Chief Minister of the Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran on Thursday used the occasion of the World Human Rights Day to renew his call for the release of Tamil prisoners, described by him as “political prisoners.”
In a statement, Mr Wigneswaran urged President Maithripala Sirisena to grant an “open amnesty” and ensure the release the prisoners [numbering 203]. He argued that the right to liberty “continues to be violated” with the incarceration of many hundreds of young Tamils detained without trial or deprived of proper hearings. Terming the continued imprisonment as a “violation of this important right” by the Sri Lanka government, the Chief Minister said the government should release the prisoners “without any delay and demonstrate its commitment to human rights.”
He blamed certain sections of the government for seeking to “play down the extent of the system crimes” outlined in a report of the Office of of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
