EPDP stages ’protest march’ in Vadamaraadchi

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 December 2008, 17:13 GMT]
Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), the paramilitary-cum-political party led by Douglas Devanda, a cabinet minister in Rajapaksa regime, organized a ‘protest march’ in Vadamaraadchi Sunday around 3:15 p.m along Point Pedro-Jaffna road in which hundreds of persons, mostly women, were forced to take part with the armed escort by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers. The marching protestors were instructed to shout slogans calling the SLA to "liberate" the North and to "free" people from LTTE controlled territory in Vanni.

The EPDP had instructed the villagers to gather at Point Pedro Sivan Koayil grounds and staged the march towards EPDP office in Manthikai.

The EPDP, a main violator of human rights along with the Sri Lankan military establishment in Jaffna, organized a "protest march" calling "attention to the human rights of the people in Vanni" and urging the "opening of A-32 route from Jaffna peninsula through Vanni for civilian use".

The above march began around Sunday around 9:00 a.m from Kaithadi and Kodikaamam and ended at Thenmaraadchi Divisional Secretaritat office at 1:00 p.m, covering a distance of 5 km.

The move by the EPDP comes as Mr. Douglas Devananda instructed his paramilitary operatives to engage in election campaign, anticipating an election in the peninsula.

V. Anandasangari of the TULF is also in Jaffna preparing for election campaign, reports said.

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