KAMALIKA PIERIS

The south was the most affected when MPs houses were burnt.  In Galle there was a series of attacks on the houses of the former Ministers, Members of Parliament and the government supporters including a number of heads of Local Government Institutions.

Former Minister Ramesh Pathirana’s house in Kithulampitiya, Galle was set on fire and completely destroyed while former State Minister Mohan P. De Silva’s residence on Wakwella Road, Galle also was burnt. A group had set ablaze the house of State Minister Geetha Kumarasinghe in Haburugala, Bentota and set fire to a vehicle there.MP Sampath Athukorala’s house on Pelawatta Road in Pitigala and Chandima Weerakkody’s house in Hapugala were also damaged. Houses of Galle Mayor Priyantha, Chairman of the Bope Poddala P.S. Dilrook Abeykoon, Chairman of the Karandeniya Pradeshiya Sabha Gamini Amarawansa, Elpitiya Chairman Karunasena Ponnamperuma, Ambalangoda P.S.Chairman Pushpalal Kumarasinghe were attacked and damaged

Residences of several Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna politicians in the Kalutara District came under mob attacks on May 9. Angry mobs have rushed to Paiyagala and had attacked and completely destroyed the home of former Cabinet Minister and Kalutara District SLPP Chief Organizer, Rohitha Abeygunawardena. They had also damaged and destroyed the Minister’s office at Dharma Vijaya Temple Road, Kalutara South.

Panadura PS Chairman Waduge Hemantha Fernando’s residence in Kaludewale, Panadura, was burnt Party Office of Former Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena in Nalluruwa, Panadura was also attacked.

Kalutara PS Chairman Sanjeewa Ariyarathna’s home at Palathota,Wijayagama had also been severely attacked and  his motorcycle was completely burnt. Two PS Councillors’ homes  were burnt down .Frank Wasantha Silva, a UNP Pradeshiya Sabha Councilor of the Kalutara PS told the media that his residence in Nagoda, opposite the Kalutara General Hospital was also very severely attacked Former Kalutara District UNP Parliamentarian Luxshman Wijemanne’s Office at Sarananda Mawatha,Kalutara South has also been destroyed on the same day.

Violence flared across Puttalam District on Monday . Many residents in the district were angered by videos circulating online showing State Minister and Puttalam District lawmaker Sanath Nishantha among the mob that attacked the protesters at GotaGoGama.

At about 4pm, a crowd of several thousand marched on  Nishantha’s home and office in Arachchikattuwa. They stoned the buildings and set them alight. Soon, mobs were attacking homes and properties of other government representatives across the district. Houses, properties and vehicles of four state ministers, two former provincial councillors and three PS members were attacked and set alight.

Aside from  Nishantha’s house, mobs also targeted State Minister Arundika Fernando’s house in Dankotuwa, two houses belonging to State Minister Ashoka Priyantha in Nattandiya and Marandawella along with three of his vehicles, and State Minister Priyankara Jayaratne’s house in Madampe.

They also destroyed the house, offices and vehicles belonging to All Ceylon Makkal Congress MP Ali Sabri Raheem, who had supported the government.  Homes of former North-Western Provincial Council members Trevin Fernando and Palitha Rohana were damaged while the home of the former chairman of Arachchikattuwa PS, Jagath Samantha was also targeted.  Samantha is a brother of  Nishantha. The homes of former chairman of the Puttalam PS, Nimal Bamunuaarachchi and the home of Chilaw PS chairman were among the other properties that were damaged.

The movement also attacked  businesses, not only houses .The organizers had lists of business premises too, not only houses, mainly  business owned by MPs. The many business of Johnston Fernando were destroyed. Also those of Nimal Lansa.

The mob also attacked an education institution owned by SLPP Puttalam District MP Ashoka Priyantha’s wife in Nattandiya town and laid waste to a vehicle yard operated by a contractor who had been one of his chief supporters, destroying at least 14 vehicles.

A hotel said to be owned by Ambalangoda Urban Council Chairman Aruna Pradeep was set on fire. A cab of Elpitiya P.S. also was burnt. Habaraduwa Pradeshiya Sabha Deputy Chairman Bandupala Abeykoon’s Ahangama Maliyagoda tourist rest, a shop in Bataganwila, Galle, owned by a brother of Galle Mayor Priyantha Sahabandu,  were damaged.

A mob also looted and destroyed the Grandeeza Hotel at Kurana in Negombo. Issuing a statement, the hotel management said that it was shutting down operations indefinitely. About 250 hotel workers are now jobless.

A crowd estimated to be more than 1,000 descended on the Avenra Gardens Hotel in Negombo. There were men, women and even children among them. They were all intent on destruction and looting.”By the end of that night, much of the hotel had been looted and set alight. The hotel’s three reception halls, were left gutted, as were its 36 rooms. The mob also set fire to 13 luxury vehicles that belonged to the hotel. They included a Lamborghini, a Ferrari, two Hummers, a stretch limousine, an antique car, a staff bus and several vans..A senior police officer said a group with political affiliations had instigated area residents, urging them to attack the two establishments as they were owned by ruling party politicians in the area.

The mob also attacked the home of Avenra owner Danesh De Silva, located in one part of the hotel premises. Also destroyed were the Avenra Wok restaurant and the Avenra Dynasty luxury residence. After destroying Avenra Gardens, the mob marched to the Avenra Bayfonte restaurant located some three kilometers away.

State property too was damaged /Moratuwa Mayor Saman Lal Fernando’s office was heavily damaged, along with several other offices within the Municipal Council premises. The Moratuwa Municipal Council experienced heavy losses due to 11 vehicles going up in flames during the unrest. Two fire engines and a JCB backhoe loader were also damaged after being pelted with stones. Among the vehicles burned and now beyond use are four cabs, one garbage truck and four three wheelers belonging to the MC.

Among damaged vehicles in Colombo city, some toppled, some dumped in the Beira Lake, were vehicles belonging to local councils. One such was a cab bearing the state logo and the words Nawalapitiya Pradeshiya Sabha.