Sri Lankan politician held in connection with killing of UK tourist

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – A ruling party politician has been arrested in Sri Lanka and remanded to custody in connection with the last week’s killing of a British national in a southern coastal resort.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – A ruling party politician has been arrested in Sri Lanka and remanded to custody in connection with the last week’s killing of a British national in a southern coastal resort.

A ruling party local politician was among the six people remanded in custody till January 6 in connection with the killing of Kuram Shaikah Zaman, a 32 year old British national.

His girlfriend was also injured in the attack.

Reacting to the killing, the Lanka government said better security measures were needed to ensure the safety of tourists.

“We recognise the need to have better security and we are working on that,” Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena, the deputy minister of economic development said.

Abeywardena said the attack has highlighted the need for more security and the authorities were taking measures to make it safer for holiday makers.

He said the government had offered to fly in the family members of the Russian woman who escaped the attack with injuries and is recovering at a hospital in Colombo.

“We are taking care of her medical bills and we are also offering to bring down any of her family members to be with her until she is able to travel back home,” Abeywardena said.

Sri Lanka has laid emphasis on tourism as a main area of growth in the island’s post ethnic conflict phase. Tourist arrivals have increased to over 800,000 this year from 650,000 in 2010.

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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