'Graduates' protest to destabilize govt' -UNF

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 March 2002, 21:17 GMT]
About two thousand unemployed graduates and their parents demonstrated in front of Temple Trees, the Prime Minister's official residence, Wednesday night, demanding appointment within twenty hours. "If no action is taken to find employment for all thirty thousand unemployed graduates we would go on a hunger strike", organisers of the protest said. United National Front sources said that nationalist forces were behind the graduates' agitation with a view to destabilizing the government.

Sri Lankan policemen try to stop demonstrators marching towards the Prime Minister's official residence during Wednesday's protest in Colombo. (Photo:TamilNet)

They added they expect to have access to information on both sides regarding matters related to the cease-fire.The protestors marched to the Prime Minister's residence from the Fort Railway Station, smashing through a barrier put up by the Police at Navam Mawatha. When the Police blocked them, they sat down blocking Galle Road, demanding that they be allowed to hand over a petition to the Prime Minister, sources said.

Members of the Sri Lanka Railway Employees Union, Ceylon Postal Services Union and State Printing Employees Union joined the graduates' protest campaign.

UNF's Minister for Lands Mr.Rajitha Senaratne charged that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was backing the protest. He asked the JVP why they had not included the unemployed graduates' problem in the Memorandum of Understanding they signed with the then People's Alliance government, last year.