Anuradhapura Tamil prisoners receive attack as ‘Heroes Day present’

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 November 2011, 06:19 GMT]
A group of Sinhala prison officials who entered the Anuradhapura prison on Sunday asked Tamil political prisoners in remand, numbering around 65, to come out as they wanted to give ‘presents’ for them on the Heroes Day. Realising the sarcasm, when the prisoners refused to come out, they were forcibly brought out to an open ground where they were made naked and were severely beaten up by the prison guards. Five of them who were seriously injured are admitted in the Anuradhapura hospital. Even though there were many others too who got injured, they were not taken to hospital. The Tamil political prisoners were recently arrested from the Vanni districts and they are kept at Anuradhapura without any cases being filed.

At the complaint of some of the prisoners, ‘Naam Ilangkaiyar’ (We Sri Lankans) outfit of the Sinhala nationalist JVP, has brought out the attack incident to the public, criticising the Colombo government that it is dividing the peoples of the island.