Court bans march by UNP dissidents after major clashes

A court yesterday banned a march from Devinuwara to Colombo by a group opposed to Opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe as eight people were hospitalised with gunshot injuries and several received outdoor treatment following bloody clashes with proWickremesinghe groups shortly after the march began.

Four separate clashes were reported in Devinuwara and Matara between the rival factions.

The wounded included a Southern Province Pro- vincial Council member, Nishantha Pushpakumara, (pro-Ranil Wickremesinghe group) as the two factions engaged in violent attacks involving an exchange of gunfire and attacks on one another using poles, stones, bottles and knives until Police intervened and separated the two groups. Mr. Pushpakumara was transferred to Karapitiya Hospital in Galle.

One arrest was made as Police recorded statements from several of those injured in the clashes and those who had tak- en part in them.

The dissidents demanding the ouster of UNP leader Wickremesinghe had begun their protest march at the Shri Vishnu Upulwan Devale (temple) in Devinuwara when they were initially confronted by the rival faction near the temple. The rival group said they were proceeding by bus for an 'Adishtana pooja' (blessings) on behalf of the UNP leader at the same temple. The two sides had a heated exchange of words and a minor clash.

Thereafter, the two fac- tions met again at Wellamadama on the Devinuwara-Matara road near the Ruhunu University. There were two separate clashes reported from the area.

The fourth and the biggest clash then occurred at Matara town opposite the Municipal Council where onlookers heard gunshots being fired as the two factions confronted each other until the Police intervened.

Earlier, the Police fearing a breach of the peace had asked for a ban

of the demonstration from Matara’s Additional Magistrate Manjula Karunaratne who had turned down the request. However, after the clash in Matara, Police returned to the Magistrate with photographic evidence of the violence whereupon the Magistrate issued an order to stop the march.

Western Province UNP PC Member Shiral Laktilleke who was participating in the anti-Wickremesinghe march told the Sunday Times that they were attacked by an unknown group while they marched towards the Matara Bridge.

“The group attacked us with rocks, sandfilled bottles and chillie powder mixed into water. It was an unprovoked attack and the police did little to prevent it. Prior to the incident a senior police officer warned us of the impending attack but they (the Police) did nothing to prevent it. It is clear that there is an organised move to prevent our public march but this will never be allowed to be the case,” Mr. Laktilleke said.

He said in accordance with the cort order, the demonstration had been called off. Southern Province PC member Maithri Gunaratne told journalists that the organisers of the march would respect the court order.

The UNP MP for the Matara district and the party's Communication Unit chief Mangala Samaraweera held a news conference at the party office in Matara where he said the protest march was a contract by the Government to destabilise the UNP and was being carried out by a group which claimed to be protecting the party.

"It was not a peaceful protest, it was a group that was armed with clubs and weapons," he said.

Mr. Samaraweera said that those who were protesting had personal vendettas against the injured Provincial Council member Pushpakumara. senior DIG (Southern Province) Chandana Wickramaratne has been ordered by Police Headquarters to carry out investigations on yesterday's clashes.