SLA sends demolition crew home

[TamilNet, Sunday, 09 May 1999, 06:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops prevented a group of Policemen from demolishing five shops at Horowapothana Road in Vavuniya town yesterday.

It is alleged that a leading business owner in the town was interested in getting rid of five buidlings, three owned by Tamils and two by Sinhalese, as they were blocking the rear view of his building.

He had used his influence among the authorities in the area to authorise these shops to be demolished inspite of the fact that the owners have been conducting businesses in their premises for the past twenty years.

The owners had brought this matter to the notice of the Governor of the northeast Province during the mobile service which was conducted recently to solve the problems faced by the public.

The Governor ordered the authorities to probe into the matter and find a solution without demolishing the buildings.

Inspite of Governor's warnings, yesterday a group of Policemen had gone to the building premises with labourers and had tried to demolish the shops.

SLA officials, on hearing this, despatched a group of soldiers to the scene and the demolishing was stopped.

Residents in the area said few key members of PLOTE were also seen with the Policemen, only to disappear when the soldiers appeared at the scene.