Tense situations in North and East

Saturday, 13 August 2011 01:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Pottuvil: As normalcy returned to the Eastern town of Valachchenai, tensions erupted in some other towns in the Eastern and Northern Provinces of Sri Lanka.

Police fired tear gas to contain a volatile situation in Pottuvil town in Ampara district yesterday.

A demonstration was held in the town demanding the release of four persons arrested by police by the security forces in connection with an incident where two police officers were assaulted and a jeep was damaged.

The tense situation developed after this demonstration, reports from the town say.

Police deployed additional squads to control the unruly demonstration. The suspects were later released and the security was enhanced, police said.

They said more police strength was needed to control the situation as the demonstrators turned unruly.

Meanwhile, another protest was held in Vavuniya town of Northern Province against the construction of a mosque, under the patronage of Minister of Rehabilitation Rishad Bathiudeen, as alleged by the protesters. Some of the shops and offices were closed in the town yesterday morning.

In a separate incident Samanthurai Police Station in Ampara district has come under a stone attack by people of the area on Thursday. However, the tensed situation is now under control, Police Media Spokesman, SP Prishantha Jayakody has said.

The people of the area had carried out the attack to protest the failure of police to arrest persons they identified as ‘grease devils’, thieves posing as ghosts to scare rural villagers.

Director General of the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) Lakshman Hulugalla at a press conference held at the Police Headquarters Thursday said strict action will be taken against people who act violently causing damages to police property.