The leader of the Tamil National Alliance R Sampanthan is facing controversy over his 'disrespectful' treatment of two former political prisoners during a meeting in which he accused them of disrupting processes in getting them released.
Video footage shows Mr Sampanthan flicking through a newspaper while the two Tamil men speak about the plight of remaining political prisoners.
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The former prisoners, Komahan Murugiah and Jeneevan Sivarasa can be seen telling Mr Sampanthan that they have not come to meet him for personal reasons, but that they were asked to meet him by the remaining Tamil political prisoners, while the TNA leader leafs through his paper.
Mr Sampanthan, barely lifting his eyes off the paper, then tells the men that the release of the political prisoners is an important issue for the Tamil people.
When the men tell the opposition leader that they expected him to come for their help, he responds saying that he isn't god and that the keys [to the prison cells] are not in his hand.
The men go on to tell him that they only stopped the hunger strike due to his firm assurances, with Mr Sampanthan responding that he can't tell them anything right now, asking them to return in two weeks.
See the video of the meeting: