Tamil Prisoners Hunger Strike

Sri Lankan Tamil prisoners, who launched a hunger strike demanding their release, called off their fast after a minister assured them of speedy trials.

Over 200 Tamil political prisoners, who were on hunger strike in Sri Lanka to protest against being jailed for years without trial, today ended their fast following an assurance from President Maithripala Sirisena that their grievances would be addressed.

The Sri Lankan government has pledged urgent action to address the concerns of Tamil political prisoners languishing in jails for several years on suspicion of links to the now-defeated LTTE as their hunger strike entered fourth day.

A day after inmates began a hunger strike demanding their release in Sri Lanka's Tamil dominated Northern Province, the chief minister has demanded expediting of pending cases against over 200 Tamil political prisoners languishing in several jails.

Tamil political prisoners lodged in several jails in Sri Lanka, many of them without trial since 2009 when the civil war ended, today began a hunger strike, demanding their release.

A total of 234 Tamil prisoners in Sri Lanka, most of them former Tamil Tiger rebels, are on a hunger strike the past five days here, said officials on Monday. Inmates of three prisons, located in Colombo city, Kalutara town and in Vavuniya town, are demanding that they be charged for their crimes or be released, Xinhua reported.

Sri Lankan Tamil prisoners, who launched a hunger strike demanding their release, called off their fast after a minister assured them of speedy trials.

Over 200 Tamil political prisoners, who were on hunger strike in Sri Lanka to protest against being jailed for years without trial, today ended their fast following an assurance from President Maithripala Sirisena that their grievances would be addressed.

The Sri Lankan government has pledged urgent action to address the concerns of Tamil political prisoners languishing in jails for several years on suspicion of links to the now-defeated LTTE as their hunger strike entered fourth day.

A day after inmates began a hunger strike demanding their release in Sri Lanka's Tamil dominated Northern Province, the chief minister has demanded expediting of pending cases against over 200 Tamil political prisoners languishing in several jails.

Tamil political prisoners lodged in several jails in Sri Lanka, many of them without trial since 2009 when the civil war ended, today began a hunger strike, demanding their release.

A total of 234 Tamil prisoners in Sri Lanka, most of them former Tamil Tiger rebels, are on a hunger strike the past five days here, said officials on Monday. Inmates of three prisons, located in Colombo city, Kalutara town and in Vavuniya town, are demanding that they be charged for their crimes or be released, Xinhua reported.