SLMC blames police partiality for Dharga Nagar violence

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 February 2006, 19:48 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) has requested the President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse to appoint a Presidential Commission to inquire into the conduct of the Sri Lanka Police in the violence that took place in Dharga Nagar in Southern district Aluthgama. Mr.Rauff Hakim, SLMC leader alleged that the partiality of the Police had contributed to the escalation of the violence against the Muslim people in the area, sources said.

Several shops of Muslims were burnt and properties were damaged in the violence. Goons in the presence of the policemen set fire to Muslim business establishments while the curfew was in force. Police were also involved in looting those shops, residents allege.

A police officer in the traffic unit had spread a false rumor that a Sinhalese was killed by a Muslim person and Muslim people were preparing inside a mosque to attack Sinhalese. This contributed to the escalation of the violence between the two communities, according to locals.

Policemen had failed to discharge their duties impartially. The government should take the full responsibility for the violence that erupted in Dharga Nagar, Mr.Rauff Hakim said speaking in the parliament on Wednesday in the debate on the Bill to amend the Criminal Procedure Code.

He demanded that the government should appoint a presidential commission to inquire into the conduct of the police officers who failed to discharge their duties impartially.