Protest will continue despite arrests- Wickremasinghe

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 May 2008, 08:33 GMT]
Ranil Wickremasinge, United National Party (UNP) head and the Leader of Opposition accompanied by UNP parliamentarians inspected the place where UNP protestors were arrested Wednesday morning in front of the Election Department in Rajakiriya, Colombo, for demanding removal of arms from paramilitary groups including Pillayan group before the Eastern Provincial Council election. Two garbage carriers of Jayawardnepura Kotte Municipal Council littered their contents at the site, prompting Wickremasinghe’s visit, sources in Colombo said.

Ranil Wickremasinghe and the parliamentarians visited the site in protest against the arrest of the demonstrators, the sources said.

“Though the police have arrested our protestors more of them will take their place and if they too are taken in, thousands of our supporters are ready to continue demonstration,” Ranil Wickremasinghe said.

A 23-year-old youth, Balsundaram, arrested in Batticaloa Tuesday with a gun, has been released on the instructions of the Secretary of Defence, he further said.