Sri Lanka opposition man in self-immolation

• Source: Xinhua
• [13:40 July 27 2010]
• Comments

 60-year-old activist of Sri Lanka's main opposition United National Party (UNP) has died in self-immolation, party and medical officials said here Tuesday.

Rienzie Algama set himself in fire opposite the UNP headquarters at the Colombo suburbs of Pitakotte around 5:30 p.m. local time (1200 GMT) on Monday.

He was rushed to the local Kalubowila hospital with severe burn injuries and was later transferred to the General Hospital in the capital.

"He passed away around 1:30 a.m. (2000 GMT) this morning," Dr. Hector Weerasinghe of the General Hospital said.

Algama, a diehard UNP supporter from Weligama in the south was demanding that the UNP should not be allowed to be split as a result of the current reorganization of the party.

Since the party's crushing defeat in the April parliamentary election UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has been under fire to resign.

He appointed a six-member committee to recommend party reforms. Wickremesinghe has resisted a proposal to have elections to elect office bearers.