Sinhala gang attacks Tamil residents in Trinco suburb

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 January 2012, 16:56 GMT]
Four Tamil residents of Vinaayagapuram, a suburb in Trincomalee town, were injured, including one with severe injuries, when a gang of Sinhalese attacked them on Saturday evening around 6 p.m, sources in Trincomalee said. Thurainayagam Sanjeevan, 32, an employee of the Trincomalee office of a leading Tamil daily Virakesari, is in critical condition and has been admitted to the Trincomalee General Hospital. Other injured Tamils were discharged from the hospital after treatment, hospital sources said. The attackers had threatened the Tamil residents to vacate the village, according to the injured residents.

Vinaayagapuram is a Tamil settlement between a Sinhala settlement Sumedhagma and Tamil settlement, Varothiya Nagar, along Trincomalee-Kandy road at Maddikali within the administrative limit of Trincomalee Urban Council.

On receipt of the attack, Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, former parliamentarian of the Trincomalee district, immediately contacted the Trincomalee police headquarters and informed about the attack on Tamil residents. He requested the police officials to ensure the security of Tamils in the area. The area is being given protection by the Trincomalee police.

Meanwhile, a member of the Trincomalee urban Council Mr.S.Nanthakumar in a statement has demanded the police to conduct impartial inquiry and to the bring the culprits to book to avoid creating racial tension in the area.