Brigadier who shot people on orders from Rajapaksas return

WEDNESDAY, 16 SEPTEMBER 2015

Brig. Deshapriya Gunawardene accused of giving orders, on directions from Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, to shoot people at Rathupaswala, who agitated demanding clean drinking water, returned to Sri Lanka via Katunayaka International Airport yesterday (15th). A protest was held opposite the main entrance of Katunayaka Airport yesterday against his arrival.

After the shooting that killed three unarmed persons, the Brigadier, who was accused of giving the orders to shoot, was presented with a diplomatic position in Turkey by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He returned to Sri Lanka after three years.

Residents of Rathupaswala, including those who were disabled due to the shooting, carried out the agitation at KIA yesterday. Ven. Theripaha Siridhdamma Thero. Who gave leadership to the agitation at Rathupaswala, joined the agitation and demanded that the Brigadier who ordered the shooting should be arrested and demanded that the President should take measures to hold a comprehensive investigation regarding the brutal attack on unarmed people at Rathupaswsala.Two school children and a youth were killed and a large number of persons were disabled due to the shooting at Rathupaswala.

Roshen Chanaka was killed when police opened fire at a peaceful agitation held by employees of Katunayaka Industrial Zone. IGP Mahinda Balasooriya who accepted responsibility for the shooting resigned from his post but President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed him as an ambassador. Later, when the Ministry of Law and Order was established Mahinda Balasooriya was made to resign from the diplomatic position and was appointed as the secretary of the new ministry. During the presidential election he was deployed for Mahinda Rajapaka’s election campaign.