Tamils demand action against troops for killing students

Sri Lanka's main Tamil political party Tuesday demanded an independent probe and action against the military for gunning down five Tamil students in the restive northeastern port town of Trincomalee.











Sri Lanka's main Tamil political party Tuesday demanded an independent probe and action against the military for gunning down five Tamil students in the restive northeastern port town of Trincomalee. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) asked President Mahinda Rajapakse to order an investigation into Monday's "cold blooded" killing by security forces.

The TNA, which is regarded a proxy of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said the victims together with family members were enjoying the fresh air at the beachfront when they were massacred.

"We call upon the president and the government to immediately have the offenders arrested and brought to justice," the TNA statement said adding that security forces were responsible for the killings.

Troops had moved in after a grenade explosion in the area and the military said the five were killed by an explosive device they carried on themselves.

However, autopsy reports confirmed that they had been shot, three of them in the head, docto