File spoon-archives/marxism2.archive/marxism2_1996/96-07-10.220, message 76


Date: Tue, 18 Jun 1996 00:59:14 -0400 (EDT)
From: Philip Locker <jesusc-AT-interport.net>
Subject: Sri Lanka: Police raids NSSP headquarters


>From: USFI Bureau <100641.2324-AT-CompuServe.COM>
>Subject: Sri Lanka: Police raids NSSP headquarters

>TO ALL COMRADES AND FRIENDS --- ACTION NEEDED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>POLICE RAIDS NSSP HEADQUARTERS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>Armed police officers raided the Columbo headquarters of the NSSP, the Nava
Sama
>Samaja (or New Socialist) Party, section of the Fourth International in Sri
>Lanka in Colombo on the first of June 1996, while the Party Central Committee
>was in session. 
>
>About thirty policemen armed with automatic rifles, grenades and
>sub-machine guns broke into the building, saying that they suspected illegal
>activities. 
>
>The actual reason for this is that the NSSP is the key organisation supporting
>the electricity workers strike commenced on 29 May, which resulted in a total
>blackout for 4 days. The strike was called by the movement to safeguard the
>electricity board. The whole 14,000 strong workforce went on strike demanding
>that the government give up its plan to privatise the Ceylon Electricity
Board. 
>
>This is the second time the government has tried to intimidate the NSSP
within a
>short span of one month, the first being the police attack on the May Day
>demonstration.
>
>The President, Chandrika KUMARATUNGA, addressing a press briefing vowed on
>Friday May 31 that she will resort to any means "short of killing" to get the
>workers back to work. She declared the strike illegal and ordered mass
arrest of
>the strikers.
>
>Within hours of her threat, unidentified gunmen shot at the main
>telecommunicationsunion leader J.B.P. DISSANAYAKA. He escaped unhurt, but
it was
>clear that the attack was clearly aimed at intimidating other public sector
>trade unions which have expressed solidarity with the striking electricity
>workers. 
>
>DISSANAYAKA is also a leader of the public sector trade union movement opposing
>priovatisation.
>
>Several leading members of the NSSP have also received death threats.
>There had been attempts by pro-government sinhala (Sri Lanka's ethincal
>majority) forces, including some members of Parliament to rouse chauvinism
among
>the masses by staging anti-strike demonstrations depicting strikers as a
>hindrance to the war effort against Tamil separatist forces. It is interesting
>to note that Major General Anuruddha RATWATTE, a maternal uncle of the
>President, is both the Deputy Minister of Defence and the Minister for
Power and
>Energy.
>
>These acts of intimidation are likely to deter the workers, or many of them at
>least, from carrying on their strike action.
>
>The NSSP is calling a campaign against state terrorism, war and privatisation. 
>A picket will be held in the heart of the capital, Colombo, on 05 May.
>
>The NSSP appeals to all SOCIALISTS and TRADE UNIONISTS to write or fax the
>President of Sri Lanka: 
>
>1) To protest and condemn the raid against the NSSP headquarters
>
>2) To protest and condemn all forms of intimidation against the Electricity
>workers and the Public sector workers in general.
>
>Please write or fax: The President of Sri Lanka, H.E. Chandrika Kumaratunga,
>Presidential Secretariat, Colombo 01, Sri Lanka. FAX (941) 333 703
>Please send copy to the NSSP fax (941) 334 822.
>
>PLEASE CIRCULATE THIS INFORMATION
>
>
>



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