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SLMC leader Rauf Hakeem om Friday (24th) accused Muslim government members of
betraying the community by failing to ensure that Muslims had a signatory role in the Post
Tsunami Operational Management Structure (P-TOMS), and relegating their status to that of
mere bystanders.
"This is a betrayal. I am appalled at the Muslim Ministers who despite my calls to unite have
cooperated in this betrayal of the community's interests" he told the media in Parliament
after the House was adjourned early due to disruptions.
He said Muslim government members had done little to fulfil their mandate to agitate for an
equal status for Muslims in future peace talks aimed at arriving at a final solution to the ethnic
problem. "Our disunity should not be the convenient excuse for the facilitators of the
government and LTTE to continuously ignore our legitimate demands", he said.
Mr. Hakeem charged that the Muslim community was referred to as "group" in the P-TOMS,
and that tantamounted to the relegation of their status as a nationality.
While not opposing the P-TOMS or the LTTE being party to it, Mr. Hakeem said the Muslims
should have been given a dominant role in the agreement since they were the worst affected
community.
Hakeem said since the P-TOMS was an agreement between the government and LTTE, it
went against the Tokyo Declaration in which Muslims were assured the right to separate
representation.
