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Sri Lanka raps police chief, invites Tamils back
 COLOMBO - Sri Lankas president Friday criticised his police chief for evicting hundreds of minority Tamils from the capital and ordered them to be brought back immediately, an official said.President Mahinda Rajapakse demanded an explanation from police Inspector General Victor Perera for forcing Tamils out of their sleep and bussing them 260 kilometres (160 miles) north of Colombo to a detention centre. The president has called for an explanation from the IGP, an official at the presidents office said. He has also ordered measures to redress the injustices during yesterdays police action. The presidential orders went out after the Supreme Court halted the evictions and the United States, a key ally of the government, led international condemnation of Thursdays events. Police sources said they were trying to undo the damage by arranging five buses Friday evening to bring back to Colombo the Tamils who were forcibly removed from low-budget hostels. Out of 272 held at the Vavuniya centre, we are bringing back 186 in the next few hours, a police official in Vavuniya said by telephone. Government defence spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters Thursday that the Tamils boarded buses on their own accord and denied any forced eviction. However, owners of lodges and witnesses said even a kidney transplant patient was forced out of bed and forced into a bus despite pleas by his wife that the man needed regular medication here. The Tamils were not even allowed to change out of their night clothes or use toilets, witnesses said. Posted by: Steve White 2007-06-09 |
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