasbullah
The plight of Muslim refugees needs greater attention at the
national level. The peace process is an opportunity to end this
12 year long displacement and resolve the refugee issue. By highlighting
concerns of Muslim refugees, the article aims to constructively
contribute to and strengthen the peace process.
Introduction
Muslim minority of the Northern Province was singled out and
was forcibly evicted from their homes by the LTTE. In the third
week of October 1990 an estimated 75,000 Muslims who lived in
the five districts of Northern Province, found their lives abruptly
disrupted and lost all their material possessions. The emotional
and moral support that they found within a secure social setting
was completely dismantled as families, relatives and friends had
to seek refuge in different places. The life in the refugee camps
have demoralized men, women and children and affected them physically,
physiologically, socially and educationally. The LTTE has now
admitted responsibility for the expulsion and has issued an apology.
Yet, the Muslim refugees continue to languish in refugee camps
under abysmal conditions without any solution to their basic problems.
We hope that the current peace process will be able to bring
Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict to an end. The prevailing no-war
situation in the conflict zone has been a great source of relief
to those living there. Those who have been involuntarily displaced
are returning in large numbers. It is reported that nearly one
fourth of the total displaced people (those displaced people fall
within the government definition) have returned home during the
last few months. However, as we shall see shortly, without planned
assistance for rehabilitation and reparations their situation
will be dire. It is expected that many more people would return
if the no-war situation continues and appropriate rehabilitation
and reconstruction measures are in place to help them. The media
coverage of ethnic conflict in the country has paid little or
no attention to the plight of these refugees for the past 12 years.
This essay addresses some of the difficulties confronting these
refugees and the hardships they face in their attempt to return
to a life of normalcy.
Problems Facing the Muslim Refugees
Around 18 percent of total Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
were Muslims at the time the cease-fire agreement was signed in
late 2001. Majority of the displaced were from the Northern Province
of Sri Lanka. The present day problems faced by the northern
Muslim minority are a consequence of their (i) forcible expulsion
12 years ago that severed them from their socio-economic roots
and denied them self-reliance; and (ii) their prolonged stay in
refugee camps that offered virtually no economic opportunities
and rendered them dependent on external assistance. As a result,
they were adversely affected in all aspects of their lives - physical,
emotional, economical, social, and educational, etc. As mentioned
earlier, the LTTE has acknowledged responsibility, and apologized
for their actions regarding the expulsion. This acknowledgment
was a long awaited one for the refugee Muslims. They knew all
along that the LTTE expelled them based on a misreading of the
political position of the Muslims of the North. They also believe
that the majority of Tamils will always welcome their return and
help them to settle back.
Muslim refugees have said on several occasions that they are
prepared to forgive and forget the past. Their ultimate goal
is to return to the North, which they still regard as their home,
and to live in harmony with the Tamil majority in the North, as
they did before. This was revealed in
an opinion survey conducted by the author in late 1999
(The findings of this survey were presented in a research paper
at the Jaffna University in 2002, titled “Return
of long displaced communities to their home areas; is it viable?”
Workshop Proceedings: Planning for Reconstruction and Redevelopment
in Northern Sri Lanka, edited by Mikoko Terashima Vancouver:
The Centre for Human Settlements, University of British Columbia,
Vancouver (www.chs.ubc.ca)).
Part of their desire to return to the North is because the assets
they were forced to leave behind there is the only basis for their
economic sustenance. In addition, the historical and cultural
attachments to the place where they were born and their forefathers
thrived provide them with a sense of belonging and the only respectable
identity they now possess.
The Muslims face many economic challenges in Puttalam and other
areas where they live as refugees. For example, at Puttalam district
there are about 65,000 Muslim refugees living in the Northwestern
coastal region. The total population of this region doubled with
the arrival of Muslim refugees in 1990. When they arrived this
region was among the least developed areas in the country and
was in no position to offer economic opportunities to the refugees.
More than 90 percent of the refugees are still depended on dry
ration issued by the state and World Food Program. It is not
possible for the refugees to stand on their own feet in the resource-poor
area. The substandard quality of food items and their improper
distribution have seriously affected the refugees physically.
Socially and psychologically, their dependence has rendered large
majority of the displaced families insecure and vulnerable. This
is compounded by the attitudes expressed by the State and the
NGOs who perceive the displaced as lazy and always expecting handouts.
As a result, their refugee status is seen as a stigma. Their
children are taunted at schools and other public and private places.
The newborn babies are also born into this stigmatized identity
as refugees.
The conditions in the refugee camps have forced few of the displaced
Muslims to return to their homes in handfuls in 1991 – a year
after their expulsion. The Muslims who were residents of border
towns and villages of Vavuniya and Mannar Island were the first
to return. The return rate gradually increased during the peace
talks between the government and the LTTE in 1994. The collapse
of the peace talks came as a blow to the hopes of the Muslims.
