Sri Lanka envoy’s attackers held
> Five suspects linked to mob assault of Ansar in protest of Rajapaksa’s visit
KUALA LUMPUR: Police arrested five suspects over an assault on Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Malaysia Ibrahim Sahib Ansar at the KL International Airport (KLIA) on Sunday.
The suspects, who are in their 30s and 40s, were detained at various locations in Perak, Rawang and the Klang Valley hours after the attack on Ansar.
Sources said the main suspect, a 41-yearold man who allegedly started the altercation, is among those in custody.
He was arrested at his house in Bukit Sentosa, Rawang.
The attack on Ansar is linked to a protest by a group of local Indians who objected to former Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visit here for the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP).
The protesters had accused Rajapaksa of being responsible for the death of tens of thousands of Tamils during the Sri Lankan civil war.
It is learnt that Ansar was sending off a delegation of politicians at the airport when he was set upon by a mob who had demanded to know Rajapaksa’s whereabouts.
When he refused to speak to them, he was allegedly attacked and suffered head injuries.
Rajapaksa left for Sri Lanka under heavy police escort from KLIA at 9am yesterday.
On Saturday, protesters also gathered at a Sri Lankan Buddhist temple in Sentul after rumours spread that Rajapaksa had planned to visit the place.
With Rajapaksa nowhere to be seen at the place, the temple’s abbot, Venerable Bootawatte Sri Saranankara Nayaka Thero stepped out to pacify the protesters but was beaten up by several men.
Kuala Lumpur police CID chief SAC Rusdi Md Isa said no police report was lodged by Sri Saranankara but police are on the lookout for the attackers. He said police have yet to make any arrest.
Meanwhile, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police are also probing local groups – which demonstrated support for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and had protested against Rajapaksa – under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma).
He said the investigation is to, among others, identify their links to the organisation including the possibility of their involvement in supporting LTTE financially to fight the Sri Lankan government.
“Police will take action against groups which support the LTTE as LTTE is a terror organisation that has been banned by the United Nations, and we, as a UN signatory country, can take action against them (LTTE supporters),” he said at function at Bukit Aman yesterday.