Fundamental Rights Violations of the Northern Muslims: Internally Displaced Persons Living in Puttalam

Abstract

Contrary to the commonly spread belief that Sri Lankan Muslims float in wealth, the reality is that almost seventy percent of Muslims live below the poverty line, around ten percent live in IDPs camps in and around Puttalam in appalling conditions and almost five percent have been made IDPs in their own homes in Mutur, besides facing numerous other problems which strike the very root of their survival. Nearly 72,000 persons, all ethnic indigenous Muslims of the Northern Province were forcibly evicted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) during the latter part of October (Black October), 1990 from their places of origin. The Muslims of the North were inhabitants of the area for several centuries. They were forcibly ejected, as they belonged to an ethnic community which was not in favour of terrorism and it was the prime reason for such forcible eviction. It was clear attempt of "ethnic cleansing" in which the fundamental and other Human Rights of the minority Muslim community were brazenly violated. The Northern Muslim IDPs (hereinafter referred to as NMIDPs) had sacrificed their valuable life, wealth, freedom of all forms and have given sustained thought together with substantial experiences in the distinct, but related aspects of a major problem, namely; violent ethnic conflict stemming from terrorism.