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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