UNP Supporters burn state paper

[TamilNet, Monday, 19 July 1999, 03:36 GMT]
Supporters of the United National Party burnt several copies of the Thinakaran, a Tamil daily newspaper published by the government controlled Lake House, at a reception accorded to Mr.Mohamed Mustapha (Myown) yesterday. Mr. Mustapha was formerly allied to the SLMC but joined the UNP last week.

UNP local leaders said that their supporters burnt the newspaper because it carried a distorted version of the incident that took place on Saturday when a group of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress supporters in Kalmunaikudi threw stones at the motorcade in which Mr. Myown Mustapha was travelling from Amparai.

UNP sources said that the Tamil daily Thinakaran had described the incident as a protest by the people of the area.

UNP local leaders claimed that SLMC supporters, and not residents from the area, were behind Saturday's incident.

Several speakers addressing the reception accorded to Mr.Mustapha yesterday, opposite the Kalmunai Zahira College, condemned the newspaper for carrying false news, sources said.

Batticaloa District UNP MP, Ali Zahir Moulana, and the National List UNP MP, M.H.M.Aswer, also spoke at the meeting.

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