JVP demonstrates against direct talks between GoSL and LTTE

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 August 2005, 17:18 GMT]
More than five thousand activists of the Sinhala nationalist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna held a two hour demonstration in front of the Fort Railway Station in Colombo Tuesday afternoon opposing the direct talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Mr.Tilvin Silva, General Secretary of the JVP, speaking at the conclusion of the demonstration said that the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Sri Lanka is at stake with the continued presence of Norwegian facilitators in the island in the name of monitoring Cease Fire Agreement signed by the then UNP government and the LTTE.



District organizers of the JVP with their supporters participated with Mr. Tilvin Silva in the two-hour demonstration, which commenced around three p.m.

Protestors carried placards condemning the Norwegian facilitators and shouted slogans demanding the government not to proceed in its decision to hold talks with the LTTE.

Mr.Tilvin Silva charged that the leaders of two main political parties in the south that they are thinking of their political future and the forthcoming presidential election and not of safeguarding the sovereignty of Sri Lanka from the LTTE.

A Tamil photojournalist covering the demonstration was severely beaten up by the JVP activists and later handed over to Police.