COLOMBO, July 14, Reuter: A Tamil guerrillas group set fire to a bus and ordered shops and offices to close in northern Sri Lanka in protest against Indian military raids, residents said on Thursday.
They said several towns were like “‘dead cities” as the two day protest began on Wednesday.
The People’s Liberation Front of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) is protesting against raids on its camps in Vavuniya by Indian troops last week. One rebel was killed in the raids.
Residents said rebels stopped a bus near Vavuniya town on Thursday and set fire to it. None of the passengers were hurt.
PLOTE ordered a ban on public transport during the protest.
‘About 52,000 Indian troops are in the north and east to enforce an agreement signed between Sri Lanka and India to end a Tamil rebellion.
PLOTE has accepted the accord, unlike the main rebel group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, which is continuing its struggle to set up 4 separate states for Tamils.
Sri Lankan military officials said Indian troops raided PLOTE camps after allegations that the group was involved in extortion and robbery.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 22, 1988
