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| Saturday, 5 October 2002 |
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Mass protest over detention of soldiers in Trincomalee by Ranil Wijayapala and Trincomalee correspondent Normal life in the Trincomalee city came to standstill yesterday as hundreds of people joined the Satyagraha campaign launched by the relatives of the six soldiers under the LTTE detention. The protesters blocked all entry points to the city yesterday morning. The situation was brought under control by the Police following discussions with the protesters last evening, Trincomalee SSP Upali Hewage told the Daily News last night. He said the protesters agreed to remove all barriers at the fourth mile post after assurance of Government intervention in securing the release of the soldiers within next few days. The protesters blocked the Colombo - Trincomalee road at the Fourth Mile Post and from the Abhayapura round about and from the Madihe junction. The Trincomalee-Nilaweli road too was blocked at Love Lane gate. Police removed obstacles placed by the protesters in the Trincomalee town. The entire public transport system in the city was paralysed yesterday morning due to this protest. The relatives of the six soldiers detained by the LTTE commenced this satyragraha on Thursday, near the Trincomalee clock tower demanding the release of the six soldiers immediately. According to reports, these protesters are planing to block the entire Trincomalee - Habarana road and also to expand the protest campaign islandwide if the Government did not take action to obtain the release within the next three days. They also demand that the soldiers should be released unconditionally as they have been abducted by the LTTE in an area held by the Government. Meanwhile, SLMM spokesman Teiutor Torkelson said that a request has been conveyed to the Attorney General's department to release the two LTTE cadres on bail when the case is taken for hearing on the next date. The LTTE is demanding the release of these two members in exchange of the six soldiers. The LTTE on Wednesday released one of the seven soldiers detained by them on humanitarian grounds. The SLMM Chief Trond Furuhovde and the International Committee of Red Cross were involved in the release. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe instructed Defence Minister Thilak Marapana and Army Commander Lt. General Lionel Balagalle to take action to get the soldiers released. |
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