It is learnt that Minister Rauff Hakeem is to present in forthcoming peace dialogue that has been scheduled to be held in Thailand in September. But, what is puzzling and disappointing to the Muslim Community is that Mr. Hakeem will participate on behalf of the Government delegation led by Minister G.L. Pieris. Muslims highly expect that SLMC should go to the negotiative table as a third part. That will be only sign of having offered adequate recognition for the Muslims factor. Because the ethnic crisis, which was mainly a two-community affair, has now been transformed into a three-way tangle. Therefore the success of the proposed peace dialogue has to depend on equal treatment and recognition for the self-determination of all ethnic groups. The everlasting resolution could be achieved when only this undeniable fact is taken into account. The Muslim community expects that the Government and LTTE should take this basic fact into consideration.

The SLMC should clearly understand one thing that SLMC was not established to get the political privileges under the majority party’s hegemony or to gain narrow political mileage. Therefore, SLMC should not think of a two-way tangle that maintaining the parliamentary position and fighting for the Muslim rights. It is moral responsibility of SLMC to recall the background of formation of SLMC. The party was formed at a crucial time when the Muslim community in the Northeast was gunned down and oppressed by the Tamil militants in one hand. Muslim politicos were cheated by the so-call concept of  “Tamil Speaking People” on the other. Even today the same oppression and ethnic cleansing continued to impose on innocent Muslims. In this boiling condition Muslim Congress bears key responsibility in order to determine the political destiny of Muslims. In this direction Muslim Congress should participate in peace dialogue as the representative of the Muslim factor. Further more Muslim self-determination and power sharing arrangement should be the featureous agenda of the talk.

The Muslim Community who was forcibly driven out at the gunpoint from the North should be taken to account as a first priority in rehabilitation and reconstruction project of LTTE. However question that is flashing across what will be happening around us? The womb of time will answer.