Monks march against Joint Mechanism

[TamilNet, Friday, 10 June 2005, 12:38 GMT]
More than 500 monks belonging to extreme nationalist Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), party members and JHU parliamentarians held a protest campaign against the Joint Mechanism (JM) Friday evening at 4pm, sources in Colombo said. The protesters started the campaign near the Colombo Viharamahadevi park and marched through Maradana, and Pettah, and stopped in front of Sri Lanka President's house shouting slogans against the Joint Mechanism proposal before continuing their march.



Security forces fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse protesting monks.



President's Security Division (PSD), Army and police blocked the protesters from entering the President's house.

JHU Parliamentarian group leader, Ven Athuruliya Rathnada Thera demanded the President must sign below the letter they already gave to president to reject the proposal.

Rathnada thera, argued with the Army officer, who blocked the protesters.

After one of the senior officer came out from the president office at around 5.30 pm, thera and JHU spoke man Ellawela Methanatha Thera argued with the officer for several minutes before handing over a memorandum.

The main roads From Colpetty junction to Galle Face blocked for the march. The York Street also was fully closed. Fort area and the surroundings were also blocked for nearly 3 hours.