Fasting Tamil prisoners attacked in Colombo

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 October 2007, 12:01 GMT]
A prison guard and Sinhala prisoners have attacked a group of Tamil detainees in Colombo remand prison in Welikade, when they went to seek medical treatment for sore eyes Wednesday morning. 86 Tamil prisoners have started a fast-unto-death campaign from 6.00 a.m. Wednesday, demanding the visiting United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, to visit the Welikade prison, look into their plight and exert pressure on the Sri Lankan government to expedite their cases that have been postponed fortnightly and not been heard for more than a year.

The Tamil detainees were arrested in 15 different districts throughout the island by the Terrorism Investigation Division of the Police during the last two years.

The fasting detainees demand legal processing or release if there are no charges against them.

More than 50 Tamil political prisoners were massacred inside the Welikada prison in July 1983 by prison guards and fellow Sinhala prisoners.

Chronology: