Tamil students complete 194km walk calling for release of political prisoners

Jaffna University students completed their 194km protest walk to Anuradhapura prison on Saturday and met with Tamil political prisoners who were hunger striking for their release.

13Oct 2018

The students and Tamil civil society members persuaded the political prisoners to suspend their hunger strike on health grounds, and all parties said they would look to Tamil political representatives one last time to secure the detainees’ futures.

While the students received support during their walk from Tamil locals along the route, an altercation occurred outside Anuradhapura prison when five Sinhalese men approached and vocalised their opposition to the students’ campaign.

The students also published a memo to the United Nations calling for pressure to secure the release of the political prisoners.

Related Articles: 

11 October 2018 : Jaffna university students continue protest walk to Anuradhapura with support from locals

09 October 2018 : Jaffna students walk to Anuradhapura as protests for political prisoners continue across Tamil homeland

07 October 2018 : Four hunger striking detainees at Magazine prison admitted to hospital

06 October 2018 : Tamils continue protests across North-East for release of political prisoners