87 Welikada Tamil prisoners on hunger strike

[TamilNet, Sunday, 15 November 2009, 10:24 GMT]
Eighty-seven Tamil political prisoners began a hunger strike protest from Saturday morning demanding guarantee for their lives and to strengthen the security for them following the attack on fellow Tamil prisoners Friday by Sinhalese prisoners in the presence of prison officials, sources in Colombo said. Seven of the Tamil prisoners attacked are admitted in the prison hospital. The fasting Tamil prisoners sent a memorandum to relevant authorities requesting release on bail or to prosecute them in court and to hold an impartial inquiry into the Friday incident of attack on Tamil political prisoners, the sources added.

The memorandum requests the transfer of Tamil political prisoners to the prisons in their own areas.

The memorandum also describes how the Tamil political prisoners are treated inhumanly by the Sinhalese prisoners and Sinhalese prison officials.

It said that a fight began between the prison officials and Tamil political prisoners when the officials went to take the Tamil political prisoners for counting.

Meanwhile, Deputy Justice Minister Puthisikamany claimed that no such incident had taken place and that action will be taken if the Tamil prisoners or their relatives submit a signed statement.