Abeyapura residents attack JVP parliamentarian

[TamilNet, Friday, 13 January 2006, 14:34 GMT]
A group of Sinhalese residents in Abeyapura, a suburb in Trincomalee town, Friday afternoon around 4 p.m. attacked the vehicle of Mr.Jayantha Wijeysekara, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) parliamentarian of Trincomalee district when he was traveling through the area. Sri Lanka policemen rushed to the scene of the incident and rescued Mr Wijeysekara from being manhandled by the angry crowd, police sources said.

The incident took place on the second day of the four-day general shut down (hartal) organized by the Sinhala Vimukthi Front (SVF), which began Thursday and entered second day Friday. The vehicle in which Mr. Wijeysekara was traveling towards Trincomalee town was stopped at Abeyapura junction by a group of Sinhala people. When he got down he was accused by the crowd for organizing the hartal thus creating tension and animosity between various communities in the east port town, sources in the area said.

The vehicle was damaged and the police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Mr. Wijeysekara returned to his residence in Kantalai unharmed, police sources said.