Kilinochchi protesters condemn SLA assault in Manipay

[TamilNet, Saturday, 15 February 2003, 19:58 GMT]
Hundreds of residents of Kilinochchi and surrounding areas marched through Kilinochchi Saturday protesting the attack on Wednesday 12 February on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) unarmed female cadres in Manipay, Jaffna, by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and by the paramilitary Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) members. The march was organized by the Tamil National Uprising Front in Vanni, sources said.

At least eight unarmed cadres from the LTTE’s political wing were hospitalized after they and several civilians who had rushed to their assistance were severely assaulted by armed Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troop during the incident in Manipay.

The protest which began at around 11am near Kilinochchi Kandaswamy Kovil premises and another leg from the Kilinochchi Depot junction progressed towards the district Government Agent's office. Participants were shouting slogans against the Government of SriLanka (GOSL) and against the SLMM for not functioning in a strictly impartial manner.

At the conclusion of the protest, President of the Tamil National Uprising Front, Pon Vinayagamoorthy spoke condeming the Manipay incident and the increasingly belligerent and provocative behaviour of the SLA soldiers.

Mr. Kanagaratnam handed over to the GA Rasanayagam memorandums addressed to the Prime Minister and to the President. Dr. Thirulogamoorthy submitted a memorandum to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission officials, sources attending the protest march said.