Leader of the Opposition and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) R. Sampanthan has called on the Government to release the Tamil prisoners who continue to be in custody under the Prevention of the Terrorism Act (PTA).
Leader of the TNA R. Sampanthan
In an adjournment motion in Parliament today, Sampanthan said that even though it is seven years since the armed conflict came to an end, there is still no finality to the issue of these Tamil prisoners in custody, with some of these prisoners being in custody for long periods. He noted that several of these prisoners who should have faced charges for much graver offences have not been brought before the law.
“It is compulsory that the Government states it’s position on this matter and takes action to release the said prisoners. Their continuance in custody causes immense harm and harassment to their families and impedes the process of reconciliation. The Government is seen as being insensitive to the genuine grievances of these prisoners,” Sampanthan said.
He added that the prisoners in custody genuinely complain that the treatment meted out to them is discriminatory and unequal. “They have thus been denied equal treatment under the law,” he said.
Ajith / August 23, 2016
We have heard our President, Prime Minister and Ministers making promises in many occassions to take action to release these prisoners. The false promises by them clearly shows that they are not prepared to release them because they are afraid of Buddhist Sinhala Fundamentalists. This is a simple illustration of how the Sinhala leadership cheat Tamils again and again. How many of you still have a confidence that this leadership will find a political solution to the ethnic problem and justice to those victims of war.
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Burt / August 24, 2016
“We have heard our President, Prime Minister and Ministers making promises in many occassions to take action to release these prisoners.”
These are all Sri Lankan politicians. If you believe what they say then I got a bridge to sell.
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Antany Peter / August 24, 2016
Agreed to disagree,
The government is reluctant to release those hardcore LTTE members, because Tamil leaders won’t guide those young Tamils in the right path. We all know what had happened at Jaffna University recently. Tamil leaders still follow the foreign powers even though they got nothing after fighting the Asia’s longest brutal civil war with the help of India and the West. Blame yourselves, don’t blame the government or the world. Until you start to acknowledge smart Tamils you meant to suffer. Sadly you don’t acknowledge your weakness; you have dirty determination which I never seen in other races. You always think you are right, and you would do anything to achieve your stupidity at any cost. You would even eliminate or isolate knowledgeable Tamils with the help of foreign powers to achieve your stupidity. You are the most dangerous race among the 21st century humanity.
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Burning Issue / August 24, 2016
Anthony Peter,
“You always think you are right, and you would do anything to achieve your stupidity at any cost.”
Just look in a mirror, you will see one who you lament!
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Antany Peter / August 25, 2016
I don’t assassinate leaders or isolate intellectuals. I have been enlighten Asians, especially the dragon. Only Sri Lankan Tamils have been ignoring me. I have a message for Tamils and their white masters. Keep on isolating me by your dirty propaganda; you would go down quickly than you anticipate. You never thought the world would come together to eliminate the LTTE, did you? But it did, because people like me. I wrote more than 150 country leaders about the brutal LTTE and its assassinations. During the last stage of war in may 2009 I was under extreme pressure to write against the government to stop the war, but I never wrote a word against the government.
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Burning Issue / August 25, 2016
Antany Peter,
“I wrote more than 150 country leaders about the brutal LTTE and its assassinations.”
How many of those leaders out of the 150 countries that wrote to were “white masters” category?
Have you looked in a mirror yet?
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Simon De Silva / August 25, 2016
Sorry the person call himself Anthony peter is blind, he cant see in a mirror. His thoughts added to CT forum are inconsistent. He himself proclaimed a lot about him, but his knowledge is no better to any Ranjiths, Maxes, Sumanasekaras or the Siripalas that have been hired to save the bums of the high criminals that took this country to this levels.
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Antany Peter / August 25, 2016
‘His thoughts added to CT forum are inconsistent’
Provide your evidence. Your useless talk is very cheap. Your cheap talk got nothing for Tamils and Sinhalese after 35 years of brutal war. By the way why don’t you reveal your Tamil name, if you are a Tamil; or Western name if you a Westerner? I don’t buy your Sinhala name, I am too smart for your BS.
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Ajith / August 26, 2016
“We all know what had happened at Jaffna University recently.”
Antany Peter,
We all know what happened at University of Peradeniya recently.Thuggerism is the hallmarks of Buddhist Sinhala Fundamentalism.Which part of the worldyou are you living? haven’t you heard Gotapaya saying US intelligence helped us to defeatLTTE. Don’t you know Indian army was directly involved in the awr. Don’t you know that China gave you chemical weapons and cluster bombs. Do you know that you perished 60000 poor Sinhalese in the South soils and 40000 in the North soils. It is laughable that lion born man talking about humanity.
