Tamil political prisoners have restarted a hunger strike demanding a general amnesty despite a government decision to release some of the inmates on bail conditions.
File photo
According to authorities at the Prisons department, the first batch of Tamil political prisoners numbering 30 will be released tomorrow.
Despite this fact, prisoners numbering around 200 are on a hunger strike again demanding an amnesty for all the inmates, a prisons official said.
Meanwhile opposition Leader R. Sampanthan said another 31 prisoners will be released on 20 November. But a firm decision on the fate of the rest of the prisoners has not been taken.
After a five day hunger strike last month the Tamil prisoners chose to suspend their fast after President Maithripala Sirisena assured to expedite the processing of their cases.
However later the government said it has decided not to grant a common amnesty to the Tamil prisoners but will expedite bail procedures for a section of the Tamil prisoners who are charged with minor offences.
According to Tamil political leaders, at least 300 Tamil political prisoners arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act are in jails across the island.
However, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe on several occasion has said that there are no political prisoners held in any of Sri Lanka’s prisons and some of the LTTE suspects held in the prisons currently are already serving sentences and others are awaiting court action. He said that all these suspects have charges against them relating to bombings and killings.
Amarasiri / November 10, 2015
RE: Tamil Political Prisoners Restart Hunger Strike
“Tamil political prisoners have restarted a hunger strike demanding a general amnesty despite a government decision to release some of the inmates on bail conditions.”
There should be No general amnesty. Each case should be decided on it’s own merit.
Why should the killers, rapists, mass murders etc be given amnesty?
Let the true political prisoners go. Keep the criminals, until they serve their required term for the crimes.
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Thiru / November 11, 2015
Sinhala Buddhist racist “Appe aanduwa” marauding as good governance:
These bigots of third world politicians will never learn what good governance means: They don’t have the intelligence or the integrity for that.
This is why most third world countries will never progress and become first world countries.
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cholan / November 12, 2015
@Amarasiri
RAPISTS..? MURDERS ?
Why the Murderpakse and his favorite security forces piss when they hear about inquiry ‘
Sri Lanka Sinhala Army …..gave a fake..borrowed…artificial victory and monkeys danced for free liquor.
Cheers
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chris subramaniam / November 10, 2015
Minister Wijedasa never said like that .He denied it already. Your news is factually wrong. Mr. Amara Siri Killers Rapists and Murderers are on your side.
The whole world knows about it.Please do not be ignorant.
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ela kolla / November 11, 2015
[Edited out]
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Tamil from the north / November 13, 2015
ela kolla, thanks for keeping it brief.
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justice / November 11, 2015
Each of these prisoners will/should have a file with information on why they were arrested.
The Minister of Justice should divulge this information to the relatives, even now, according to the law, so that they can prepare their defence with regard to the allegations, for an inquiry in a court of law.
But, this is not being done, and the relatives are in extreme distress.
It is the right of every citizen arrested, to know why he was arrested.
It is also the right of his immediate relatives.
This silence about reasons for their arrests, on the part of the Minister and Attorney General, makes citizens to suspect that there is no evidence against them.
The former Secretary of Defence, with whose sanction these were detained, should be required to state the reasons for the arrest in each individual case.
This is not apparently being done either.
Are we now having a “Nazi” type of regime, with all this hype about “Yahapalanaya” – “just governance”?
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Leonvet / November 12, 2015
This fellow Wijeyadasa Rajapdse is a crook who has lost all credibility. Earlier he said there were no political prisoners.
Charge those prisoners who have whatever crime they have committed.
Let there be transparency.
Publish the names of the prisoners and what offences they have committed. Then at least the families will know why they are being held.
MS if you make a decision stick to it. That shows leadership and character.
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rohan j / November 12, 2015
The cursed war finished more than 5 years ago.
The Tamil prisoners are held under a Draconian act and have not been brought before court either to be found guilty of the crimes committed or to be acquitted of the trumped up charges.
Did the JRJ government not grant an amnesty to all the JVP cadres who were incarcerated after being found guilty for crimes against the state.
Why do most of the sinhala people still mentally affected by the antics of the late VP and due to this fear they are still attempting to still walkover the hapless Tamil masses.
In conclusion I state either charge them or release them.
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