Police remove protestors

[lkdood]

Police have begun forcefully removing the protestors who are staging a fast unto death outside the UN office in Colombo preventing the staff from coming out of the premises.

A group of protestors had forced themselves inside the UN premises but were removed by the police.

Meanwhile several UN staff have begun leaving the premises amidst police protection.

Government Minister Wimal Weerawansa who had left the scene earlier had returned and got onto the stage which remained erected at the side of the UN office.

Dailymirror

 

[lkdood]

Sri Lanka police break protester blockade of UN building, escort trapped workers out.

AP

 

[lkdood]

Police have broken up a blockade of the U.N. office in Sri Lanka’s capital and are escorting employees out hours after they were trapped.

Hundreds of protesters, led by the country’s housing minister and Buddhist monks, laid siege to the building Tuesday demanding end to U.N. investigations into alleged abuses committed during the country’s civil war.

Police have forcibly evicted the protesters, dismantled a stage that blocked one gate and escorted the staff vehicles off of the premises.

AP

 

[lkdood]

Government Minister Wimal Weerawansa who arrived at the scene of the protest outside the UN office in Colombo has warned that he would take part in the fast unto death if the IGP did not remove the police from the area.

Weerawansa who arrived at the scene just as the police had begun removing the protestors had made a telephone call to the IGP in front of the large crowd and demanded the police to be removed immediately or he would take part in the fast unto death.


Dailymirror

 

[lkdood]

Section of UN staff leave office with police escort, others held back


A section of the beseiged employees of the UN office in Colombo left the premises with police escort a short while ago.

Witnessses said four foreigners were among the UN staff who drove out of the office in four vehicles with police escort.

The protesters tried to prevent the UN staff from leaving but police intervened and took them away safely.

More staff still remain in the building unable to leave.

The movement of UN staff was blocked when Minister Wimal Weerawansa's National Freedom Front activists arrived there and instructed the police not to allow anyone to leave.

Mr. Weerawans later called Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and told him to order the police to withdraw.

Meanwhile NFF sources said they would remain in the tent outside the UN office and stage an all-night 'Thovil' ceremony to drive out evil spirits.

The protesters were demanding that the UN drop its panel set up to probe alleged war crimes during the last stages of the war in May last year.

ST

 

[tharindudoo]

Thanxx for the info machoooooooo