Jaffna MPCS officials protest, seek assurance of safety

[TamilNet, Saturday, 03 February 2007, 01:22 GMT]
The officials of the board of directors of Jaffna Multi Purpose Co-Operative Society (MPCS) began a protest campaign Thursday afternoon, threatening to boycott their work indefinitely unless authorities assure their safety, civil sources in Jaffna said. Assassination of S.T.Gananathan, the president of the Jaffna MPCS on Thursday, has created a general feeling of fear and insecurity among the MPCS workers, the protesters said. Many MPCS officials have already notified their superiors of their intention to resign from their positions.

Black flags are being flown across the peninsula as a mark of protest.

Assassination of Mr Gananathan was the second killing of MPCS presidents in the peninsula. In August 2006, Tellipalai MPCS president, Sivamagaraja was shot dead by unidentified persons.

After the closure of A9 on 11 April, distribution of essential food items supplied by the Sri Lanka Government was carried out by the Co-operatives. The boycott of the MPCS officials is therefore expected to create a serious crisis in food distribution across the peninsula, civil society sources said.

The absence of private businesses in the food distribution chain will further exarcebate the food crisis in Jaffna, civil sources said.