Amnesty joins a protest over Sri Lanka mass arrests

[struggle4progress]

COLOMBO (AFP) — Amnesty International on Wednesday joined a growing chorus of protests over the mass arrests of thousands of ethnic Tamils in Colombo by Sri Lankan authorities.

The arrests came after two bomb attacks blamed on Tamil Tigers, but has left the island's ethnic Sinhalese-dominated government once again exposed to allegation that it is dealing out collective punishment to the Tamil minority.

Amnesty said it was "deeply concerned that the arrests have been made on arbitrary and discriminatory grounds."

"Those arrested may be detained in inhumane conditions; denied access to lawyers, courts and family members; and face the risk of torture, other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment," a statement from the London-based group said ...


http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gi3QmGRCWxl9hY_Datc2pBs4LwHg