Wednesday, 3rd September 2014
By Madura Ranwala
A 72-year-old father of two daughters yesterday attempted to commit suicide by setting himself on fire in Colombo 03. He is a former army sergeant who retired in 1983 after serving 21 years.
According to investigations conducted so far the retired non-commissioned officer, an ardent supporter of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, had been incensed at the UNHRC war crimes investigation against Sri Lanka.
The Police Media unit said that the victim had been identified as Piyasena from Pannipitiya. He had doused himself in petrol before setting himself alight, the police said.
Police have not been able to record a statement from him but one of his daughters has told police that he had been worried and resentful that the UNHRC had launched ‘an unfair war crimes probe against Sri Lanka.
She has told police that her father had told her and her sister that he would even die to defend the President who had saved the country from terrorism for the benefit of all communities.
The victim was rushed to the National Hospital, Colombo and hospital sources said he was in a critical condition.
From : http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=109612
