Unidentified gangs attack JVP offices

Unidentified gangs carried out a string of attacks on the offices of a Marxist party in Sri Lanka as they marked the 13th death anniversary of their late leader Rohana Wijeweera who was killed during a government crackdown on an uprising by the group.

Armed gangs stormed four offices of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and fired at them, attacked with bombs and set the place ablaze in a bid to disrupt yesterday's programmes.

The JVP blamed the government saying that it was carrying out the attacks to suppress their group, but Interior Minister John Amaratunga denied the allegations and said that he had ordered the police to carry out a full inquiry.

The worst attack came when their Colombo district propaganda office at Battaramulla, on the outskirts of the capital, was attacked at around 1 am yesterday partially damaging the decorations for the commemorative ceremony.

JVP parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa said that some of the government ministers were involved in the attacks.

Police said that in the attack on the propaganda office some of their printing machinery was damaged. However, there were no casualties.

The JVP marked the anniversary in a grand scale despite the attempts to disrupt the events. In the wake of the previous night's incidents, police provided additional security and carried out body checks to ensure that the event was not disrupted.

In parliament the government members and the JVP entered into heated arguments accusing each other of instigating violence.

The government is accusing the JVP for the death of a university student who was attacked after he attempted to prevent ragging on the campus. The JVP has denied involvement in the incident, but investigations have revealed that they were involved.

The student's funeral took place on the outskirts of the city yesterday under a heavy police guard with some 3,000 men being deployed to provide security.

Meanwhile a local daily said that a clandestine attempt was launched to shut down schools in the country yesterday on the pretext of a day of mourning for the student killed in the clash at the Sri Jayewardenapura University.

A new organisation calling itself the Sri Lanka Students Movement which had been distributing leaflets requesting students to take part in a one-hour protest campaign yesterday.