SL Tamil detainees on hunger strike in Tamil Nadu

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 August 2007, 17:48 GMT]
Two Sri Lankan Tamil detainees, on hunger strike from Tuesday in Chenkalpet Special Detention Centre (CSDC), are loosing consciousness, and were admitted to Chenkalpet government hospital Friday, sources in Chenkalpet said. 17 detainees in CSDC for Sri Lankan Tamils are on a hunger strike demanding release since Tuesday.

Local officials turned down detainees' request to meet higher government authorities to convey their grievances, and the hunger strike continues.

The two detainees admitted to Chenkalpet hospital are identified as Amuthasagar, 30 and Mohamed Ismail, 35.

The seventeen detainees are led by Chenthil and Ramana in the hunger strike.

The detainees, demanding release from CSDC, did not give up their strike when requested to do so by government officials in Chenkalpet but insisted either the District Collector or the Tamil Nadu government Interior Secretary or the District Magistrate should listen to their grievances in person.

Thirty-nine Sri Lankan Tamils are detained at CSDC on various charges including illegal entry into India by sea.

CSDC is located near the Chenkalpet old bus terminal.

More than 20,000 Sri Lankan Tamils, risking their lives on the perilous voyage across the Palk Strait by boat, have been detained in various Detention Centres in Tamil Nadu, South India, since January 2006 up to this month.

The detained Sri Lankan Tamils had sought refugee in Tamil Nadu to escape death by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the SLA-backed paramilitaries, sources in Chenkalpet said.