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Barely alive, yet his legs chained together - Father Sakthivel

Photograph Uthayan

Speaking to mourners of the Tamil political prisoner, Dilrukshan, Father Sakthivel described seeing him in hospital in the days before his death - in a coma, but still with his feet chained together.

See here for report on Uthayan.

Drawing comparisons to the persecution of Jesus for his perceived dissent at the time, Father Sakthivel said, that Dilrukshan's defiance had led to his death at the hands of the ruling regime.

Father Sakthivel said,

"We went to see Dilrukshan in hospital. He was unconscious and barely breathing. Yet even then his legs were chained. Why would someone fo this to a person in a such a critical condition? Were they scared of him? Did they think he might escape when he regained consciousness? This is against humanity."

"Now, the question is why did they do this to him? This [attack] happened to him just after he said 'we are ready to face a hundred Mullivaikkaals."

"Killings like this are not acceptable. Killings like this should not continue. Our journey towards freedom isn't over, we need to get out struggle for it, it is only then that when we can stop all the atrocities against us."

Dilrukshan died last week after being in a coma for several weeks following the Vavuniya prison riots in June where Tamil political prisoners were attacked by prison guards.

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