News
Detainees call off fast; Govt. assures speedy solution
The Government yesterday gave an assurance that at least 60 of the fasting Tamil detainees would be released by early November if no charges were framed against them by then. The 201 detainees who refer to themselves as political prisoners called off their week-long hunger strike yesterday after assurance was given that pending cases against the others would be expedited.
Many have been in prison for 10 to 15 years, some without trial.
Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told the Sunday Times that among the fasting detainees were 60 convicted persons and there were ongoing trials against several others. There were 60 detainees against whom charges were yet to be framed and they were likely to be released by November 7.
President Maithripala Sirisena also has assured Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan that detainees’ cases would be reviewed separately and ten state counsel had been assigned for this. All these detainees are facing charges under the Prevention of Terrorism Act.
Prisons Commissioner General R. Pushpakumara said he had spoken to the prisoners and assured them that the matter had been brought to the notice of President Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and Justice Minister Rajapakshe.
Mr. Sampanthan visited the Welikada Prison yesterday morning along with Justice Ministry Secretary Padmasiri Jayamanne to hold talks on the prisoners issue with Commissioner Pushpakumara.
Later Mr. Sampanthan accompanied by TNA parliamentarians M.A. Sumanthiran and Selvam Addikalanathan spoke to the fasting prisoners. As a symbolic gesture, they offered them orange juice to break the fast and assured them of a quick solution to their problem.
Mr. Pushpakumara said he had informed all the other prisons where the detainees were on a fast to convey the message that the fast had been called off in Colombo and they too should follow suit.