Tamil political prisoners have announced their intention to fast unto death again unless they are granted amnesty.
Calling on the Sri Lankan president to secure their release before November 7th as promised in a letter, the prisoners said that unless a general amnesty was granted they would resume their hunger strike and refuse to call it off for any other reasons.
The prisoners are quoted in Ceylon Today as saying to their relatives,
"We shall launch another 'fast unto death' if the President fails to adhere to his promises, as mentioned in the letter, before 7 November. This is the only way we have chosen to find a solution to our burning problem. President Sirisena will be held accountable for our deaths during the hunger strike. President Sirisena will be responsible for our vital organs. He should take responsibility to donate our organs."
They have also called on the Tamil National Alliance and all Hindus to boycott the Deepavali festival.
Lawyers in Jaffna presented a unified front in a meeting with Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe on Tuesday, also calling for a general amnesty, instead of the Minister's proposals to release prisoners according to their alleged offences.