2nd lead (Adds correction):

Protest rally in Jaffna draws large crowd

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 June 2004, 11:57 GMT]
Around sixty thousand people participated in the protest march and rally held in Jaffna town Thursday putting forward five demands including the restoration of normal life and the establishment of the Interim Self Governing Authority (ISGA) put forward by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the northeast province. Jaffna District Peoples' Forum organized this demonstration and rally.

The other three demands included in the memorandum were:

• rehabilitation of internally displaced families should be expedited;
• stop all violence in the east
• safeguard upcountry Tamils from persecution.

The demonstration which commenced around 10.30 a.m. reached the Jaffna district secretariat through Temple Road at about 1.30 p.m.

The organizers of the protest march handed over copies of memorandum to the local representatives of the UNHCR, ICRC and SLMM on their way to Jaffna district secretariat.

The memorandum addressed to the President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge was handed over to the Jaffna District Additional Government Mr.A. Sivasamy.

Memoranda addressed to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition was handed over to the District Planning Officer, sources said.

The memorandum demanded the government led by President Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunge should abandon its lethargic attitude and to take immediate steps to fulfill the five demands, sources said.

Several parliamentarians and trade union leaders addressed the rally held in front of the Jaffna district secretariat premises, sources said.

Independent sources claimed nearly sixty thousand people participated in the protest demonstration and the rally.