Occupying Sri Lanka Army threatens Tamil protesters in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Monday, 05 August 2013, 12:13 GMT]
The occupying Sri Lanka Army on Sunday threatened the Tamil residents of Maangkaadu and Kurukka'l-madam from participating in the protest march organized by the Tamil National Alliance against desecration of Saiva koayils. Troops of the occupying Sri Lanka Army visited every household and threatened the inmates not participate in protest march. 

If the villagers attended the protest, they would face the same fate as that of the Sinhala residents of Welweriya in the Gampaha district where a student was shot dead by the SL military when the protestors ignored the ‘instructions’ of the ‘security forces’, the Sinhala military has warned the villagers in Batticaloa, residents said. 

“The intimidation and threat carried out by the army against protestors made us to think that desecration of Saiva temples in Tamil villages in the Eastern province had been carried out by the Sri Lankan army and police“, TNA politician Mr. Selvarasa responded while addressing the participants of the protest.   He added that the TNA had held the protest march not against the police and the army but against the persons who carried out the desecration.

Basheer to resign his portfolio if forced to campaign against govt.

M. A. Kaleel, Kalmunai Corr.-August 4, 2013

Minister of productivity promotion and the Chairman of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Basheer Segu Dawood said he wouldn’t campaign for the SLMC in the forthcoming provincial council elections while being a Cabinet Minister in the government.

Dawood said: "I urged the SLMC to contest the forthcoming provincial council elections with the government but the party decided to contest it alone. I respect the decision of the party and I’ll not revolt against it, but as a minister of the government I will not campaign against the UPFA as it is against my conscience. If the SLMC compels me to campaign for them, then I will resign my Cabinet portfolio and do it."

During the last Eastern Provincial Council election Basheer resigned his Deputy Minister portfolio with the concurrence of the SLMC and threw a veiled challenge to Justice Minister Rauf Hakeem to follow suit.Soon after the EPC election, Basheer was given a Cabinet slot without the concurrence of SLMC and it irked the party much. It was speculated that the slot was given as check against Hakeem. Neither Basheer nor the government had informed the SLMC of his appointment.