19 September 2022 08:50 am Views - 1010
By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana
Taking the peaceful Galle Face Aragalaya to a whole new level, a group of independent youths cut a cake to celebrate the birthday of the PTA detained Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Convener Wasantha Mudalige outside Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) in Colombo last night.
Mudalige, who turned 29 years of age yesterday, was taken into custody by a special police team in Gas Works Junction on August 18 when he was returning after leading an IUSF protest march, which came under police tear gas and water cannon attack at Union Place.
The group of youth gathered outside Butani Capital Tower on Kirulapona Avenue, where the new TID office is located and which is believed to be the place where Wasantha and the two other activists are being detained to celebrate the birthday.
Trade Unionist cum Attorney-at-Law Swastika Arulingam said that they have come outside TID to celebrate Wasantha’s birthday. “Wasantha had been detained for 32 days in a dark cell in isolation, which is considered torture”.
“We demand the state to release these political prisoners and also to repeal the draconian law of Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and not to even replace with one similar to that,” she said.
“We heard that Wasantha and Hashantha are being detained at the Colombo TID office, whilst Siridhamma Thera is in a detention centre in Tangalle,” she further said.