Opposition Leader R. Sampanthan in Parliament on Tuesday has raised the question from the government, while he was moving an adjournment motion on the prisoners detained under the Prevention of Terrorism Act questioned, why Kumaran Pathmanathan (KP) has not been charged?
Different people have been treated differently. Tamil prisoners are asking as to why KP has not been charged. He was a favourite of the previous government. Is he a favourite of the present government too? He is a person who is believed to be on the wanted list of the Interpol. He smuggled arms to the country. Why not take action against him?” he asked.
The Opposition Leader also refering to former Deputy Minister Vinayagamoorthi Muralitharan alias Karuna Amman and former Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan said, “What has happened to the other persons who held ministerial office in the former government? What has happened to the person who held the position of Chief Minister in the Eastern Province? Have not they committed grave offenses? Only the weaker sections of the society are taken in to custody under the PTA. This should not be continued any longer,” he said. Referring to the PTA as an “obnoxious law”, he urged the government to repeal the PTA and release all the persons detained under it including those who have been convicted.
In response, Prison Reforms Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs Minister D. M. Swaminathan said the government would soon repeal the PTA and bring in new legislation titled “Counter Terrorism Act”.
He said the new piece of law that would replace the PTA would be on a par with international standards. The minister also said the Attorney General’s Department has taken measures to expedite the cases of prisoners detained under the PTA.
‘’There are three kinds of lies: dammed lies and statistics’’- Benjamin Disraeli
