Elilan appeals to Trinco residents to remain calm

[TamilNet, Thursday, 26 May 2005, 17:15 GMT]
Mr.S.Elilan, Trincomalee district political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Thursday appealed to all Tamil civil groups in the district and elsewhere in the northeast province to be calm and to maintain patience. He further urged them not to stage general shut down till June 2 as the government authorities have given positive assurance in regard to the controversial Buddha statue issue, sources said.

Mr.Elilan appeal came in response to a call by Trincomalee Tamil Students' Union for a general shut down on May 27 Friday on the Buddha statue issue.

Mr.Elilan further said at a conference held Wednesday in Trincomalee government ministers had assured the Tamil groups and Tamil representatives that they would take appropriate legal measures to solve the problem created by the unlawful erection of the controversial Buddha statue. "We should see whether there would be any positive action taken regarding this issue before June 2 before taking any decision to launch a general shut down afresh," said Mr.Elilan.

Meanwhile the security forces have cordoned the land where the controversial Buddha statue stands with barbed wire fence and sand bags. The small Buddha statue inside the glass box is also stands at the site, which had been earlier used to park three wheelers and also located close to the bus stand. Owners of three wheelers are now parking their vehicles elsewhere in the vicinity, sources said.

Entire Trincomalee town was crippled for more than a week since May 17 till May 24th following a general shut down called by the Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples Forum (TDTPF) demanding the immediate removal of the Buddha statue erected unlawfully by a group of Sinhalese on May 15. Violence took place during this period. About fifteen grenades exploded, killing one and injuring several others, sources said.

More than one thousand police, army and navy personnel have been currently deployed to maintain law and order in the town, police said.