Tuesday, June 07, 2011

Hundreds turned away in ex-Tiger release



BBC Sinhala
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Relatives of the former Tamil Tiger suspects have been crying in front of the Cultural Centre in Vavuniya as the authorities failed to release the number of detainees as promised.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and the Prison Reforms earlier announced that 900 ex-Tamil Tigers would be released after rehabilitation.

But only 337 were handed over at a ceremony held in Vavuniya on Sunday.


Commissioner General of Rehabilitation, Major General Sudantha Ranasinghe, said they were the only ones whose documents were ready.

The rest, out of 866 ex-combatants, will be released "within the next two-three days," he said.

UNHRC session

Family members of those not released, expressed their frustration with authorities.

"We have been waiting since yesterday awaiting the promised release of our children," one mother said.

Heavy police security kept the protesting relatives away from the official ceremony.

However, parents of those released said they were very happy to be reunited with the family members who have been away from the family for at lease two years.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa's son, parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, Prison Minister Chandrasiri Gajadheera, Youth Affairs Minister Dallas Alahapperuma and other officials were among the gathering.

The international human rights watchdogs have criticised the detention of ex-combatants for years without trial.

The issue has also been raised at the ongoing UNHRC sessions in Geneva.

© BBC Sinhala

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