North shuts down demanding release of prisoners

Xinhua: The Northern Province staged a complete shutdown yesterday (13) in protest over the failure by the authorities to free nearly 200 minority Tamil detainees arrested under anti-terrorism laws.

The shutdown saw the heavily populated Jaffna town in the north deserted as part of the protest with stores closed and public transport at a standstill.

Schools in the Tamil dominated Jaffna town were also closed while banks and all public institutions were shut down in support of the protest.

The shutdown was called for to demand the release of all Tamil political prisoners arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and to push the Government to repeal the PTA which was implemented during the war in Sri Lanka.

The Sri Lankan authorities were to free 30 Tamil detainees on bail this week and more over the next few days but the process faced a snag with no one coming forward to post bail.

Nearly 200 detainees, who staged a fast last month demanding their release, resumed the fast this week.

Sri Lanka’s main Tamil party the Tamil National Alliance had talks with President Maithripala Sirisena this week, backing calls to release the detainees.