UNP briefs diplomats on PA violence

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A delegation of United National Party (UNP), the main opposition party, met western diplomats in Colombo today to brief them about the political violence unleashed on them by the PA government in recent times.

The delegation led by Colombo Mayor Karu Jayasuriya, comprised Mr. Tyronne Fernando, Dr.Valson, former Sri Lankan Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai and Mr. D.M. Swaminathan former Governor of the western province and Member of Parliament Mahinda Samarasingha.

They met the British and Indian High Commissioners and the US and Japanese Ambassadors today.

The UNP gave a memorandum about the recent incidents of violence directed against the party.

The UNP says that the government is behind the recent spate of attacks on its members. The UNP delegation also explained its decision to keep away from Parliament this month.

Party sources said that they might continue to boycott parliament if the government does not take action on the incidents of violence which the UNP has complained about.

The Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge dismissed the UNP's accusations while addressing a meeting in Kandy last Friday saying that Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe was making a big noise because someone threw a stone at him at Eppawela.

The UNP was attacked by goons recently while on a campaign to protest against the government selling the Eppawela phosphate mines to the American company Freeport MacMoran.

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