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Waran / August 24, 2016
Ajith you are 100% correct. Tamils are chasing the mirage, First DS cheated the Minorities to achieve Independence. Then SWRD,Dudly,List goes on and on this National unity government has 2/3 majority speaks at time some sense on ethnic issues. Yet personally I have my doubts and have no faith in this President or PM. They came to power with the minorities, but afraid of few Sinhala populace controlled by MR &JO. This government have the ‘self claimed’ veneer, that this Government of Good governance- ‘Yahapalanaya’ . My B foot they think that they are Fooling the SL civil societies,the international community and even the UN. Soon their veneer is going to come off. They are a bunch of ‘Great dramatis personae’ of this 21st century. Poor Sampanthan is used as a drum being beaten on both sides, by Tamil people on one side on the other by this government’s bribe ‘Leader of the Opposition’. This post given to show the rest of the world that this government is egalitarian. But the truth is, Mr Sampanthan has only to shake his head and support them in all their sins.
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Jehan / August 23, 2016
Most of the Tamil prisoners were arrested without any evidence of wrong doing. Some of them rented their rooms to young adults who were later found to be involved with LTTE. Some were blamed by political opponents such as Douglas Devananda group.This kind of mass arrests were no different from Hitler’s agenda. The Sinhala-Buddhist government regularly releases serious criminals of their tribe from prison on the “independance day”. The innocent families including young children of these political prisoners have gone through untold suffering. No country has prospered by subjugating the religious and ethnic minorities.Too bad Lanka will find this after her painful lesson.
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Backlash / August 24, 2016
Jehan,
Is there a separate law for Wijeweera and his comrades and the Tamil
youth who similarly rose against the State? Some of Wijeweera’s JVP
friends became Ministers, Senior Ministers and even candidates to the hight post of P.M????
How long can the Sinhala majority Govt and people maintain this charade against a world keenly watching for decades the comedy in Sri Lanka going as the judicial process.
Backlash
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Native Vedda / August 25, 2016
Backlash
“Is there a separate law for Wijeweera and his comrades and the Tamil”
There isn’t much difference when it comes to torture and unlawful killing.
Both Rohana and Prabaharan surrendered to armed forces, both were tortured and brutally killed.
As long as people don’t vote on the basis of their principled position, and make uninformed choices, this is what happens in a sham democracy.
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Kettikaran / August 26, 2016
Jehan
It is a poorly kept joke even prisoners released on Independence Day and others get their release subject to much graft in the recent past. The communal factor plays a role here as well. Of course, there are exceptions to this but the norm is sickeningly so routine. What a web of deception we have woven for our entire society.
Kettikaran
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jim softy / August 24, 2016
Guanamo open even before 2009. Is guantanamo closed ?
Are those in Guantanamo caught in any subversive act or at least weariong a military uniform ?
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jim softy / August 24, 2016
Guantanamo opened even before 2009. Is guantanamo closed ?
Are those in Guantanamo caught in any subversive act or at least weariong a military uniform ?
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KA Sumanasekera / August 24, 2016
Yes.Yes,,,Yes.
What are you waiting for Batalanada Ranil,Mr Yahapalana PM?..
Will Mr Karu Jayasuriya, the one time UNP Sinhala Faction Leader demand , sorry at least beg Batalanada Ranil to release the Sinhala Prisoners .
The ones who liberated the Nation from Mr Sambandan’s Boys?
The great and brave Srilankan Military Intelligence Officers who are in Jail without any trail , since the Yahapalanay kicked in.
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Tamil from the north / August 26, 2016
Sumanaya the [Edited out], if your heroes from the JVP can partake in politics, then the Tamil LTTE suspects can be released as well. If one is arrested, then try in the court of law or shut up and release them. This way, they can come looking for you, Jim Shitty, ela kolla, and ilk and give a thundering beating to all of you on your [Edited out] .
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Sellam / August 24, 2016
Mr . Sambanthan
I am trying to remind you of Abraham Lincoln’s words. “You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time. But you cannot fool all the people all the time”.
It is not only my view, but the view of many that you have failed the Tamils miserably. You have not stopped the military from land grabbing, you have not got the Tamil political prisoners released, you are not going to get the required devolution of power to theTamils in the new constitution, you are not going to achieve the unification of North and East, you are not going to get the Geneva Resolution carried out to the satisfaction of the Tamils.
What you have done is to have raised the National flag which no other Tamil leaders have done and you also have attended the Independence Day celebrations which no other Tamil leaders have attended since Ceylon attained independence. Another dirty thing you have done to your nominee as Chief Minister is to set the government against him.
It would be pleasant for the Tamil people,if you resign from the parliamentary seat and give it to someone who would honestly serve the Tamil people ,for example Mr Wigneshwaran.
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jim softy / August 24, 2016
Sellam:
Ask Pabakaran to be a Genie next time in order to fulfill your wish-list.
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Tamil from the north / August 27, 2016
Jim Shit, I have asked VP to become a genie and find you.
