The Sri Lankan government is set to introduce a de-radicalisation process for terror suspects and detainees, under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), according to the Sunday Times.
It vows to include “all those in detention for holding violent extremist views, those who have undergone weapons training and/or have engaged in violent activities.”
There is wide reports suggesting there are hundreds of Tamil political prisoners in custody, with some detainees spending over 20 years in containment. The PTA, has notoriously been used by the Sri Lankan government to imprison Tamil individuals in particular, over the last few decades and has widely been condemned.
Earlier this year, Sellapillai Mahendran - a Tamil political prisoner who had been imprisoned for 26 years based on a confession under torture duress when he was just 17 years old – died.
This ‘de-radicalisation programme’ programme is also said include the Easter Sunday suspects along with those arrested for “other extremist activities.”
Attorney General of Sri Lanka, Dappula de Livera, approved the draft regulations to allow government to execute the new process and “rehabilitate suspects held in detention under the PTA, this week.
The process is targeted at three groups;
1. Against those arrested for committing serious crimes.
2. Persons who aren’t accused of serious crimes, but are connected to extremist activities
3. Persons who have not participated in such activities but who have embraced extremist views
An accused person’s eligibility for the programme will “depend on what has been unearthed during the investigation conducted into the suspect activities and the extent of his involvement in extremist activities.”
Many Tamil MP’s, relatives and human rights organisations have protested and called on the government to release Tamil political prisoners for many years and while multiple governments have previously vowed to release Tamil political prisoners, many Tamil political prisoners remain in custody.
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