Life in the Akkraipattu town was brought to a standstill yesterday (30) when residents staged a hartal, forcing shops to put up shutters.Old tyres were burnt on the roads while all government offices remained closed.
Thousands of Muslims from Vattamadu, Thirukkovil and Akkaraipattu took part in the hartal in protest against the harassment by the LTTE of Muslim paddy farmers and death threats issued to them.
During the past few weeks, a large number of Muslim farmers have complained to the police and the Norwegian-led monitors of LTTE atrocities.
They have said the LTTE is attempting to deprive them of their land as well as livelihood.
Many commutes were stranded as transport came to a sudden halt, the police said.
Security in the town was beefed up with additional police personnel brought in to defuse tension and prevent any clashes.
After the signing of the ceasefire agreement, organisers of the hartal said, incidents of LTTE violence against they were on the increase.
They said although they Muslims had pinned their hopes on the CFA thinking the LTTE violence against them would abate, the opposite had happened.
Unless the SLMM and the international community heeded their plight and restrained the LTTE from unleashing violence, organisers said they would be compelled to take their protests to Colombo like the democratic Tamil parties.
A discussion between representatives of farmers and the SLMM was on at the time of going to press.
