Tamil political prisoners in LLF national list

The Left Liberation Front has nominated three Tamil prisoners accused of taking part in the Tamil national liberation struggle for their national list in the 2010 General election. The LLF national list is led by Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne.

Although these political prisoners held under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) have expressed their wish to contest in the elections from the respective districts they hail from, obstacles placed by authorities in signing their nomination papers have prevented that. If not stopped by red tape, these Tamil political prisoners would have also been contesting the elections alongside General Fonseka. However, the LLF have included them in the national list to highlight the demands of the Tamil   Liberation struggle and the plight of political prisoners.

Long before General Fonseka these Tamil prisoners expressed their wish to participate in elections, in order to highlight the Tamil liberation demands and the plight of political prisoners. With the participation of the former military chief in politics, all nationalities other than Tamils too have become aware of the plight of political prisoners.

According to the Movement for the Release of Political Prisoners (MRPP) led by Chamil Jayaneththi, only around 4000 prisoners are held in regular prisons under police and judicial jurisdiction. No specific details are given by authorities about other prisoners detained under military surveillance.

The following LTTE suspects are nominated in the LLF national list.

Mahendran Puvitharan, prison No 4533, arrested in 1994 by Baticcalo police, court case- magistrate court no 6. Kanagarajah Pirapaharan, prison No J 32919, arrested on 25/ 11/1999, case No 208 /2005, appeal court No 107 Colombo. C.I.Ragupathy Sharma, 5749 arrested 9/2/2000, TID Colombo, case no 891/02, high court no 4, Colombo. All of them are kept at G cell, H ward, New Magazine Prison in Colombo.