17 political detainees go on hunger-strike in two SL prisons

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 February 2016, 16:52 GMT]
Two Tamil political prisoners imprisoned at Anuradhapura prison and 15 political prisoners, including a woman, imprisoned at New Magazine prison in Colombo have launched fast-unto-death agitation from Anuradhapura and Magazine prisons. Two of those on huger-strike at Anuradhapura Prison, Sulaxan Mathiyarasan and Tharshan Ganesan, have been detained without valid charge-sheets. In the meantime, the mother of Sulaxan Mathiyarasan, when contacted by TamilNet, said the International Community should step in and get her son and others in his situation released from the Sri Lankan prisons.



Sulaxan has been detained for more than 7 years in New Magazine and Anuradhapura prisons of genocidal Sri Lanka without proper charge sheets at the courts.

On Friday, Sulaxan Mathiyarasan, told journalists that he and fellow prisoners were shocked to learn the stand taken by the UN Human Rights Chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who went on record stating that the International Community was not in favour of the model of granting general amnesty to prisoners of war.

On Monday, his mother urged the IC to get her innocent son, languishing at the prison since 18 May 2009, released through exerting pressure on the SL State in Colombo.

There was a case filed against Sulaxan at the High Court in Vavuniyaa on 23 July 2013. But, the charge sheet was later withdrawn. However, the Tamil political prisoner, Mr Sulaxan was being detained despite there was no charge against him.

Some of those on hunger-strike at New Magazine prison have been detained within the last 2-3 years, news sources in Colombo said. The notorious ‘Terrorist’ Investigation Division run by the SL Defence Ministry under Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had alleged them of regrouping the LTTE.

The Tamil political prisoners have sent letters to the university student unions in Jaffna and Kandy informing them that their remains should be handed over to the medical faculties for education purposes if they succumb to death in their struggle.

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