Hartal in North for fasting Tamil PTA prisoners

A hartal campaign expressing solidarity with ongoing hunger strike of three Tamil prisoners is currently underway in North disrupting normalcy in the region. Schools, business institutions and shops remain closed today.

Earlier Civil societies and trade unions called for a hartal campaign in view of extending support to the hunger strike of three prisoners detained under Prevention Terrorism Act (PTA) over years. 

The organizers alleged that the three detainees have been in custody for years with alleged false charges filed by the Attorney General (AG) department.

Three detainees have been on a huger strike over two weeks against AG department decision to transfer their cases to Anuradhapura courts from Vavuniya. They claimed the charges are framed.  

A civil society led protest was staged in front of Northern Governor’s Secretariat to release the detained prisoners in custody without any further delay. Traffic along A9 road was also disrupted for two hours as protesters sat across the main street. 

Pix by N.Lohathayalan