The Peace Secretariat welcomes the recent announcement by the TNA that it had brought up with the LTTE leadership the question of restitution for the Muslims sent out of the Northern Province 17 years ago. Such a positive response to the concerns we have raised recently, after discussions with the Muslim Peace Secretariats, augur well for our hopes of addressing an issue that has been too long neglected.

The Peace Secretariat was particularly concerned about the fact that comparatively little concern was being paid by donors and the international community to this long standing tragedy. Though we salute the efforts of UNHCR to provide relief and maintain records, in the minds of many others they seem to have been reduced to mere statistics. We have drawn attention previously to the disgraceful manner in which Gareth Evan cavalierly referred to ethnic cleansing in Sri Lanka, to justify it when challenged - through his aide who seemed to have written the speech - by reference to the Muslims forcibly displaced by the LTTE in 1990.

SCOPP pointed out to him then that, regrettable as that episode was, even the LTTE had not engaged in similar ethnic cleansing since. Our Muslim colleagues however told us that, though the matter had been brought up by them soon after the 2002 Ceasefire and what seemed to have been regret was expressed by the LTTE, positive measures were not taken as regards resettlement. The present declaration by the TNA suggests that a further softening may now be on the cards following recent expressions of concern.

Whilst SCOPP appreciates the efforts of the government to expedite resettlement of those displaced by recent conflicts in the Eastern Province, we felt that the success of the government in this regard should if possible be replicated for the over 300,000 that were registered as displaced at the end of 2005. Whilst detailed information is needed as to those in LTTE controlled areas, for whom supplies are provided, the over 100,000 displaced Northern Muslims we thought deserved a roadmap that made clear the possible solutions to their problems. The World Bank has already provided some assistance in this respect. We hope now that further plans can be made, in accordance with UN regulations on the rights of the displaced, to ensure satisfaction for these long standing victims of one of the tragedies of 1990.