APSN | Tight grip on Tamil suspects

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Tight grip on Tamil suspects

Agence France Presse - September 2, 2011

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Colombo – Sri Lanka has used its anti-terrorism laws to continue to detain thousands of Tamil Tiger suspects who would have had to be freed upon yesterday's lifting of the state of emergency after 28 years.

The Attorney-General, Mohan Peiris, said the President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, invoked regulations under the Prevention of Terrorism Act to let authorities continue to hold suspects detained under emergency laws. Mr Rajapaksa said the state of emergency would have ended yesterday.

"No suspects will be released and there is no change even though the emergency has been allowed to lapse," Mr Peiris said.

His remarks came after the Justice Minister, Rauf Hakeem, said about 1200 alleged Tamil Tigers would be released with the end of emergency rule, imposed 28 years ago to deal with the separatist movement.

Mr Peiris said the regulations ensured a ban on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam would also continue indefinitely.

The decision to end emergency rule comes ahead of next month's United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva that is expected to discuss alleged war crimes during the last stages of the conflict.

Rights groups say tens of thousands of civilians perished in the final months of fighting, while the UN has noted "credible allegations" of war crimes committed by both sides. Colombo has denied any wrongdoing and resisted foreign calls for an inquiry.