“Remove fishing ban , release PTA suspects" -TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 February 2002, 15:51 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance ( TNA ) Sunday appealed to President Chandrika Kumaratunge to exercise her wide power to release all Tamil political prisoners who have been detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA ) under the general amnesty. The TNA further appealed to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe to take urgent steps to remove fishing ban in Jaffna district.

"I bring to your notice that thousands of Tamil youths are languishing in jails in several parts of the country. All of them were arrested and detained during the People’s Alliance government under the PTA. There is no evidence against majority of the Tamil political prisoners" said Mr.M.Sivasithambaram, TNA National List parliamentarian and the President of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) which is the main constituent of the TNA in a letter to the President.

Mr.Sivasithambaram made this appeal to the President on the eve of 54th Independence Day celebration of the country scheduled to be celebrated on Tuesday ( February 4 ).

"We welcome your decision to grant amnesty to 2,500 prisoners serving jail sentences for minor offences in connection with the Independence Day celebrations," Mr.Sivasithambaram in his letter said.

Meanwhile Mr.Sivasithambaram in a separate letter Sunday appealed to Prime Minister Mr.Ranil Wickremasinghe for urgent action in regard to the protest demonstration by Jaffna district fishermen which entered fifth day in front of the Jaffna District Secretariat. The Jaffna District Fishermen's Co-operative Federation has organised this demonstration demanding the immediate withdrawal of ban on fishing in sea. Thousands of fishermen demonstrate in front of Jaffna secretariat since Wednesday paralyzing its activities

Fisheries sources said that the protest demonstration would be extended to the offices of all Divisional Secretariats in the peninsula from Tuesday- blocking Independence Day celebrations being conducted by the civilian authorities.