Relations of Tamil political prisoners request Tamil parties to work together on political prisoners issues like in the Kalmunai issue.
In the statement released by the Relations of Tamil political prisoners, it is said, Last week, 10 parliamentarians from Tamil National Political Parties held talks with Minister Chamal Rajapaksa on the Kalmunai North Divisional Secretariat issue. Beyond its aftermath, it is a necessary integrated process. Like this in the case of Tamil political Prisoners also, we request all Tamil leaders to unite regardless of party affiliation, as it is a need of the hour.
A total of 79 Tamil political prisoners of which 40 in the Colombo New Magazine Prison, 27 in the Anuradhapuram Jail, and 12 in various other prisons in the country are being held behind the bars. They include the elderly, war-affected, and juvenile detainees.
our children, who have been in prison for 25 to 10 years, face uncertain living conditions. Many of the political prisoners who were with them have died inside the prison due to illness and prison riots.
More than 20 parents who were waiting with the expectation to see their children release from jail died without seeing them. Just Imagine for a second, the atmosphere without adequate food, medical facility and confined to a small area they are living which is more than a hell.
90 percent of people are physically and emotionally traumatized by being separated from family for long periods of time. Our children who are suffering from infectious diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, asthma, arthritis, etc. are suffering without proper medical check-ups or proper medical care.
Apart from the occasional infectious diseases, our children’s hearing and hearing ability, which has been confined within the prison walls for decades is greatly impaired. In the midst of all this, the first round of corona spread has affected everyone.
By the time it has fully recovered from its effects, again there has been a massive outbreak of corona infection in the country. It is not known that appropriate disinfection activities are carried out inside the prison. Vaccines are also not loaded.
Thousands of prisoners were released on special occasions by the government on two separate occasions in a bid to alleviate the space crisis in prisons. However, none of the Tamil political prisoners were given a chance. So at this juncture, whether it is the ruling party or the opposition, everyone needs to think about political prisoners, regardless of political differences.
We humbly request that the people’s representatives of all Tamil parties present a common mechanism to the President and the Prime Minister to engage in dialogue on a humanitarian basis for the release of our children, who are knowingly or unknowingly mortgaged their own lives for the common good.
