Trincomalee is among the worst tsunami hit regions

The youths were assaulted by angry residents after the attack, Trincomalee Divaina correspondent RG Dharmadasa, who visited the scene, told BBC Sandeshaya.

Doctors said Satyalingam Yasodaran and Dhanapalasingham Prabhakaran are in a critical condition.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of eastern province Neville Wijesinghe said the police have identified the youths as the attackers. The youths will be charged soon, he said.

Hartal suspended

Wijesinghe added that the Tamil Tigers have ordered the protesters in Trincomalee to suspend the Hartal for four days in respect of Buddhist’s Vesak festival.

The Hartal called by the Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples Forum (TDTPF) demanding the removal of the newly erected statue at the three wheel taxi stand has brought the eastern Sri Lankan town to a standstill for two days.

Sooriyamurthi has approved the erecting of the Buddha statue

The three wheel drivers in Trincomalee erected the controversial statue last week where a smaller Buddha statue stood earlier.

Meanwhile, police said that a former town council chairman Periyapodi Sooriyamurthi shot on Wednesday night by unidentified gunmen is in a critical condition.

RG Dharmadasa reporting to Sandeshaya from the eastern city said that the former chairman has publicly expressed his approval of the Buddha statue.

Tension

Three wheel drivers accusing Tamil Tigers of organising the Hartal say that the killing of one person and injuring others is proof of the allegation.

Trincomalee district political head S Elilan denied the allegation saying that the LTTE has no connection with the Hartal organised by the TDTPF.

Among other incidents, Vaithyalingam Nagarasa, 40, was admitted to hospital on Friday by the police after he was assaulted near Sirimapura while travelling on his motorcycle.

Meanwhile, nearly 60 Tamil women of Pattanambar have handed a letter to Norwegian –led Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) asking them to provide security to their village.