The chief minister of the northern province, C V Wigneswaran, on Monday urged the Sri Lankan president, Maithripala Sirisena to ensure that Tamil detainees at Magazine prison who had launched a hunger strike demanding their release were not harmed by prison officials as has occurred routinely in the past.
In a letter to the president, Mr Wigneswaran said, "Tamil prisoners are staging a fast today to register their protest at their prolonged imprisonment. There is concern that the fast may be violently dealt with by prison officers, as has happened in the past."
"The problem is a human issue that should be dealt with compassion and empathy, given the number of years that these unfortunate human beings have been kept incarcerated without trial. I believe that if we could take steps to give those unfortunate persons the assurance that steps would be taken in respect of their cases within a specified period of time they would be satisfied."
See here for full letter.
In a letter to the president, Mr Wigneswaran said, "Tamil prisoners are staging a fast today to register their protest at their prolonged imprisonment. There is concern that the fast may be violently dealt with by prison officers, as has happened in the past."
"The problem is a human issue that should be dealt with compassion and empathy, given the number of years that these unfortunate human beings have been kept incarcerated without trial. I believe that if we could take steps to give those unfortunate persons the assurance that steps would be taken in respect of their cases within a specified period of time they would be satisfied."
See here for full letter.