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Tamil political prisoners denounce compromise, intensify hunger strike

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 March 2016, 08:23 GMT]
Fourteen Tamil prisoners, who have been on a hunger strike inside the New Magazine prison for 15 days till Tuesday have vowed not to drop their demand of dignified release of all Tamil political prisoners from the Sri Lankan jails. On Monday, the 10 prisoners on hunger strike at Welikade prison and the remaining four admitted to hospital, vowed to continue their hunger strike refusing medical treatment anymore. Meanwhile, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians were urging the prisoners to drop their struggle giving false based on the promises from SL Minister of ‘Prison Reforms’ DM Swaminathan, who was working on a draft motion to be presented to SL Parliament on Tuesday. However, the prisoners have responded stating that they will not abandon their struggle with empty promises. They want to see actions based on a principled decision of releasing all political prisoners.



All the political prisoners should be released before the traditional New Year in April, the prisoners on hunger strike have demanded.

One of the 14 prisoners on hunger strike is a woman. On Sunday, she refused to take medical treatment as the prisoners have jointly decided to intensify their hunger strike.

In the meantime, the families of Tamil Prisoners of War who are languishing in the jails of genocidal Sri Lanka, resolved on Monday to expand their hunger strikes supporting the demands of 14 Tamil political prisoners.

Mannaar Citizens’ Committee, the families waging struggle to resettle in their occupied lands and the families of missing people were taking part in the hunger strike supporting the demands of Tamil prisoners of war and the political prisoners.

Tamil university students in Jaffna were also preparing to wage protests supporting the families of the political prisoners.

The families were on a hunger strike from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in front of Muniyappar temple in Jaffna on Monday.

TNA councillors from Northern Province and Tamil National Peoples Front politicians also took part in the hunger strike.

Komakan and Subas, the two Tamil prisoners recently released from New Magazine also took part in the protest.

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