by Franklin. R. Satyapalan
The LTTE’s Anton Balasingham has agreed to meet a Muslim delegation led by SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem in the Vanni very shortly, a SLMC spokesman said yesterday.

Balasingham has given this assurance when he, together with S.P. Thamilselvam, the LTTE’s political chief and eastern province leader Karuna met the SLMC leader at Hakone.

SLMC participants at this meeting which went on for over an hour were Peradeniya don, Dr. S. H. Hisbullah, Ports Authority Vice Chairman M. H. M. Salman and SLMC General Secretary M. T. Hassan Ali.

Balasingham has also assured Hakeem that the Muslims would shortly have an opportunity of meeting LTTE leader Prabhakaran to sort out important matters concerning the Muslim community. He said the LTTE would never sideline the Muslims or reject their rights, SLMC sources said.

Reacting to the suggestion of a separate Muslim delegation to the peace negotiations, Balasingham assured that they were not against the Muslims being represented as a third party at the talks.

"We will never reject the just rights of the Muslims," he said expressing the hope that the Muslims would join hands with the LTTE to find a solution to the ethnic problem. He had called upon the Muslims not to harbour any suspicions and adopt stances detrimental to the "25-year struggle of the Tamil speaking people."

He said that problems of Muslims in the east can be solved by discussion. There were two matters relating to Muslims of the north east: their expectations as well as the powers and security the Muslims looked forward to under a federal set up.

"The north east is the motherland of the Tamil speaking people and the Muslim community must realise this to enable talks towards resolving differences," he said.