The fast initiated by a group of Tamil prisoners against the imprisonment of people on political grounds has been temporarily halted, based on a promise made by Jeewan Thyagarajah, Governor of the Northern Province, days after the recurred allegations of human rights abuses levelled against Sri Lanka at the 51st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland found its way on to spotlight, LNW learned.
Thirteen inmates of the Colombo Magazine Prison commenced this fast on September 06, and on its sixth day, six inmates were admitted to the Prison Hospital due to their critical health condition as a result of contribution.
Endorsing the struggle against political imprisonment, their relatives of the North on September 16 initiated another fast in front of the Office of the Governor of the Northern Province, demanding his immediate intervention on the matter.
Following the pressure exerted by the relatives, Governor Thyagarajah met and held talks with the prisoners, who initiated the original fast at the Magazine Prison, on September 17, and promised that he will make an intervention for their release as soon as possible. Accordingly, the fasts initiated by the prisoners and their relatives have been temporarily halted.
President Wickremesinghe made a promise to politicians in the North that he will release 46 Tamil political prisoners who have been arrested and detained for a very long time under the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), but the political parties and other civil movements of the North are of the view that it is still a deception, whilst the international community led by world powers continues to exert pressure on Sri Lanka demanding justice.
MIAP
