JVP says ruling party politicians had some of its regional leaders arrested

By Saman Indrajith

The JVP yesterday said that IGP C.D. Wickremaratne and police top brass had assured the party that police investigations into the 09 May violent incidents would be impartial. Speaking to the media outside the Police Headquarters in Fort, Colombo, after an NPP delegation met with the IGP and all top ranking officials investigating into the May 09 incidents, JVP Propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath said senior DIGs had made available information about all those in police custody over the violent incidents.

“They explained that the arrests had been made without considering the political background or party affiliations of the suspects. They also assured us that speedy investigations into concerns that we raised of specific instances where some JVP regional level leaders were taken into custody owing to influence of ruling party politicians. Their statistics show that the majority of those taken into custody had no connections or links or anything to do with the JVP. We now call for explanations from those who made statements that it was the JVP that instigated the 09 May violent incidents after SLPP goons attacked the protesters at the GotaGoGama.”

MP Herath said that they had observed an attempt by certain politicians to apportion the blame of instigating the violence to the JVP. “We know how the governments do that. We pointed out at the meeting that police had a responsibility to tell the truth to the people. It is not the job of police officers to help ruling party politicians to hide the truth. We co-operate with the police for any of their investigations. We do so because of people who believe in upholding the rule of law in this country. The IGP and senior police officers assured that investigations would not be affected by the political process.

JVP Politburo Member and former MP Sunil Handunnetti, former JVP Western Provincial Council Member Attorney-at-law Sunil Watagala and Attorney-at-law Harshana Nanayakkara were associated with Herath at the meeting.