This left more than 90 percent of the displaced Muslims to continue
to languish in abysmal conditions in the refugee camps awaiting
the day they can return home. The displaced Muslims lack numerical,
political and intellectual power to bring their grievances to
public attention.
Their return however, can be viable only when conditions for
their dignity and safety are assured. To this end, they must
be assured of protection and of their social, cultural and political
rights. Moreover, the assets and properties they lost must be
returned to them. Finally, they are entitled for an appropriate
state help for resettlement and rehabilitation. The plight of
the displaced Muslims is integral to permanent peace, and as such
should be discussed at the peace negotiations.
The Visits of Muslims to the Places of Origin
The refugees were pleased that the LTTE accepting that the expulsion
was a mistake had invited them to come back to their homes in
the north. In fact, the refugees had been expressing their views
in the past that they would want the assurances of safety from
the LTTE for them to consider returning home.
Since the announcement of LTTE, Muslims were returning in large
numbers to see conditions of their homes in the north. Muslims
had gone to Jaffna peninsula to see the conditions of their homes
in Jaffna Moor Street, Chavakachcheri, Vellakadakarai, and other
Muslim concentrations there. Muslims also visited a number of
villages in Mannar district including the Musali region which
is one of the heavily mined areas. They also visited Muslim villages
in Killinochchi, Nanaddan and Mannar Island. The only exceptions
were a few villages in the Mullaitivu district, where they were
not allowed by the LTTE to visit their houses citing security
reasons.
Muslims who visited their homes and villages in the North, while
happy to be back, were also shocked to see the deplorable conditions
of their houses, properties and surroundings. In more rural places
such as Musali, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Nanaddan, many visitors
were not be able to locate their houses. For example, in Musali,
a heavily mined area, secondary forest has covered their property
and some visitors were even chased by wild elephants. In urban
areas such as Jaffna Moor Street and Mullaitivu Town, Muslims
found their houses were unavailable for occupation. However,
the returnee Muslims were very happy about the cordial welcome
that were extended by the Tamil majority of the areas when they
visited their homes.
The present conditions of Muslim homes in the North have discouraged
them to return immediately. This is evident from the fact that
the number of Muslim returnees was less than 5 per cent in comparison
to the average of over 25 percent for the total returnees. Further,
the recent negative developments concerning increasing ethnic
tension between Tamils and Muslims in the Eastern Province may
further slow down the return of Muslim refugees.
Facilitating Smooth Return of Muslims to Northern Province
Many careful steps will have to be taken to facilitate the return
of Muslims to the North. Some of them are the following:
Re-build Physical Environment
As most Muslim settlements in the north had been completely destroyed,
the task of re-building the physical environment is virtually
one of establishing a new settlement in the locations of old Muslim
settlements. Participation of refugees themselves in the planning
process is most essential. The international community should
offer full support and repatrations in resettlement and rebuilding
efforts in recognition of the fact that these refugees had experienced
a forcible expulsion that has lasted 12 years.
Prepare the Refugees for Return
There also has to be thoughtful plans in preparing for the return
of the refugees to their homes in the north. It is not an easy
task. Refugees have been away from their homes for more then
a decade. Nearly half the refugee population has had the formative
years outside the Northern Province in the refugee camps. The
old among them may be too physically and psychologically weak
to face the new challenges in re-establishing their life in the
north. Thus, the refugee rehabilitation program has to be comprehensive
and multifaceted to facilitate the successful return of Muslim
refugees.
A Program of Integration
Programs will have to be launched to facilitate communication
between Tamils and refugee Muslims. While this may appear to
be a challenge, even today some sectors in both communities retain
at least some minimal contact. There is scope for constructive
community reintegration efforts. But this requires proactive
efforts by policy makers.
Return of Refugees in Stages
Wholesale return of refugees may create more problems than it
solves. The trend of return of refugees to date suggests that
the refugees themselves are adopting a cautious approach to their
return home. Such a step-by-step return needs to be supported
institutionally and otherwise. Refugees must be encouraged through
the steps that are taken to improve the living environment as
well as through peace and normally for a minority group to live
in the Northern Province.
Compensating the Losses
At the same time, those who have opted not to return immediately
must be given the choice of living in the south. At the same
time, their assets and properties that were left behind in the
north must be properly compensated.
[Note: The author has produced a seven volume report on the loses
of assets and properties of Muslims evicted by LTTE.
Report on the Loss of Movable and
Immovable Assets of Muslims Evicted from the Northern Province
in October 1999 (Volumes 1 to 6 of 523 pages covering Six
Regions of Northern Sri Lanka) Nuraicholai: Research and Action
Forum for Social Development, 2001
"Report on the Loss of Movable
and Immovable Assets of Muslims Ousted from the Northern Province
in 1990," a report submitted to the Parliament of Sri Lanka
in May 1992, Hansard Vol. 79, No. 14.]
Appointment of a Commission to Facilitate the Return of Muslims
The issues of return of Muslims to the north are distinct from
other situations of return in the country. Therefore, it would
be appropriate to appoint a commission to look into the complex
issues of return and facilitate successful return. To be effective,
such a commission should have constitutional binding powers to
deal with legal and practical matters of choices regarding refugee
return.
