Tamil National People’s Front MP Selvarajah Kajendren renewed calls for the immediate release of Tamil political prisoners, noting how some continue to have new charges laid out against them under the much-criticised Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
“The political prisoners who are in the New Magazine Prison have been there for over 15 years. They are all undergoing mental agony, stress, and depression. They should be released immediately,” he told reporters after visiting the prisoners.
“I met with them and spoke to them, they told me that no measures were being taken to secure their release adding that new cases are being filed to keep them behind bars.”
Kajendren also referred to the PTA adding that the international community has expressed their concerns that this draconian law should be repealed. Instead, dubious cases continued to be filed under this piece of legislation. “A new case was registered against Krupakaran last week, even though he has served more than 15 years behind bars.”
The parliamentarian said that Krupakaran was arrested when he was 19 and is yet to be released despite the completion of two sentences. “We demand that all of them should be released immediately,” he added.
Earlier this year, one of the Tamil political prisoners was attacked by a former Sri Lankan army officer in Welikada prison. “At the time of the assault, the officer lamented how soldiers had died in the war to which he had been a witness. This is an act of vengeance that should not have happened. Parthiban has already served 28 years in prison and the least the government can do is ensure they are not dealt with in this manner.”
The Tamil prisoner assaulted in the attack, Parthiban, was detained over his reported involvement in the Colombo Central Bank bombing in 1996.
According to a report published in People's Dispatch, Counter-Currents estimates over 200 Tamil political prisoners are incarcerated in different prisons and detention centres in Sri Lanka.
