ICRC visits POWs on hunger strike

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 February 2000, 18:48 GMT]
Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Mallavi in the Vanni, visited the 15 government troops in the custody of the Liberation Tigers who have begun a hunger strike, the Voice of Tigers (VoT) radio said today.

The radio said the condition of one of the POWs, Herath Mudiyansale Senaka Ranbanda, 27, of Medirigiriya has become bad, with his kidney affected.

According to the radio, the 15 POWs began a hunger strike on 10 February, urging the Sri Lankan Government to secure their release. The radio said the soldiers were fasting at Puthukudiyiruppu in the Mullaithivu district, and a doctor was with them to provide medical care.

Meanwhile, the radio said that 3 Liberation Tigers were killed in two separate incidents on Sunday and Monday.

Lt. Col. Puvitha (Nadesu Nirmaladevi of Pooneryn) died on Sunday in a confrontation with the Sri Lanka Army, while 2nd Lt. Kayalsolan (Sivanathan Anandan of Trincomalee) and Nathiyarasan (Ratnam Inbaraj of Jaffna) were killed in an accidental explosion today.

Related Articles:
13.02.00   15 LTTE held POWs on hunger strike