Muslims evicted from the north commemorated

Monday, 19 November 2012 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Basil Rohana Rajapaksa, Senior Advisor to the President and Minister of Economic Development, was the Chief Guest at the commemoration meeting held at BMICH on 16 November to mark the 22nd anniversary of the forcible eviction of Muslims in the northern province in 1990.

In October 1990, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forcibly expelled the Tamil-speaking Muslim people from the northern province in an atrocious act amounting to ethnic cleansing. Within a few days, the Muslims were chased out of their homeland where they had lived for many decades.

The Muslim Council of Sri Lanka organised this meeting, at which senior journalist Victor Ivan delivered the keynote address. Senior Minister A.H.M. Fawzi, Governor of the Western Province Alawi Moulana, Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Power and Energy Patali Champika Ranawaka and Eastern Province Chief Minister M. Najeeb Abdul Majeed were also present at this meeting.

– Pix by Chaminda Hittatiya