DOUGLAS DEVANANDA ATTACKED(98 Jul 01)
Mr. Douglas Devananda, the leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) was attacked by some LTTE prisoners when he visited the Kalutara prison to inquire about the demands of some other LTTE prisoners who were fasting. He was seriously wounded and was in an unconscious state when he was brought to the Kolomba national hospital from the Kalutara general hospital.
Mr. Devananda had gone to the Kalutara prison with Ms. Maheswari Velauthum, a lawyer and Mr. Suhada Gamlath, a state counsel. The LTTE prisoners were on a hunger strike demanding that they be released or charged in courts. After visiting those who were on hunger strike Mr. Devananda and the lawyers have moved to another section where some other LTTE prisoners were being detained. There the LTTEers had attacked Mr. Devananda with a knife and poles. Mr. Devananda has been knifed on the back of his head.
EPDP is one of the Tamil racist parties working with the government. They carry arms even in Kolomba and run an office at Udyana Mawatha. The office is like a fortress and the neighbours had petitioned against maintaining an office of such nature, to the authorities. EPDP was also a terrorist organisation sometime ago but now claims that it is a democratic party, albeit carrying arms.
ON previous occasions also there have been attempts to kill MR. Devananda by the LTTE. It is clearly a fight between two personalities vying for the leadership of the Tamils and indicative of the brutal nature of the Tamil racist movement. Prabhakaran as long as he is alive will not allow anybody else to become the leader of the Tamils. However none of the Tamil parties would come out openly against the atrocities committed by the LTTE.