Clash over LTTE film at Hindu festival
The Navy and Tamil guerrillas were involved in a skirmish on Friday night on land after the Navy attempted to prevent the LTTE from carrying out propaganda activities including the screening of a video film in the security forces controlled Nagadeepa area.

Reports said the LTTE during the Nagapushaniamman Hindu Kovil festival was screening vedioes showing some of its attacks on the security forces and had disobeyed the orders of the Navy to stop the film.

Three LTTE cadres had pulled out their cyanide capsules and threatened to commit suicide, if the Navy made any attempts to remove the video film. The devotees had intervened and appealed to both the Navy and the LTTE to avoid any confrontation.

The Navy had eventually opened fire into the air and left the location while the LTTE continued screening the video film until the early hours yesterday.

Opposition to launch protest campaign
By Harinda Vidanage
The opposition is organizing an islandwide 'Black Day' campaign to protest against the violence and political killings that are taking place in the country, sources said. The organisers said that Interior Minister John Amaratunga should take responsibility for the violence in the country.

The SLFP parliamentary group has accepted a proposal by PA MP Dilan Perera to launch the protest campaign by hoisting black flags, party sources said. Mr. Perera is the leader of the committee who was responsible for organising the recent protests held in parliament, the sources added.

The committee, which comprises mainly back benchers and young members of the SLFP include Dilan Perera, C.B. Ratnayake, Thilina Bandara Tennekoon, Mahinda Amaraweera, Duminda Dissanayke and Arjuna Ranatunga.

The protest campaign will be preceded by a mass demonstration in Anamaduwa, Wattala or Hanguranketha because of the escalating violence in these areas, the sources said.

They said the main purpose of the campaign is to exert pressure on the President to take over the Interior Ministry.

They added that it was not only the south but the north and the east of the country have also been affected by the violence. They alleged that nearly sixty Tamil politicians have been killed and said that the Minister of Defence, Tilak Marapana, should be held responsible for the political killings.

The date of the protest campaign has not been decided as yet but it would definitely be held this month to remind the people of the infamous Black July in 1983, Mr. Dilan Perera said.

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