EPDP denies attack

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 December 1998, 15:21 GMT]
The Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) vehemently denied this afternoon that its cadres in Neduntheevu (Delft) were attacked by the Liberation Tigers yesterday. In a statement to the press the EPDP leader Douglas Devananda said that his cadres in the island were neither armed nor were there to fight against anybody.

He said that the story was spread by malicious forces opposed to the EPDP.

The statement claims that the EPDP does not work with the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) in any part of the country and that its cadres in Delft worked only for the welfare of the people in that island.

Sources close to the EPDP leader accused two Jaffna MPs who were formerly with the group, and the leader of the EPRLF for spreading the story yesterday with the malicious intent of bringing disrepute to the party.

The EPDP has been quite keen to avoid the impression that it works with the Sri Lankan Army against the Liberation Tigers.

Meanwhile the Voice of Tigers (VoT) radio said in its morning transmission today that the Liberation Tigers attacked the EPDP camp in Delft in the early hours of yesterday and heavy fighting continued for hours.

The radio also said that there had been clashes with the Sri Lankan Navy unit during the attack on the EPDP camp.

There were 30 EPDP cadres in the camp when it came under attack the radio added.

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