Ampara District Member of Parliament Anwar
Ismail yesterday accused the the United National Party (UNP) and
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) of being behind the protest
campaign held in Kalmunai on Friday
The campaign kicked off after the Jumma prayers
on Friday when many protesters shouted that Muslims and Tamils
in the east did not receive any relief from the government after
the tsunami disaster.
They also claimed that only non governmental
organisations (NGO’s) and individuals provided relief to them.
Ismail told The Island that the biggest
problem in his district was the resettlement process for which
the biggest barrier is earth filling. He was hopeful that the
government would take adequate measures to fill earth in the
relevant areas as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC)
leader Rauff Hakeem admitted that they were involved in friday’s
protest campaign..
He said that relief measures had not been dealt
with efficiency and the government was very slow to act.
Hakeem also said, "When it comes to north and
east relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction, senior members
of the government are communicating with neither the opposition
members nor the civil society, which is the major cause for the
protest campaign in the Ampara District".
