The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has welcomed the government’s decision to release 23 political prisoners through the rehabilitation process.
R. Sampanthan
In a statement issued today, TNA said that the decision announced by the government is in keeping with a pledge during a meeting held on August 26, 2016 between TNA Leader R. Sampanthan, MP M. A. Sumanthiran and Minister of Justice Wijayadasa Rajapakshe, Minister of Law and Order Sagala Rathnayaka, the Attorney General and other High Officials at Temple Trees.
“We urge the government to continue this process of re-evaluation and release the rest of the political prisoners also without delay,” the TNA said in the statement.
In 2015, the TNA said that there was over 200 prisoners who have been accused of engaging in terrorist activities and held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. These prisoners have been in jails for varying periods ranging from five years to 15 years.
KA Sumanasekera / September 23, 2016
May God bless Sagala, Wijedasa and Attorney General for this meritorious act of releasing these poor innocent Tamil people from Yhapalana Prison.
Wonder whether Batalanada Ranil, the Yahapalana PM show the same compassion for the families of the Army Intelligence Officers, who have been locked up since the Yahapalanaya kicked in, and release them to celebrate the Holy Season and the Christian New Year with their loved ones..
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AJ / September 23, 2016
I think If the army is held in the prison without a charge for 15 years, they should either charge them. Or release them if there is no grounds for a charge
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De Silva / September 23, 2016
I don’t know why the govt makes concession after concession! The leverage Mahinda Rajapaske built up has all been spirited away for nothing.
These Tamils now have no incentive to accept a what is decided by the Parliament and the people. They will take everything then run around as they did before without closing the chapter.
So this is an excerpt from TNA Suminathan,
What the govt should have done is prepared complete package and only give the concessions in exchange for a finality.
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Tamil from the north / September 23, 2016
De Silva, can you please ‘clearly’ explain what Parayapaksa built up besides his shady bank accounts?
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vis8 / September 26, 2016
Parayakaran built up brainwashed terrorists. Are you afraid to come to the South to see what Rajapaksa did? What a loser you are!
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Native Vedda / September 27, 2016
vis8
“Parayakaran built up brainwashed terrorists”
When LTTE was fighting alien Army, stirred and shaken by the IPKF MR was hiding behind JVP, patriotism, …… sovereignty, …. or his women folks like the Sri Lankan armed forces.
“Are you afraid to come to the South to see what Rajapaksa did?”
Why didn’t he go to the North to fight Indian armed forces?
He also flew to Geneva.
Was he not a coward.
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B S Perera / September 23, 2016
They may release them. But using the word “Political” for terrorism is wrong and creates a pad precedent. Duminda Silva and many in prisons can be PPs under this interpretation
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AJ / September 23, 2016
You are absolutely correct. I agree with you. But if they are terrorist, why were they not charged for terrorism ? Why were they kept in the jail for 15 years , without any charge.
If there is evidence that they are terrorist, they should be charged and presented to court. Then the judge will decide whether they are terrorist or not, in accordance with the law. The judge will decide the punishment for the crime. Without ‘terrorism’ conviction, at least a charge, how can we say one is a terrorist. Spending 15 years in jail per se is a punishment – but in this case without charge or conviction.
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Tamil from the north / September 26, 2016
B S Perera, murder and drug peddling is not political revenge. It is criminal. So, there is no other interpretation on this Duminda matter. On the other hand, these folks were arrested for terrorism related allegations. In a free democratic country you need to give them a fair trial, if you cannot provide that, then you need to release them from prison. You cannot arbitrarily arrest people and call that terrorism. If you have enough evidence, then charge them and try them in the court of law. Somawansa Amerasekera murdered our beloved Vijaya Kumaratunge, Weerawansa pillaged the country and was part of JVP……….they were allowed to be free, why?
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K.Pillai / September 23, 2016
The release of the political prisoners and the US visit of MS is not a coincidence. Using political prisoners to accumulate international community popularity Brownie points is unbecoming
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senthil / September 23, 2016
Woe, great achievement after seven years. Government release few innocent people on their own timetable and this man takes credit. Sir, how long it will take for the rest – is it before they reach 90 years or bit earlier. Every one have to answer to God one day.
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R. Varathan / September 23, 2016
Despite its strange composition Sirisena-Ranil-Mangala-CBK Yahapaalana
team can be expected to move towards unity and reconciliation, albeit, slowly but reluctantly. The UN and its subtle ultimatums are working as well. Extreme Sinhala nationalism, the desperate and politically bankrupt Rajapakses, sections of the politicised armed forces-Police and the politically-inclined Buddhist priests continue to poison the Sinhala electorate with the false bogey of Separatism, the Tiger residue, the imagined fear of India/Tamilnadu – to all of which the Sinhala electorate is readily vulnerable.
R. Varathan
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Mallaiyuran / September 23, 2016
Alms to the begging bowl!
Rest of the prisoners?
I want some more sir! US president, UNSG, UNHRC High Commissioner, TNA and others have to ask in the coming UN(72st) meeting.
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jim softy / September 23, 2016
Those black tigers, killed innocents and suicide bombers blowing up politicians carryed cyanide capsules around their necks now are political prisoners, don’t like the jail and want freedom.
Only the military personnel wiped out these scum are in the jail.
Why did Sri lankan voters vote this yahapalana govt.
This include 46 buddhist monks jailed too.
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AJ / September 23, 2016
If there was evidence that those prisoners are ‘black Tigers’ why were they not charged for terrorism for the 15 years???? Stop hallucinating. If you have evidence those prisoners killed innocent civilians, why don’t you share it with the CID to bring a charge against them ??? A true patriot will share the evidence with the CID, not hide behind the computer, smoke a joint, hallucinate and complain about democracy that Sri Lankans voted for Srisena.
