Relatives and civil society activists have called on the Sri Lankan government to release Tamil political prisoners, some of whom have been held long after completing their sentences. They claim that the continued detention in squalid conditions is a deliberate act by Sri Lankan authorities to suppress Tamils and deny them the right to live in dignity.
Murliyar Komagan, a representative of a community organization advocating for prisoners, noted that Sri Lanka marked 'Prisoners' Day' by releasing nearly 350 inmates today, but continues to detain Tamil political prisoners who have already been cleared for release by the courts.
"In a facility designed for 13,000 prisoners, there are 24,000, sharing meagre resources, including food and space, and living in squalor, far from their families and loved ones," he said at a media briefing held at the Jaffna Press Club. "This country claims to be compassionate, to stand for solidarity and virtues, yet it fails to pardon or show humanity to prisoners who have already served their time."
Komagan added that Sinhalese politicians repeatedly mislead the Tamil people, promising better living conditions only to retain the weakest and most vulnerable prisoners. "We wonder if this has been done intentionally for the past 30 years, as we can find no other explanation for why these individuals are not being released to their families and society."
Meanwhile, the sister of Wigneswaran, another Tamil political prisoners, made an emotional plea, expressing her family’s exhaustion after nearly three decades of visiting her brother. "In a few weeks, it will be 30 years that he has been behind bars. What kind of life is it, having spent 30 years in a cell?" she said. "I took my child to see him, but we cannot keep doing this. We are tired of having to visit the prison for the last 29 years. We just want him home, where he belongs, with his family."
She recounted visiting him on Saturday, hoping he would be among those released, but to no avail. Clasping her hands together, she pleaded for his return, noting that he had already completed his full sentence.
According to the prisons spokesperson, 350 prisoners who were serving sentences for minor offenses were released on state pardon by Sri Lanka's President to mark 'Prisoners' Day' today.
Earlier this year, another Tamil political prisoner, Parthiban, was attacked by a former Sri Lankan army officer in Welikada Prison. "During the assault, the officer lamented the soldiers who had died in the war, to which Parthiban had been a witness. This was an act of vengeance that should never have occurred. Parthiban has already served 28 years in prison, and the least the government can do is ensure he is treated humanely."
Parthiban was detained in connection with the 1996 Colombo Central Bank bombing. According to a report by People's Dispatch, Counter-Currents estimates that over 200 Tamil political prisoners are currently incarcerated in various prisons and detention centers across Sri Lanka. The true figure remains unknown.
