JHU parliamentarian complains of intimidation by unidentified group

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 April 2004, 10:22 GMT]
Venerable Omalpe Sobitha Thera, Deputy Leader of the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) parliamentary group Saturday lodged a complaint with the Embilipitya Police, down south of the country that a group unidentified persons covering their faces came to his Bodhirajarama Dharmajaye Vihare, tied black flags in the temple premises and intimidated the inmates, police said.

The Embilipitya Police arrested a person and are conducting further investigation, sources said.

JHU spokesman said several incidents of intimidation by unidentified groups targeting JHU leaders and activists had taken place in the south since the Speaker's election. Elements who opposed the JHU parliamentarians voting for the United National Front government nominee for the Speaker's post are alleged to have engineered these incidents, he said.

Meanwhile leaders of Peoples Artists' Forum (PAF), which is, described as a front body of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), a constituent of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) severely, criticized the leadership of the JHU for voting with the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the Speaker's election.

At a press briefing held Saturday PAF activists said JHU leaders had betrayed the Sinhala nation to the TNA which is clamouring to establish a separate state in the island.