Issue of Return of Muslim Refugees is Bigger than the Refugee
Problem
The expulsion of the Muslims demonstrates the vulnerability of
numerically small communities in a situation of increasing ethnic
tensions in Sri Lanka and merits discussion at the national
level. Indeed, it is imperative that this discussion becomes
part of the current peace talks. As mentioned earlier, food assistance
from the government and World Food program is the main source
of livelihood for many refugees.
The refugees are in no position to return because of the prevailing
unlivable conditions. Nor could they continue to live in the
refugee camps because of the unbearable hardships facing them.
A sustainable solution to the issue not only has to make viable
arrangements for resettlement and recovery from the impacts of
displacement but also need to make sure that they will not be
involuntarily displaced again. Such issues have to be discussed
at the national level and at the peace talks.
Just Solutions for Muslims in the Peace Negotiations
For Sri Lanka to achieve a sustainable solution to the ethnic
conflict, agenda of the peace negotiations must include the following
provisions for meaningful protection and support: for expelled
Muslims.
- Rights and protection against future expulsions.
- Provide constitutional guarantees for the political, economic
and cultural rights of the Muslim minority in the Northern Province
so that upon their return they can live with self-respect and
dignity.
- Provide compensation for all forcibly evicted Muslims to enable
them to have a fresh start with their lives.
- Provision of necessary support for resettlement to not only
those who were expelled but also to their descendents.
- Provision for the refugees to choose not to return immediately
to their homes. Those who wish to exercise this choice must
be given viable alternatives and compensation for their lost
properties in the original places.
It should be noted that many of the above- measures were provided in most
of the peace negotiations in other parts of world.
Interim
Measures
The present no-war situation encourages Muslim individuals and families
to return to their houses in the north without waiting for proper
assurance from parties to the conflict. Therefore, the parties
involved in the peace negotiations must guarantee above provisions
to the displaced Muslims who have already begun their return. In
this respect, the following measures are necessary during the transition
involved with return:
1.
The return must
be in stages to give returnees adequate time to prepare themselves.
2.
Programs should
be implemented for integrating Tamils and Muslims.
3.
Economic assistance
to displaced people in Puttalam and other areas should continue
until they reach a level of self-reliance.
The problems of the Muslim refugees go beyond managing their
camps. Muslims of the Northern Province have been voicing this
concern for a long time. The state and international community
(NGOs) have ignored them and reduced their problems to an administrative
one focusing on running the camps. Hence, failed to address the
critical issues facing the refugees. They have attributed the
reasons for their shortcomings to the purported laziness of refugees
and their dependence on handouts. In addition, their refugee
policies have further complicated the life and future prospects
of these badly affected people. At the end, the Muslim refugees
have become a forgotten issue of the ethnic conflict of the country.
As pointed out earlier, if the peace process is to find just
and durable solution to the ethnic problem, it has to look into
resolving the problems of Muslims of the Northern Province as
well. A genuine attempt at resolving the problems of Muslim minority
of the Northern Province will have to address their expulsion
and its aftermath. The LTTE must be congratulated for admitting
responsibility for the expulsion and inviting Muslims to return
back to Northern Province. The good will of the LTTE must go
beyond words and prepare to accommodate grievances of Muslim refugees
while trying to resolve the larger issues of ethnic conflict.
Equally, it is also the responsibility of the Tamil community
of the Northern province in general, and the leaders and civil
society in particular, to offer support and safety for those displaced
Muslims who have opted to come back to live with them.
At the same time, the state has the ultimate responsibility in
ensuring that the expelled northern Muslims gain socio-economic
and political strength as an identifiable and distinct force in
the North.
So far, the international community has been playing a positive
role in resolving ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. The international
community could allay the fears of smaller minorities such as
the Muslims of the Northern Province by supporting the efforts
towards peace with justice for all those who were affected by
the ethnic conflict.
When will the Muslims go home?
If the present situation continues, Muslim refugees are not likely
to return home in large numbers. They need to be certain of the
protection accorded to them by the parties to the conflict, and
by the constitution. Negotiating their protection is the responsibility
of the state, the LTTE, and the Muslim political parties. More
importantly, the international community, as peace facilitator
and as a sponsor of resettlement and reconstruction of the war
torn areas, should address the issues facing the Muslim refugees
to find a durable and permanent solution.
_______________________________________________________________________
Dr. Hasbullah, Senior Lecturer, University of Peradeniya. He
is the author of the book onthe plight of the refugees entitled,
Muslim Refugees: The Forgotten People in Sri Lanka’s Ethnic Conflict,
Nuraicholai: Research and Action Forum for Social Development,
2001. He is a long time activist for the rights
of displaced Muslims and was the president of the Northern Muslims’
Rights Organization (NMRO). He is currently a Fulbright Scholar
at George Washington University, Washington D.C. USA.
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