JVP to decide on its stand in supporting extending emergency

[TamilNet, Sunday, 06 September 2009, 16:48 GMT]
The politburo of the Sinhala Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is to decide this week whether to support the Extension of Emergency in the country any more in view of the arrest and detention of three journalists working in its official paper “Lanka” under the Emergency Regulations (ER) and Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), JVP parliamentary group leader Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake told media in Colombo. Police arrested three journalists of JVP in Deniyaya on 2nd September while they were taking pictures and videoing Bewarali estate bungalow.

JVP, one time ally of the present ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government, even after it withdrew its support, has been supporting the Extension of Emergency when the Prime Minister tables a motion in this regard in the parliament every month.

The Prime Minister is to table a motion to extend the State of Emergency by another month when the parliament meets on Thursday.

The State of Emergency is being extended every month with the approval of the parliament since August 12, 2005.

According to the Police Department, recent investigation on terrorists’ activities has revealed that not only Tamils but Sinhalese and security personnel also have supported LTTE activities.

Hence, the three journalists were arrested and will be kept in remand under emergency regulations, according to police.

Police sources said that the three JVP journalists had trespassed on a private estate belonging to President Mahinda Rajapakse’s sister and photographed the property in Deniyaya which is frequently visited by the President as well as the Defence Secretary, Gothabaya Rajapakse.

In a climate where there had been numerous attempts on the lives of VIPs, the police had to take the matter seriously and take the suspects into custody to find out whether they have terrorist or any other dangerous links, police said.