Mano
Ganesan, the Leader of the Democratic People’s Front said that ‘the
lamentable death of Kaathai Muththusamy, a 68 year-old female of the
Adawaththa Estate, Lunugala in Badulla, who died yesterday after a long
illness while in prison is proof enough for the arrogance and ignorance
of the government on the Tamil political prisoners issue. It is also due
to the indolence and impotence of the plantation leadership, which is
in the lap of the ruling party. Muththusamy was arrested in 1994 for
allegedly helping LTTE rebels and was sentenced to prison’
Mano Ganesan urged that Tamil people should question those so-called Tamil ministers with the regalia within the government.
Ganesan made the above remarks on the death of the 68 year old female Tamil political prisoner in Welikada prisons, Colombo.
The leader of the DPF further said as follows:
‘Varatharaja,
son of the diseased lady told me that his mother was arrested in 1994
for charges that she helped LTTE transportation between Batticaloa and
Badulla and provided safe house to LTTE cadres of Batticaloa. She faced
legal proceedings while in custody for a long time and then she was
sentenced. While she was in jail she suffered from cancer, which she
developed during her confinement. She was also inflicted with bed sores
as she had been bedridden for a long period without proper medical
attention. The 68 year old Kaaththaai who was behind bars almost for two
decades died yesterday in the Colombo general hospital.
‘Ironically,
the most active Batticaloa leader of the LTTE is now in the cradle of
the government with portfolios. And many active LTTE rebels from the
East have become darlings of the government. Moreover, Thamilini who was
the active head of the LTTE female squad has been released from prison
custody by the Colombo magistrate on the recommendation of the Attorney
General’s Department and is presently taking vocational training in a
rehabilitation center to become a bridal dresser. However, an old poor
plantation worker woman had to suffer a terrible death in prison at the
age 68 for just helping the same LTTE.
Apart
from her very old age, she was also suffering from a dreaded illnesses.
But it did not spur the Tamil ministers who represent the plantations
in the government to try and get an amnesty from the president by citing
her age or deteriorating physical conditions.
‘The
president has granted a general amnesty for many prisoners who had been
charged with more serious crimes. He has the authority to do so by law.
There are near 1,000 Tamil political prisoners in the country today.
There are women with their in-born children detained. There are sick and
elders. If it is not possible to get general amnesty for all the Tamil
detainees of political nature, the sick, women with children and elders
must be considered for general amnesty. But, neither the government nor
the Tamil ministers did not bother to care.
‘The Tamil politicians in the government recently spoke like rebels on the issues of the controversial 13th amendment
and Divineguma bill. But at the end they sided with the government. It
is no surprise to me. No tamil and Muslim leader can act politically
within this government. I call upon them to stop the useless political
oratory and at least pressurize their government leadership on the
humanitarian issues of those Tamils who are living. I am not asking them
give life to the dead. The issue number one of those who are living
today is the issue of the Tamil political prisoners. They are rotting
in prisons for years and dying of disease and old age.’Dear Friends,
Mano Ganeson, leader
of Democratic Peoples Front (DPF) sites the death of an Indian Tamil
female prisoner, who had been languishing in the prison for 19 years,
totally neglected by the Tamil ministers in the Rajapaksa government.
These ministers were more inclined in lining their pockets than in
severing their people. Please read Mano Ganeson's account of this
pathetic lady.
Visvanathan
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