Sri Lanka's Tamil prisoners launch hunger strike for release

Over 20 minority Tamil political prisoners held in prisons across Sri Lanka have commenced a hunger strike protesting against their detention, local media reported here Saturday.

The prisoners have urged the government to release them without further delay and have demanded that if their cases are being further prolonged, then the cases must be transferred to a court in the northern towns of Vavuniya and Jaffna which are Tamil- dominated.

Prison officials said they are considering transferring some of the prisoners on hunger strike to the Jaffna prison for the convenience of their relatives.

Most of the prisoners were arrested during and soon after the country's 30 year civil war against Tamil Tiger rebels which ended in May 2009.

The government this week announced that it had decided to offer rehabilitation to some suspects arrested under a controversial anti-terror law.

The Ministry of Resettlement and Rehabilitation said that the rehabilitation offer is being made to 23 of 96 minority Tamils arrested over alleged links to Tamil Tiger rebels.

The 23 pending cases and trials under the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) that are before Sri Lanka's High Court will be considered by the Attorney General's Department to facilitate a plea.

The Ministry of Resettlement and Rehabilitation said the 23 suspects who will be offered rehabilitation had been arrested for minor offences.

The former Sri Lankan government used anti-terror laws to arrest Tamil Tiger rebel suspects and their supporters but the current government has said it will replace the laws while maintaining national security. Endit