TNA seeks probe into woman's death

by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi and Ranil Wijayapala

The smooth sittings that continued in the House during the budget debate were disturbed yesterday following a protest by Tamil National Alliance (TNA) members before the Speaker demanding an inquiry into the death of a 20-year-old woman in Punkudutivu, Jaffna.

Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara suspended sittings for 10 minutes as the TNA continued the protest following TNA Parliament group leader R. Sampanthan's special statement on the killing.

The protesting MPs also demanded that the Government should take disciplinary action against Police and Security Forces personnel who dispersed those who protested in Jaffna against the woman's killing. The TNA Members started the pr The Speaker was compelled to suspend the sittings as TNA Members continued their protest disregarding his request to allow Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake to express his views on Sampanthan's statement.

The Speaker called for a party leaders' meeting after suspending the sittings for 10 minutes. The TNA MPs stopped the protest when the Prime Minister assured that he would give them a reply after consulting President Mahinda Rajapakse.

The TNA called upon the Government to immediately remove from service the officers-in-charge of the Armed Forces units where several incidents have occurred, to withdraw Armed Forces from civilian inhabited areas and to take disciplinary and legal action against members of the Forces responsible for the incidents.