Govt. and state media putting political spin on Weliweriya tragedy
August 5, 2013 04:22 pm
The government and
the state media have already taken steps to give a political interpretation for
the unfortunate incident which occurred in Rathupaswela, UNP MP Karu Jayasuriya
stated.
Speaking at a press
conference today (August 5), he said that Minister Dullas Alahapperuma had
claimed that the protest regarding water was taken over by a political group
but Jayasuriya stated that he was talking for the people and not for any narrow
political gains.
The MP highlighted among
the three dead was a boy who would have otherwise being sitting for the
Advanced Level examination which began today along with another innocent victim
who was waiting for a bus after work. He also added that forty others were hospitalized
after the incident.
He stated that the
only thing left to do is to give these people access to clean water as well as
finding and punishing those responsible for the attacks.
Jayasuriya told the
media that although Syria’s dictator had answered the people’s pleas for
democracy with guns and bombs, this should not happen in civilized society.
He revealed that the people
of the area had requested several opposition members to join the protest but
the politicians abstained to avoid mixing any politics into the issue but
instead put pressure on authorities to resolve the issue.
The MP stated that
the members of the Buddhist clergy too had engaged in a peaceful demonstration
and non-violent protest over the issue and had communicated with the
authorities in a civil manner whereas he expressed his regret over incidents of
army soldiers harassing those in churches, threatening them and firing their
weapons in places of worship.
He also added that
due to these actions innocent lives were lost while the image of the soldiers
which had been loved and respected by the people had been blemished.
