Tamil prisoners in Vavuniyaa launch protest

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 May 2011, 21:26 GMT]
More than 200 prisoners and detainees, imprisoned in Vavuniyaa, have launched a fasting protest from Friday demanding the prison officers to transfer back four fellow inmates recently relocated to Anuradhapura prison. The protesting prisoners also demand to end physical harms against them and to stop harassing their relatives who come to visit them. A fasting inmate, 29-year-old Akilan, was wounded and admitted to Vavuniyaa hospital Saturday when the prison officers allegedly prompted a gang of prisoners to launch an attack on those who were fasting, according to the protesting Tamil prisoners.

The attack on the protesting prisoners has taken place after the prison officers invited four representatives of the protesting prisoners for ‘talks’ on Saturday, according to the Tamil prisoners who managed to alert media on what was going on inside the prison.

The prison authorities in Vavuniyaa prison refused to comment on the protest of Tamil prisoners.