Members of the government aligned paramilitary group, the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), attacked Northern Provincial councillors at a Jaffna District Coordinating Committee meeting, on Tuesday morning.

At least two councillors sustained injuries and were sent to hospital, as government forces failed to protect the assaulted northern provincial councillors.

Northern Provincial Council members that protested the EPDP MP Douglas Devananda’s political canvassing against the Tamil National Alliance and Northern Provincial Council during the development meeting were attacked by uninvited EPDP paramilitary party members, sources at the meeting told the Tamil Guardian.

“Devananda spoke and started reading a 4 page pre-prepared report condemning the TNA and the northern provincial council and justify work done by other Sri Lankan parties. It was political canvasing. Devananda finished the report despite protests by council members of the illegality of  political canvasing during a NPC development meeting,” said a source at the meeting.

Northern Provincial Councillor Sivajalingam, who stood up to speak against the EPDP statement and outline work conducted by the NPC, was consequently attacked by EPDP party members. The Northern Provincial Minister for Agriculture, P Ayngaranesan was also assaulted and injured in the process.

Ayngaranesan, speaking to the Tamil Guardian on the EPDP's actions said,

“Normally for these meetings, there are regulations on who is allowed to attend the meeting. Members of the NPC and MPs only are allowed. Devananda brought EPDP party members to the council meeting, which is not usually allowed. EPDP party members, under Devananda’s orders, took Sivajalingam’s mic when he was speaking and proceeded to attack council members with bottles. They planned this during the election time to discredit the TNA and NPC to gain political support and votes.”

The chief minister of the Northern Provincial Council, CV Wigneswaran, who was chairing the meeting, was escorted out of the room as soon as the trouble started.

Government forces turn a blind eye

As EPDP members proceeded to attack NPC councillors with bottles and fists, government forces failed to intervene, leaving the councillors to fight their way out of the meeting room in order to find safety.

“Government security forces that were inside protected EPDP members instead of the NPC councillors that were being attacked. A police inspector was also present, however he walked out of the room when the trouble started so he wouldn’t be a witness,” said another source at the meeting.

The EPDP, who have been documented as extorting funds, looting supplies for displaced Tamils and running forced prostitution rings, were also allegedly involved in disrupting protests against government appropriation of Tamil land that took place last month.

Police attack Tamils demanding their lands back in Jaffna (29 Nov 2014)

Sri Lankan minister can face murder trial via video says Indian court (11 September 2014)

2007 US cable: Sri Lanka killing through Tamil paramilitaries (16 Dec 2010)