General secretary Vickramabahu "Bahu" Karunarathne and two other members of the New Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) have been detained by police in connection with an arms cache police claim to have discovered in a building housing the Health Workers Trade Union.
Karunarathne was arrested on the evening of April 10, after a five-hour interrogation at Peliyagoda police station. On 11 April, judges were to decide if he was to be released or not.
NSSP Treasurer P.D. Saranapala, general secretary of the Janaraja Health Workers Union, and Ajith Forseka, also an NSSP member, are in police custody under a seven-day arrest order.
The police justification for the arrests is the discovery of arms in the building of the Health Workers Cooperative Society, which also houses the offices of the Health Workers Trade Union. "The New Sama Samaja Party completely rejects any link or responsibility for these weapons", the NSSP pointed out in a statement.
"In 1989 the UNP government issued arms to the NSSP, and other components of the United Socialist Alliance, so that they could defend themselves against the Deshapriya Janatha Viraparaya [Patriotic People's Movement], a chauvinist section of the JVP. At least 24 NSSP members were murdered by DVP chauvinists. Trade union centres were also issued with arms, after a leading Communist Party trade union leader was killed.
"The NSSP returned all its arms when the government demanded them. It has not given arms to the health workers union centre, and is therefore not responsible for this arms discovery.
"The arrest ... is definitely a political conspiracy to isolate the NSSP because of its resolute opposition to the privatisation program of the Chandrika government. The NSSP is also a clear opponent of the war against the Tamil people."
The NSSP has asked for messages demanding the release of Dr Karunarathne to be sent to: Her Excellency the President, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kunaratunge, Presidential Secretariat, Colombo 01, Sri Lanka (fax 94 1 333 703), and The Secretary, Ministry of Defence (fax 94 1 541 529). Please send a copy of protests to the NSSP at fax 94 1 334 822.