In brief
Rampage
Thugs attacked people attending a trade fair in Trincomalee town on 21 August, injuring 27 civilians, 13 of them seriously. Several vehicles were damaged. The thugs also attacked Tamil and Muslim shops. The police arrested 16 Sinhalese and two Tamils.
Wages
Following industrial action led by the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), the daily wage of the tea worker was increased from Rs 121 to Rs 147, which includes a price supplement (PS) of Rs 14 and incentive bonus of Rs 12 for 75% attendance. Rubber workers will receive Rs 131 including PS of Rs 22.
Found
Acting on a court order, the police found Rs 40 million worth certificates of deposit in the personal lockers of former Deputy Defence minister Anuruddha Ratwatte and his wife Ramani Ratwatte, in a private bank in Colombo's Kollupitiya suburb. A number of relatives of the Ratwattes are also under investigation.
Arrest
The government of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu ordered the arrest of MDMK party's leader Vaiko and eight others in early August under India’s terrorism laws. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha has accused them of campaigning in support of the LTTE at a meeting in Thirumangalam. The Tigers remain a banned terrorist organisation in India since May 1992.
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