Shutdown by Tamil parties in Sri Lanka

The shutdown hit the urban areas of the heavily populated Jaffna town with public transportation coming to a halt. Schools, offices and businesses remained shut. The Tamil groups accused the Sri Lankan government of going back on its pledge to release all the political prisoners by November 7.

They have demanded the release of the political prisoners and the repealing of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), which was implemented during the war in Sri Lanka.

More than 100 Tamil political prisoners staged a hunger strike last month in jails all over the country, demanding their release based on a common amnesty. The government said it was not possible to grant them a common amnesty while the possibility of granting them bail would be considered.

Around 30 of them, held mostly for alleged links to the LTTE were granted conditional bail. The Chief Minister in the North CV Wigneswaran met President Maithripala Sirisena over the issue. Sirisena has said that while it was not possible for him to intervene, due legal process would be followed to release the prisoners.

Tamils claim hundreds of political prisoners have been held for years without being charged. The Sirisena government faces political roadblocks in the Sinhala-majority South for agreeing to release those held for alleged terrorist activities.