By Feizal Samath
COLOMBO, Dec 22, Reuter: Suspected leftwing rebels attacked a police patrol and shot dead a mechanic at the home of a government Minister in renewed attacks in Sri Lanak after Monday’s Presidential poll, military sources said on Thursday.
They said a policeman was injured in the attack at Ratgama in the south.
Suspected people’s Liberation Front rebels on Wednesday also set fire to the Home of Dayanande Wickremasinghe, Minister for Southern Matara District, they said.
The violence was the first reported since Prime Minister Ranasinghe Premadasa was declared victor in the December 19 poll, a government statement said.
His main opponent, Sirima Banadaranaike of the Freedom Party, has said she rejects the result and will challenge it in the Supreme Court.
Political Analysts said the south, stronghold of the mainly Sinhalese Front, had seen much less violence since the poll results were announced. “There had been an average 10 killings a day previously,” said one analyst.
A Government spokesman said: “The people are tired of violence. They want to give peace a chance.”
Anura Bandaranaike, opposition leader in parliament and Mrs. Bandaranaike’s son, warned on Thursday that the front, known in Sri Lanka by the initials of its Sinhalese name JVP, said the rebels would increase the violence.
“The JVP will now begin the real push for power. Its trouble for Sri Lanka in the next two months,” he told Reuters.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 30, 1988
