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Sri Lankan gov't assures national security not at risk

Xinhua, November 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Sri Lankan government on Thursday said that releasing former Tamil Tiger suspects who were arrested under terrorism charges and held in jails would not pose a threat to national security.

Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapakse told journalists here that 20 Tamil Tiger inmates detained on charges of terrorism would soon be released as part of the government's reconciliation efforts with the ethnic minority Tamils.

He assured that the inmates would be released after proper judicial procedures.

Earlier, 39 suspects detained on terrorism charges were released on strong bail conditions.

Rajapakse said that the Sri Lankan government would take full responsibility to ensure the country's national security and dismissed claims by former President Mahinda Rajapakse that the release of the inmates would pose a threat to the country.

Media reports said that there are 204 prisoners held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in the island nation. Some 124 of them are having their cases in the process while 24 are yet to be indicted. A total of 56 have been found guilty by the High Court.

Meanwhile a group of students from the Jaffna University in the former war torn north held a protest outside the university on Thursday, demanding the release of political prisoners held in several prisons.

Earlier in the day, a student from the north demanding the immediate release of all Tamil political prisoners committed suicide, stating that the inmates did not deserve to be in jail for such a lengthy period. Enditem