(by Champika Liyanaarachchi)

More than 150 PTA detainees in the Kalutara prison yesterday suspended their death fast campaign after Minister and Peace negotiator Milinda Moragoda met them in a bid to defuse the situation.

Minister Moragoda who was joined by Ministers Jayalath Jayawardena, T. Maheshwaran and a group of TNA parliamentarians had assured the PTA suspects that their grievances would be looked into within a month.

Mr. Moragoda told the Daily Mirror though the detainees had promised to suspend their fast campaign on that assurance, he had pointed out to them that he could however not guarantee the release of all detainees at the end of this period.

“I told them that at the end of one month some may be still there and some may not” Mr. Moragoda said.

The minister’s visit came after the detainees said they would continue their fast until Minister Moragoda met them for discussions.

The minister’s visit follows a warning by the TNA that hunger strikes by prisoners detained under the PTA could pose a serious threat to the peace process if effective action was not taken to give them justice.

The hunger strike by PTA detainees, the minister said was one in a series of challenges before the government to forge ahead with its peace initiative.

He added several top level discussions between the government and the Norwegian peace envoys were scheduled to take place this week to address several key issues with regard to peace talks.