Press Release

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July 08, Colombo: Sri Lanka's major Tamil political party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has met with foreign diplomats in Colombo to brief them about the Tamil prisoners in the country.

The meetings with the foreign diplomats had taken place following the information that suspected LTTE cadres detained in the Vavuniya prison had been abused and beaten following last week's hostage drama at the prison.

TNA parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran told the media that officials from the foreign missions in Colombo were briefed on the plight of the Tamil prisoners.

He has said the special attention was paid to the 22 prisoners who were injured following the attempt by the police to rescue three jailors taken hostage by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) detainees.

Premachandran has said that he had met the prisoners who have now been transferred from the Vavuniya prison to the Mahara prison.

He has added that some of them claimed to have been abused.

He has noted that some prisoners who had spoken to him had claimed that they were beaten on the head while some had their legs broken and that there are even those who were assaulted while they were unconscious.

According to Premachandran, the TNA has briefed the foreign officials on the inhumane manner in which the Tamil prisoners are being treated.

The parliamentarian has denied reports that these prisoners are working with the support of some overseas elements as stated by the government.

Prisons and Rehabilitation Minister, Chandrasiri Gajadeera has said the recent uproar by the LTTE suspects at the Vavuniya Prison had been orchestrated by the international LTTE network.