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by Jayantha Sri Nissanka and Bharatha Malawaraarachchi

Interior Minister John Amaratunga told Parliament yesterday that JVP members had been involved in an attack on police officers providing security to a protest campaign at a tea factory in Walasmaulla.

Making a special statement in the House, Amaratunga said five police officers had been hospitalised following the Sunday afternoon incident.

A police bus had been set on fire while a police jeep had also been damaged, the Minister said. Amaratunga said three ASPs deployed to investigate this incident, had reported that JVPers had been involved in the incident.

"Already five suspects have been taken into custody and one firearm and two used bullets recovered. Another 19 suspects are yet to be arrested," the Minister said. A dispute between a tea factory owner and those supplying tea leaf to the factory at Ravimal Kanda Estate had caused the protest campaign.

"Initially around 800 persons had gathered at the protest campaign but later another 2,000 had joined," the Minister said referring to police reports. The crowd had hurled stones at police officers providing security to the factory and the people.

"Even gunshots had been fired at police officers and attempts had been made to set the factory on fire," Amaratunga said.

He said: "This is a very alarming situation as this kind of incidents pose a serious threat to the country's law and order and will also hinder the country's economic progress, especially at a time when peace talks are in progress to solve the ethnic conflict."

The Minister said stern action has to be taken to prevent incidents like this in the future.

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