Govt to compensate victims of Weliweriya clash
August 6, 2013 06:19 pm
On the directive of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, compensation is to be paid to the family members of those who died and to those who were injured in the Weliweriya incident, the Govt information Department said.
Three persons died and over 30 were injured after clashed erupted between security forces personnel and protesters demanding clean drinking water on Thursday (August 01).
A 17-year-old student, Akila Dinesh, died Thursday night from the clashes while Ravishan Perera, 19, and Nilantha Pushpakumara, 29, succumbed to injuries in the ICU of the National Hospital the following day.
Opposition parties and other rights groups have condemned the crackdown against the protest by villagers who were demanding clean drinking water for thousands of residents of Weliweriya and have criticized the manner in which authorities had handled the situation.
The military said it had named a five-member board of inquiry to probe the allegations against the troops.
