Sri Lankan left leaders still held

By Jean Dupont

Three leaders of Sri Lanka's New Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) have been detained by police in connection with an arms cache police claim to have discovered in a building housing a health workers' trade union.

NSSP general secretary Vickramabahu Karunarathne has been released on bail and will appear in court on June 9 in connection with the alleged discovery of 32 weapons in the building of the Health Workers Cooperative Society.

Police have still not released Ajith Forseka, president of the cooperative society, and P.D. Saranapala, general secretary of the Janaraja Health Workers Union, which has offices in the same building. Both men are members of the NSSP central committee, though the workers centre is open to health workers of all political persuasions.

In a statement after his release, Karunarathne stressed that the NSSP “categorically denies” all allegations against its members. “Reactionary forces are trying to implicate the NSSP in a conspiracy to use concealed weapons”, he said. “By these lies they hope to discredit worker struggle against price increases, the genocidal war [against the Tamils], repression and privatisation.”

The NSSP asks friends and comrades abroad to send messages demanding the release of Ajith Forseka and P.D. Saranapala, and the dropping of charges against Vickramabahu Karunarathne, to Her Excellency the President, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kunaratunge, Presidential Secretariat, Colombo 01, Sri Lanka. (fax 94 1 333 703) and The Secretary, Ministry of Defence (fax 94 1 541 529) Please send a copy of protests to the NSSP at fax 94 1 334 822. Donations to the legal fund should be sent to United Federation of Labour, A/C 16 500 599 62, Peoples Bank, Union Place, Colombo 02, Sri Lanka.
[From International Viewpoint.]

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