
Trincomalee comes to a standstill condemning the killings
Trincomalee protested the murder of two LTTE cadres and two
civilians on Sunday in government controlled areas with a
total close down.
The bodies of the LTTE cadres were kept in the
government-controlled area for the people pay their last
respect and then taken to LTTE controlled area. Tamil
people’s consortium has called for the total shut down to
show people’s outrage. Government offices, non-governmental organizations, banks,
courts, and schools were all closed. Shops belonging to all
three communities were kept shut. Sinhala fishermen have
brought huge quantities of fish to the common market. But
there were no customers to buy them. Streets were void of people or vehicles. There was tension
in the areas where all three communities live close to each
other. Anpuvalipuram, 6th Milepost, Kuunithivu, Periyakulam, and
Sambaltivu were in very sombre mood. The LTTE cadres and
civilians who were murdered are from this area. The areas
where Sinhala community is predominant like Anuradhapura
junction, Madco junction, town centre, and the out skirts of
town, and Jamalia where the Muslim community is predominant
were also shut down. The areas where the Tamil community is predominant like,
Muthur east and south, Kinniya, Thampalakamam, and the
coastal Tamil villages were completely closed. Even shops
selling essential items, fuel stations, and cinema theatres
were closed. Outpatient clinics were not functioning in the
hospitals. The protests were peaceful, although there were
one or two violent incidents. Police said that at 10.30 a.m. a grenade was thrown at a
jeep going on the Thampalakaman road. Although the grenade
fell near the jeep it did not go off. AT 11.35 a.m. a
soldier who was on duty at the security post in the
Anuradhapuram junction was shot at. Police said that the
soldier was injured by this shooting. In the afternoon in the Alasthoddam area tyres were set
alight on the road and transport was blocked. Police were
involved in clearing the read.
14 July 2005
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