Sri Lanka Marxist party claims surrender of accused in Katuwana double murder an act to safeguard the government

Sri Lanka Marxist party claims surrender of accused in Katuwana double murder an act to safeguard the government
Wed, Jun 20, 2012, 08:29 pm SL Time, ColomboPage News Desk, Sri Lanka.
Jun 20, Colombo: Sri Lanka's Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) says the move by the main accused in the double murder in Katuwana, Hambantota was a ploy to safeguard the government as well as the accused.
JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva says the accused in the double murder, G.G. Amarasiri alias Julampitiye Amare surrendered in order to prevent the government from any difficulty as well as to safeguard himself.
Silva told a press conference that Amare had surrendered for a warrant issued on him in 2002.
He observed that the government was responsible for the shooting incident in a JVP meeting in Katuwana on the 15th that caused the death of two party activists.
Silva noted that since the incident on the 15th the government has behaved in an indecisive manner.
"The police were aware that there was a JVP meeting on the 15th in Katuwana. However, the police failed to take any action when a group of about eight people arrived in four bikes and shot at the crowd and walked around the venue attacking people and causing damage to life and property for a about 30 minutes," he said.
People in Katuwana say that the area usually has a heavy guard, but thugs have managed to travel around carrying weapons without any problem, he added.
"The police without taking appropriate action based on eye witness statements, started to continue questioning the eye witnesses on their statements," Silva observed.
He further noted that the head of the Media Center for National Security had made a statement about the shooting incident even before the initial inquiry.
"The investigation into the murder and the attempts by the government to safeguard the suspect has now become an unfolding drama," Silva said.
The government claims the internal rift in the party is behind the shooting and suspects the Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), a recent splinter group of the JVP for the attack.

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