Remove arms from Paramilitary groups in Batticaloa – UNP

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 May 2008, 15:01 GMT]
“The weapons of the paramilitary groups in the Eastern province should be removed from them before the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) elections,” Tissa Athanayake, the Secretary of United National Party (UNP) and parliamentarian said Saturday evening addressing a meeting with Tamil UNP contestants and supporters in Batticaloa, sources in Batticaloa said.

“I saw firsthand Pillayan paramilitary group members publicly engaging in electioneering in Batticaloa with arms. The government attempts to rob the Tamil votes at gun point with the assistance of Pillayan group,” he told the participants in the meeting.

"Our party will never permit this and I call upon the government to immediately remove the weapons from Pillayan group," Tissa Athanayake added.