LTTE attacks London Buddhist temple

Walter JAYAWARDHANA

Suspected members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in London during the early hours of May 13 attacked the Kingsbury Sri Saddhatissa International Buddhist Centre in London and smashed up seven windows.

Ven. Wanduramba Kassapa Thera, an eyewitness at the crime scene, said "About seven men used half pieces of bricks to smash up the down stairs and upstairs window panes using them as missiles." The Thera said this is the eighth attack on the temple by London LTTE members. Venerable Kassapa Thera said he first saw through the CCTV cameras two young men coming near the temple.

It was 3.15 in the morning. One of them went to the park and probably used a cell phone. Then about five others came and joined them.

Venerable Kassapa Thera suspecting something foul pushed the panic alarm connected to the police. But all of a sudden they started attacking the window panes of the building using half pieces of bricks as missiles.

Four minutes later when the police arrived all attackers, had disappeared and pieces of glass and 15 half pieces of red bricks were strewn all over the place. The same gang is suspected to have removed one of the CCTV cameras few days before the crime.

Smashing up windows is the newest violent form of protest practised by the LTTE. During the last few weeks LTTE members smashed up windows of the Chinese embassy, and the High Commission offices of India and Sri Lanka.

The Metropolitan Police are investigating.