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Backlash / August 24, 2016
Sellam,
I am one of the millions of Tamils in the country who will swear
senior leader Thiru Sampanthan avl “has not failed the Tamils” He has a difficult job in seeing the suffering youth (languishing in prisons and out) the helpless Tamil civilians and the quarrelling Tamil politicians under reasonable control while enabling the Sirisena-Ranil Govt to provide, in fits and starts as it were, urgent needs of the Tamil Nation. He has successfully negotiated with the UN, the Western World and countries close to Sri Lanka to move towards unity and reconciliation. He has won over India to his side and to that of the Tamil people here. He has won over Japan and China as well.
He clearly has difference of views with CM/NPC Vigneswaren. But let us admit, both are honourable gentlemen committed to get the best for Tamils against hostile Sinhala extremism and an army that does not want to lose its privileges staying, in undue large numbers, in the Tamil areas. In my view, he is the best to lead the Tamils out of the current impasse. Ranil has a personal agenda against Vigneswaren and does not care if the Tamil people suffer while he gives vent to his
personal hatred.
Tiru Sampanthan must try to cultivate a little more PR. He continues to be reticent and aloof from the ordinary people – an established shortcoming of an otherwise able and learned politician and senior parliamentarian.
Backlash
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Lanka watch / August 24, 2016
Mr. Sambanthan – we have heard this plea many a times,and has become a routine cry, since the formation of this govt.and instead of appealing through the media, why not have one on one with the President directly and solve the problem as there are no charges framed against them except that they were in wrong place at the wrong time.
What prevents TNA to have direct dialogue with the govt. baffles the
Tamil people as they voted the govt. to power.
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Saman Adikari / August 24, 2016
TNA is not national political and democratic party.
Well, TNA base on Tamil separatism by hook or crook for gain separatism regime in part of Island.
Such political Party an agenda of Tamil chauvinisms ever-never seek compromised politics of majority democracy in Island.
The TNA justified Tamil prisoners are not Terrorist, they are politics of democratic activities or their liberation fighters .
That is TNA line of politics, is not that democracy norms accepts by world civilized democratic countries & nations.
We cannot encourage Tamil Terrorism in Island or any other part of world.
We not encourage and promotion while export Terrorism to it her countries to undermined and destroy democratic civilization what TNA want do?
We not to export Tamil terrorism to world by TNA and LTTE want do!
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Giabao / August 24, 2016
Irony is that when there is growing pressure to release LTTE suspects, there is growing pressure to frame military persons for human rights violations, war crimes, etc. How could this lead to reconciliation ?
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Ajantha / August 24, 2016
Dont worry man your two half brothers Bodhi Sira and Mati Moala of SEA (RW) will do the needful
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thrishu / August 24, 2016
Any of these requirements of terrorists linked prisoners were met by the US. They claim that they follow the gold standard for prisoners’ HR. All other tamil citizens that want to live in peace and harmony have already reconciled, so whatever the missing bits of reconciliation may be in only Sampanthan’s political imagination.
One thing I agree on, if there is a charge and evidence bring it out, put the man in the courts an deal with him as per the law. That would be a cut above the US standard for HR, and should be done for the sake of humanity.
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lellamay malu mudalali. / August 24, 2016
He is the so called opposition leader but agitating for release of prisoners who are being held in custody for various crimes with regards to national security. has he done any study on consequences of that might disturb peace and national security of the country or just agitating for release of them to win sympathy of Tamil community specially sympathizers of LTTE .but he is the opposition leader. he must have control of those men after release to ensure that they will not take to same kind of practices again if sambandan request is a genuine one. I do not think so. I feel his intention is to have back up force in case his failure to win so called federalism demands.or have back up force to go further after wining his federal demands. it clearly reflect from the activities of his general like CM vignashwaran and his clan in NPC. sambandan fishing in trouble water.
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thondamannay / August 24, 2016
Sampanthan first need to answer for those destroyed lives & shattered dreams of all Our Tamil Youth & Children who were senselessly sacrificed.
Shamelessly demanding the release. That will not compensate your Guilt.
Sampanthan should be behind bars for life & should never be allowed to set foot 0n our Northern Soil.
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Manicka.Vasagar / August 25, 2016
This is what happens – his strategy was and is, vote now pay later, without any pre conditions or negotiations. It is shame of us to be fooled, fooled and cheated again and again.
Nambilkal, Nambikai, United, unitary indivisible Sri Lanka will only conclude with further suppression and subjugation with threat and fear, with their superiority of the Mahavamsa mindset.
It’s best our leadership honestly understand a home grown solution will never ever be possible, and call for the international community to help resolve our plight through a UN conducted referendum.
Be honest
Manicka Vasagar
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Kumarathasan Rasingam / August 26, 2016
Hon. Sampanthan should have known that Sri Lankan leaders are famous for making promises and doing nothing. It is now a well known fact. Even they are just fooling the UN by giving false promises.
Hon.Sampanthan Shouting in the parliament like a dying frog will not serve any purpose.
It is time for non-violent peaceful demonstrations and satayagraga will open the eyes of the world. Will he act now or wait till the last moment to find everything has gone beyond control.
Wake up Mr. Sampanthan
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