EPDP attacks Tamil Alliance in Pottuvil

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 November 2001, 12:27 GMT]
Five supporters of the Tamil National Alliance, including a woman were severely assaulted and wounded by armed cadres of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party in Pottuvil, about 116 kilometres south of Batticaloa in the early hours of the morning Wednesday, Police sources in the east said. The TNA’s campaign office was also attacked, alliance spokesman Henry Mahendran said. Following the attack, one of the TNA supporters, Mr. S. Sathasivam, a librarian, had sought protection from the Police in Pottuvil fearing for his life, that the EPDP cadres may kill him. But the EPDP’s chief candidate for the Ampara district, Gunasekeram Shankar, had gone inside the Police station with his handgun and threatened Mr. Sathasivam, according to Mr. Mahendran.

The houses of the TNA supporters in Pottuvil were also attacked by the EPDP and were damaged. The Police in Pottuvil are colluding with the EPDP and refusing to take any action on matter, Mr. Mahendran charged.

The EPDP had gone to the TNA office in Pottuvil during the unofficial curfew enforced by the Special Task Force in the southeastern town and had pasted their party posters there at gun point.

The TNA supporters were assaulted when they tried to stop the armed EPDP cadres from pasting their (EPDP) posters in the party office. Later the houses of the supporters were also attacked, according to Mr. Mahenrdan.