By Ananth Palakidnar and Sulochana Ramiah Mohan

Tamil political prisoners who began a fast unto death six days ago demanding their release, suspended their protest temporarily yesterday after receiving a written assurance from President Maithripala Sirisena to solve the issue of their detention prior to 7 November.

Leader of the Opposition, Tamil National Alliance Leader R. Sampanthan, accompanied by TNA Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, visited the Tamil political prisoners last morning at the Magazine Prison, Colombo, and handed over the President's written assurance to them and requested them to give up the fast.
Sampanthan also told the political prisoners that he would not let them down and would make every effort to secure their early release.

President Sirisena had last Friday sent his letter on dealing with the Tamil political prisoners issue to the Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe and to the Superintendent of the Magazine Prisons, Ceylon Today learns.
Meanwhile, 33 of the Tamil political prisoners who were in feeble health condition following their fast unto death were placed under medical care at the hospitals at their respective prisons.

Twelve Tamil prisoners were admitted to the Magazine Prisons hospital in the past few days, our sources said.
Responding to TNA leader Sampanthan at the Magazine Prisons the Tamil political prisoners said they would temporarily abandon their fast, but would resume it if they did not receive any positive decision from the President on 7 November.
Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran also had a lengthy telephone conversation last morning with President Sirisena on the Tamil political prisoners' issue.

Asked for comments, Commissioner General of Prisons Rohana Pushpakumara told Ceylon Today that the prisoners who went on the hunger strike are not defined as political prisoners as politicians and others prefer to identify them, but are defined as LTTE suspects by the police department.

He said their cases would be sorted out according to the offences, an examination of their charge sheets, and holding discussions with the Justice Ministry before releasing them through Court.
"They were issued with arrest warrants and remanded as LTTE suspects and not as 'political prisoners," he explained.
Asked what major offences they had committed, he said 'it is only known to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) and the files are with the Attorney General's Department.
He said, "Our duty is only to hold them in custody and produce them in court when summoned."
He added that the 150 LTTE suspects who were staging the hunger strike called it off it having faith in President Sirisena and Opposition Leader Sampanthan announcing an 'acceptable solution' to their delayed release, in the alternative they would resume the hunger strike on 8 November, they said.

According to the Commissioner General, the President has said he would take possible positive steps towards releasing the prisoners between 31 October and 7 November.
"The prisoners have halted the hunger strike temporarily but will resume the strike if their grievance is not resolved," he reiterated.

According to the Prisons Department there are 201 LTTE suspects out of which, 150 staged the protest against their continued detention and demanding their release. "The rest are convicts (about 40) and some are elderly persons who did not participate in the protest," he added.
He admitted that their cases are pending and trials are being delayed.