A Tamil political prisoner in Colombo has undertaken a hunger strike to demand the release of political prisoners.

T Prabhakaran, who is being held in the Welikada prison, started a fast unto death on Wednesday.

Explaining his protest in an appeal to political leaders, human rights activists and religious leader, Prabhakaran wrote that despite many hunger strikes having taken place in the past and the government offering many promises, none of these have been fulfilled.

In the letter, Prabhakran outlined that in June 2012, Special Commissioner Gamini Kulatunge obtained signatures from all the prisoners on blank consent forms, claiming that they were for a government scheme to release prisoners after at least a year of rehabilitation. After eight months, the prisoners have had no updates or progress on this front.

In May 2012, Parliament’s Leader of the House, Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva, told TNA’s Sampanthan that various special courts would be set up across the country to hold trials for the prisoners, a statement that was reiterated several times by the Minister of Justice. However no such courts have been set up to date.

Prabhakaran declared that he would not end his fast until all political prisoners, including himself, were released to live freely with their families.