Published on - 11/29/2004
LOCAL CURFEW IMPOSED IN TRINCOMALEE AFTER LTTE INTENSIFIED ITS ATROCITIES
The Police imposed local curfew in TRINCOMALEE Police area to be effective from 12.00 noon today (29 November 2004) until 6.00 a.m. Tuesday (30) as tension grew following a series of agitations and acts of violence, mainly triggered off by LTTE men and their supporters to coincide with an LTTE commemoration.
LTTE on Sunday (28) ordered closure of all commercial establishments in the town on Monday (29) and suspension of transport services in connection with a planned LTTE protest. However, most of the shops and schools remained open as usual despite LTTE orders.
Normalcy in TRINCOMALEE was gradually affected in the recent past after LTTE men in the areas went on a propaganda spree, raising LTTE flags, pasting posters with LTTE emblems, erecting EELAM cut-outs and distributing LTTE literature among the masses calling for observance of an LTTE commemorative week beginning 21 November.
On 26 November 2004 a protest campaign, launched in the town against the raising of LTTE flag at HINDU CULTURAL CENTRE at TRINCOMALEE ended up causing injuries to several participants as the Police were forced to open tear gas after agitators turned violent.
Afterwards, the Eastern Sinhala Organization meanwhile on Saturday (27) held a commemorative ceremony in TRINCOMALEE after marching in procession but the Police were compelled to turn them away after using tear gas in order to prevent any unrest in the area.
On Monday (29) at about 10.15 a.m. a suspected LTTE man on motorbike threw a hand grenade at a private coach bound for TRINCOMALEE, causing death to one and injuries to three others in the bus.
Almost at the same time, another section of LTTE supporters sat on the Main Road at TAMBALAGAMUWA junction and tried to obstruct the highway for reasons best known only to those men. Policemen however had to disperse the mobs using minimum force as another section of civilians was approaching those LTTE supporters in anger. Another private coach on its way to the driver's home was torched near the 5th MILE POST by a mob that obstructed its passage, reducing it to ashes. A few houses belonging to civilians at ABEYPURA were attacked with stones by unidentified men on Monday (29) afternoon. In another instance, a motorbike-riding man came under attack by another mob while he was in the general area close to the UPPUVELI Drug Stores in TRINCOMALEE by late in the morning. Security in the areas was strengthened immediately after troops and Police reinforcements were deployed in affected areas in order to maintain law and order. All measures needed to quell spread of further acts of violence and maintain law and order have been taken by the Police with the assistance of the Security Forces.
