by Franklin R. Satyapalan
SLMC leader and Minister Rauff Hakeem yesterday urged that appropriate action should be taken so that funds would be granted for separately for resettlement and other activities which are connected to resettlement of displaced Muslims in the North during forthcoming donor conference in Japan.

This was said when the SLMC leader and Minister Rauff Hakeem met Japanese special envoy for peace in Sri Lanka Yasushi Akashi. Also present were the separate Muslim delegation which went as special advisors to the SLMC leader comprising Dr. H. S. Hisbullah of Peradeniya University, party general secretary M. T. Hassan Ali and Attorney-at-Law and vice chairman SLPA M. H. M. Salman. The meeting took place at Prince Hotel in Hakone city in Japan yesterday.

The SLMC leader urged so when the sub committee on restoration of normally in the North-East, discussed resettlement and rehabilitation of Muslim community. He also requested sufficient assistance in this connection from special emissary Akashi.

He also stated that action should be taken to appoint separate committees on a district basis in the North, consisting of LTTE and SLMC representatives, so that they could face problems and find solutions instantly.

He also requested that action be taken to resettle Muslims in lands especially agricultural lands in the Eastern province and at the 6th round of talks it was decided that the SLMC leader would be met by LTTE negotiator for the East, Col. Karuna on March 27, 2003 in this connection at Batticaloa.

SLMC leader Hakeem also requested that both parties SLMC and the LTTE reach a final agreement before the scheduled donors conference in Japan in June 2003.

Minister Hakeem also requested that the outcome on discussions of resettlement in the East be included in official statements released at the conclusion of the present 6th rounds of talks.

SLMC leader and Minister Rauff Hakeem requested yesterday that action should be taken to draft separate MoU so that solutions could be found to Human Rights violations and other grievances faced by Muslim community in the East.

Former Head of Amnesty International Ian Martins and former Chief Minister of Ontario Province and Head of (International Network on Federalism) Forum of Federation Bob Rae met yesterday the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress delegation at Prince Hotel in Hakone city in Japan last morning.

SLMC leader requested Ian Martins that he takes action to include violations of Human Rights of Muslims in the East in official report presented by him at the talks.