JVP to launch protest campaign against ‘betrayal’ of country

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 20 August 2003, 20:39 GMT]
The Sinhala nationalist cum Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Wednesday said it would launch a protest "war" in the country from Monday onward against what it called a "betrayal of the nation in the name of peace process" by the United National Front government, media sources in Colombo said.

The JVP is the third largest political party in the Sri Lankan parliament now.

The JVP's propaganda secretary and parliamentarian, Mr.Wimal Weerawanse, addressing a press briefing Wednesday said that the first protest “war” would be launched in Galle in the south on Monday and the campaign would come to an end with the mammoth demonstration and rally at Lipton's Square in Colombo.

More protest meetings will be held in important towns and cities in the country, including the northeast province, between Monday and Thursday, he said.

"The UNF government is now working out a plan to hand over the northeast to the LTTE and the south to foreigners under the guise of a programme called 'Regaining Sri Lanka', " said Mr.Weerawanse.

Due to the UNF’s "ill-advised" peace strategy, Mr.Weerawanse said, “the Sri Lanka Army has lost its fighting capability and is helpless to contain violence in the northeast.”

Meanwhile, the North-East Sinhala Organization is to submit a memorandum to the Sri Lankan President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge, in the coming week, demanding the cancellation of northeast merger and taking immediate steps to stop the killing of police intelligence officers. The memorandum further states that India should be brought in to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and Sri Lanka should obtain the services of the Indian Navy in “safeguarding the territorial integrity of the country.”

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