Political detainees to begin protest fast

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 June 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Forty-seven Tamil political prisoners held at the Kalutura prison, 43 km south of capital Colombo, have warned that they will begin a fast unto death from Tuesday, June 23, demanding that the authorities either begin legal proceedings against them or release them.

The detainees are reported to have sent requests to the diplomatic missions of India, Briton, USA, Canada, France, Switzerland, Australia, Germany and Italy in Colombo urging them to secure their release.

In the message they have also requested the diplomatic missions to put pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to find a political solution to the burning issue of the island, the ongoing war.

The detains have also sent an appeal to the President Mrs. Chandrika Kumarathunge, the Minister of Justice and Constitutional affairs, Prof. G.L.Peiris, the Leader of the main Opposition Party, Ranil Wickramasinghe, the Human Rights Commission, the Attorney General, the ICRC, the UNHCR envoy in Colombo, and Tamil and Muslim Political parties.

Meanwhile the People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE) said today that they are planning to organise token fasts in Jaffna, Mannar, Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts.

The fast is arranged in support of the Kalutura detainees and to protest that the assurance made by the Sri Lankan President, to the representatives of the Missing Persons Guardian Association, regarding the disappearances in the Jaffna peninsula has not materialised, said Mr. Manikathasan, PLOTE's second in command and the group's military wing leader.

He said that a token fast is planned on June 26, at Nallur Kandaswamy temple premises in Jaffna.

Mr. P. Chandrasekeran, Deputy Minister of Estate Housing and the leader of the People's Front of Hill-country Tamils has appealed the Sri Lanakn Prsident to interfere and to take measures to release the Kalutura detainees.

He said in his appeal that the upcountry youths are being arbitrarily arrested following information based only on reports from the military intelegence.

Details of the detainees are following:

1. Thambaiah Srikantha, 37, Nuwara Eliya, served as police officer at

Mulivaaikaal,, Mulaitheevu, detained since May 12 1997

2. Gobalapilaai Balachanthiran, 38, Organiser, People's Front of Hill-country Tamils, Nuwara Eliya

3. Kanthaiah Paramasamy, 44, Aariampathy, father of 5 children.

4. Yogarajah Paramasamy, 17, Kanthaiah Paramasamy's son

5. Aanantham Antony, 19, Kallady

6. Thambirasa Anantham, father of Anantham Antony

7. P.K. Samy Kengatharan, 28, Nuwara Eliya, Justice of Peace (JP) and

an astrologer

8. Ahamed Kunju Vahabdeen, 29, Anuradhappura

9. Kanthaiah Aloysius, Puttalam, photographer

10. Samythamby Vijeyakumar, 31, Ampara, served as a police officer at

Nuwara Eliya

11. Thiakarajah Sivabalan, 27, Nelliyadi, Jaffna

12. Manikam Suthakaran, 28, Puthur North, Chavakachcheri

13. Theiventhiram Sujeevan, 19, Dutch Road, Chavakachcheri

14. Mylvaganam Tharmalingam, Kanakarayan Kulam

15. Velu Kanakaratnam, 24, Nedunkerny

16. Kalimuththu Rajeshkanna, 23, Badula

17. Mayandi Ramalingam, 43, fisherman from Tamil Nadu, India

18. Aathavan Mankam, 59, fisherman from Tamil Nadu, India

19. Kasinathar Vimalrasasingam, 40, Nuwara Eliya

20. Kulanthaivel Suntharalingam, 40, Aaraiyampathy, Batticaloa

21. Narayanan Ravichanthiran, Batticaloa

22. Aarumukam Palanivel, Batticaloa

23. Navaratnam Gowrithas, Batticaloa

24. Kanthasamy Pirabakaran, Batticaloa

25. Sithamparapillai Sutharshan, Batticaloa

26. Velupilai Baskaran, Batticaloa

27. Rasarathinam Jeyapathan, Batticaloa

28. Ponnuthurai Suthakaran, Batticaloa

29. Iyathurai Inkaran, Batticaloa

30. Rasenthiram Theiventhiram, Batticaloa

31. Velmurugu Rajamohan, Batticaloa

32. Rasarathinam Sureshkumar, Batticaloa

33. Murukupillai Pathmanathan, Batticaloa

34. Varathan Sri, Batticaloa

35. Saravanamuthu Kathiravan, Batticaloa

36. Sivalingam Sivakumar, Batticaloa

37. Sinnathamby Ranjon, Batticaloa

38. Vaithilingam Jegan, Batticaloa

39. Sivakuru Thiyakarasa, Batticaloa

40. Tharmarasa Sooriyakumar, Batticaloa

41. Sownthiran Thevaras, Batticaloa

42. Santhirasekaram Susilan, Batticaloa

43. Thiyakarasa Sellathambi, Batticaloa

44. Thiruchelvam Jegatheeswaran, Batticaloa

45. Rajenthiram Thayanantham, Batticaloa

46. Ponampalam Sunthirampillai, Batticaloa

47. Iyampillai Yoganathan, Batticaloa

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