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jim softy / September 24, 2016
If the black tigers and suicide bombers are innocent why don’t they prove it ?
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Delaware / September 24, 2016
The burden of proof lies with the prosecution not by the accused in Sri Lanka and many other countries. For example,the state didnt arrest Gotha and say ‘well now you proof that you are not a fraud’. See everyday you are learning something. One day you can post intelligint comments like others
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AJ / September 24, 2016
I never said the Tigers are innocent. I said if you have evidence that those prisoners are Tigers, why dont you share it With the CID. If the prosecution had evidence that they are tigers, why dont they charge them. You are confusing with ‘tigers’ and ‘prisoners’. Also you are confusing with ‘arrest’ and ‘guilty’. just reflect on these differences PLEASE before posting something else
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AJ / September 23, 2016
There are 46 Budhist monks in jail WITHOUT charge for 15 years ???? I don’t think you know the difference between : arrest, charge, prosecution, conviction and punishment. If you do you wouldn’t be verbally commuting again. You must have had a good KG today.
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AJ / September 23, 2016
http://www.ceylontoday.lk/print20160701CT20161030.php?id=4119
81 Budhist Monks are in jail between 2015 and 2016. This is ONE year, not 15 years. And ALL of the monks have been charged. Charges include: abuse, and digging for treasure. May be these monks misunderstood the teachings of Lord Budha: they must have thought only way to reach nirvana to abuse others and collect treasures.
The bottom line is ALL the monks have been charged immediately and the political prisoners in question are not charged for 15 years. Don’t blame Sri Sena for not charging them. They were arrested by the former state terrorist (and a thief)
By the way, next time know the facts before typing bullshit from the computers in the Mattala International Paddy Storage.
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Saro / September 23, 2016
The political prisoners are held on the accusation that they belonged to LTTE. The AG Office could not find any reason or charges to prosecute them in the courts. Holding them in custody for being a members of LTTE cannot be justified in a democratic society. Further, the former government itself claimed many children were forcibly recruited as soldiers to LTTE. How can the membership of LTTE be a crime ?
Some, even in this forum, hold preconceived views against those in custody and holding and expressing such views are criminal office in many civilised countries. Some had been held for more than two decades depriving their freedom and work resulting in denying livelihood to them and their dependents.
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Sellam / September 23, 2016
Mr.Sambanthan
You don’t take much credit in the release of 23 political prisoners. Only god knows whether they will be released in full form. The government has an agenda on its own irrespective of what you say. You are satisfied with the position of an irrelevant opposition leadership. All these political prisoners were imprisoned during Rajapaksa’s government. When this government was elected the first and foremost thing should have been to release these political prisoners.
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justice / September 24, 2016
The government had no other option other than to release them because there was no provable case against them.
This also why foreign judges and prosecutors are demanded by UN to try those suspected of war crimes.
http://www.tamilguardian.com/content/un-working-group-calls-international-judges-sri-lanka
Those who are not guilty need not worry about appearing before such courts.
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Mallaiyuran / September 24, 2016
After 1961, Tamil Makkal Peravai is organising Tamils’ first protest- uprising. 1961 clearly told SJV the SINHALAISATION here to stay, not to go anywhere.
“kaNNizhandha manidhar munnE Oviyam vaiththaar iru
kaadhillaadha manidhar munnE paatalisaiththaar paatalisaiththaar”. An attempt was made in 1961 to tell a race which claims it has SinhaLE with nonviolence.
One those days 1000 and 1000 trained volunteers were wounded by the police brutality. People’s representative like Naganathan, Amirthalingam, Ahamparam were man handled. Satyagraha was failure. That what led to armed struggle. By suppressing the humanistic expression by wildlife brutality, the Sinhala Goverment thought it has won Tamils. But When Sirimavo Bandaranayake was dying, she did know Tamil were not won, but she was won by another doubly stronger Chauvinist JR.
The most sincere man on the earth SJV, a parallel has not yet been seen, was heart broken after the 1961 Styakiraga failure. This was the lesson in latter days he said only God can save Tamils.
The real beast, modern Hitler, who was named as a war criminal in the OISL report that was suppressed by UNHRC HC Prince Zeid, The Old King thought Tamils had been finished and their story is over for ever.
Saturday they are expected to raise up again.
The Yahapalanaya promises given to TNA during the 2015 election campaign is gone. UNHRC’s 2015 September resolution to investigate the war crime with Foreign Judges and Lawyers is gone. PTA, 6th Amendment.. all are well and alive. The prisoners are not released. Lands are not released. Army not withdrawn. No constitutional amendment is coming forth. Sinhala leadership depended on Dayan Jayathilaka, Izeth Hussain, Madinhapala like third grade pundits to falsify the records and pump up racial tension to up keep Old King grisly image to instill fear in Tamils mind to make then lent and bend. Old King will be seeing what Sirimavo saw while dying. Tamils upraising saturday will be the repeat of the history of 1961. As long as the Sinhala oppression not going anywhere but to stay here, The Phenix bird is bound to come back from the ashes. Tamil are giving assurance to the Sinhala Leadership, As long they are calling for trouble, Tamils have to accept that invitation.
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Senthil / September 25, 2016
This man’s right hand Sumanthiran’s opinion about CV is rubbish. We have to respect others but should not say yes to everything, even if that person tell ask is it right to kill you – that is not respecting but the word for that is stupidity. If you mention any mistake, that is not disturbing. Last 60 years we did not disturb any one but what happened – others ride on our back. Crying child only get milk may be occasionally get beating but if you are hungry you have to cry not expect others to cry for you. Sir please you both take the back seat and allow other talented people to go to the front.
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