Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena today walked into a group of Tamil protesters who raised black flags demanding the release of over 160 political prisoners, during his visit to northern Jaffna city.
"I met a small group of protesters with black flags and invited them to have talks with me. They said they want their demand granted first before talking to me," Sirisena said addressing a gathering on the Tamil National Day observed in Jaffna.
Minority Tamil nationalist groups had warned they would raise black flags in Jaffna against Sirisena's visit there while urging him to release Tamil political prisoners held since the ethnic conflict with the LTTE ended in 2009.
"There are over 160 Tamil political prisoners. We have been urging for their release over the last eight years," M K Shivajilingam, a Tamil hardline politician said.
Shivajilingam said they told Sirisena that if he cannot release the prisoners then who else could.
"How can the president resolve the Tamil issue when he is unable to address this small issue," he said.
Sirisena in his address said he was much intent on achieving national reconciliation in the country where communal harmony would be guaranteed.
"Today's protest is the sign of a healthy democracy. If they try to weaken me by holding protests other forces will become stronger. I am ready to talk with anyone and resolve issues through discussions," Sirisena said.
However, Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene has said the prisoners in question are not political detainees.
"They are those who have been charged for serious crimes during the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) time. Their cases have to be dealt with by the court," he said.
Both Tamil and international rights groups have demanded repealing of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) which gives wide powers to security forces to detain people indefinitely.
Tamil groups charge that LTTE suspects are being held indefinitely under PTA without charges being framed against them in certain cases.
The government says they are in the process of reforming counter terrorism laws with a modern anti-terrorism Act which will maintain international standards.
Sri Lanka faced UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolutions for alleged human rights abuses during the last phase of the brutal three-decade-long civil war against the LTTE that ended in 2009.
Sri Lanka's human rights record, particularly over the impunity enjoyed by law enforcement officers, has been the subject of international condemnation.
The UNHRC has demanded accountability mechanisms to probe rights abuses blamed on both the LTTE and the government.
But Sri Lanka is averse to setting up of an international hybrid court with local and foreign judges to investigate alleged war crimes committed by government troops and the LTTE in the last phase of the war.
According to government figures, around 20,000 people went missing during various conflicts, including the civil war, in the north and east which claimed at least 100,000 lives.
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