Tamil parties protest over arrests

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Tamil United Liberation Front and the All Ceylon Hindu Congress lodged vehement protests with the Sri Lankan government today over the arrest and detention of the Captain Gardens Hindu temple chief priest's daughter and her three children.

The woman had been arrested by the Sri Lankan airforce which looks after the security of that part of downtown Colombo in which the temple is situated. She had returned from abroad recently to visit her father, Shanmuhanaatha Kurukkal.

She is yet to be released. TULF president Mr. M. Sivasithamparam has protested and taken up the matter with the government said party sources.

The Captain Gardens Hindu temple is patronised by poweful Sinhalese as well. More than three hundred Tamils were arrested again last night in some parts of Colombo.

Meanwhile the Sri Lankan Police arrested on Monday a Brahmin priest in Eravur in Batticaloa, allegedy for giving 2 million rupees to the driver who drove the bus which exploded in Colombo on March 5 for buying the vehicle.

The Police arrested the priest at a wedding in Chenkalady and took him to Colombo for further interrogation. He has been accused of being closely associated with the Liberation Tigers and of helping them in many ways.