Oppostion beat back the offensive by Gaddafi Forces in Brega

Hundreds of mourners in East Libya have buried several victims of fears clashes that irrupted again on Thursday between pro Gaddafi forces and Oppostion backed protestors at a strategically important oil refinery town Brga.The opposition was able beat back the offensive attack.


At least 12 people had been killed while defending the town on Wednesday according to the reports we recieved.


In Benghazi, Libya's second city and a stronghold of the opposition, which has been demanding that Gaddafi step down, about 1,000 people turned out to bury six people.


A crowd of anti-government activists packed into vehicles and drove to the cemetery, where they fired into the air and said prayers honouring those who had been killed.


In Ajdabiya, 150km to the west, dozens marched in a funeral procession, with five coffins held aloft en route to the cemetery there.


"For the people of Ajdabiya, these men are marytrs to their revolution. And the more of their comrades who are killed, the more they are determined to defeat Muammar Gaddafi," According to Al Jazeera's correspondent Jacky Rowland who is currently locaetd himself at the city.


Mourners shouted slogans against Gaddafi, those included "The blood of marytrs will not be spilled in vain", "Gaddafi get out, Libyans don't want you!", and "Gaddafi you're crazy!".


Source AP & Al Jazeera

Police in uniform have threatened JVP Pedirithuduwa Municipal council candidate : They have intimidated her not to contest and withdraw the candidature

In a notice signed and issued by Dr. Uditha Gunasekera , the chief Executive of the elections monitoring intellectual chain concerning human rights, (N E M I H R) had stated, a group of police officers in uniforms of the Pedirithuduwa police had gone to the residence of Thavarasa Pushparani the Pedirithuduwa Municipal council JVP candidate and threatened her to resign from the candidature.

The NEMIHR says, the police which should be acting without favor or prejudice in regard to the elections and which is its responsibility, is instead engaging in acts of frightening and intimidating candidates of political parties and stooping to be the political lackeys and cronies of politicians. While flagrantly violating the election laws ,these police officers by conducting themselves this way are abusing the police powers and are directly acting in breach of their disciplinary code, the NEMIHR pinpointed. The police have no rights under the law or code of conduct to threaten any candidate .Every citizen has a right to contest. As these violations are being committed from the very outset , they are a serious threat to the conduct of a free and fair elections in the North, according to the NEMIHR.

The NEMIHR has therefore urged the Elections commissioner and the IGP to intervene immediately with a view to stopping further escalation in this direction.. Source ; www.lankaenews.com