KANTHALE (TRINCOMALEE DISTRICT): With no end in sight to the over one month old stepped up hostilities between the Sri Lanka military and the LTTE, over 50,000 displaced Muslims from Muttur town languish in the makeshift tent camps dotting this sleepy town.

Though it has been 22 days since they fled the town leaving everything behind in the face of fierce battles, the displaced see no hope of their return. Schools re-open on Monday and Ramazan is four weeks away and they have to forget both in their home town. Guarantees of their safety by the military, which has since re-established control over the strategic town, are not just helping infuse confidence.

Those of them who ventured into the town on a reconnaissance mission have returned with tales which discourage return. "Believing assertions of the authorities I visited the town on Wednesday only to discover that the house we had left behind while fleeing is ransacked. And the sounds of shells in the night brought back the nightmarish memories of August 2 and 3," said Ali Mohammad who has taken shelter along with his entire family at the Peruthiwali B camp along the railway track on the outskirts of Kanthale town.

Now, there is clear evidence that the violence witnessed in the town beginning on July 29 to August 4 was part of a diabolic plan. In the words of Rajana Ummah, "A month before the tragedy there were at least two leaflets circulated in the town in the name of LTTE asking the residents to leave the place if they wish to avoid danger to their lives. When we brought it to the notice of the authorities, we were told to ignore the pamphlets and assured of fool-proof security."

Circular

Her version is corroborated by several other inmates of more than one camp. It appears the ulema (clergy) even took up the matter with some LTTE leaders and the Tigers denied knowledge of any such circular. The LTTE reportedly conveyed to the Muslim leaders that it was a conspiracy to defame it.

Mohammad Ali, a shopkeeper, lamented that the Muslims were perhaps being used as pawns by both the Government and the LTTE. "The Tigers are perhaps aiming control of the strategic town with an eye on the Trincomalee where the key naval base of the Sri Lanka is located. The Government is insisting we return to the town as our presence would make it doubly difficult for the Tamil Tigers to establish control in the area. We feel as if we have been caught between the two sides and their own agendas."

Another displaced woman from the town wished the Government and the Tigers take their battle elsewhere and leave the residents of the town in peace. "It is our birth place. Where can we go and why should we leave it? We are desperate to go back but it is not possible unless the fighting comes to a halt."

That Muttur and its vicinity continues to be the battle zone is evident to any one who drives to Trincomalee from Colombo. Reminding the grim situation and the irrelevance of the 2002 Cease Fire Agreement (CFA), army and police check posts have sprung up all over.

The army presence on the road as one approaches Kanthala is palpable. Every single vehicle entering or leaving the area is subject to multiple searches. Passengers are made to disembark and allowed to leave only after a thorough body search and inspection of identification papers.

Conditions at the camps are appalling. At least two to three families are thrown into every tent. Only the rain god has answered their prayers at least so far. Since the tents are not water-proof, one downpour is enough to reduce the displaced to the status of destitute.

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