April 16, 2012
Colombo Telegraph – Several Tamil families living at a village in Elpitiya, Galle have been assaulted and their houses robbed and set on fire following a dispute involving an Army soldier, Srilanka Mirror reports. According to ‘Ada Derana’ Tamil website, the soldier in question had become angry after a youth of the Dilithura village had refused to address him as ‘sir.’
The soldier, while on vacation, had gone to the village around 10.00 am on April 14 and assaulted the youth at his home and another Tamil youth who had tried to mediate.
Later, around 30 youths had gathered at the location, beaten up the two Tamil youths and set fire to seven houses, push cycles, motorcycles and three wheelers.
They had also got away with money and jewellery. The villagers, who suffered estimated damages of Rs. nine million, have complained to Embilipitiya police. A police team arrived at the scene and arrested two Tamil youths and are searching for several other suspects.
Dilithura is a village with a population of around 3,4000 belonging to 520 Tamil families.
