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Four students of the University of Jaffna were arrested by Kopay Police on Friday night in connection with protests at the university last Wednesday. Following the arrests University lecturers staged a protest outside the premises on the same day condemning the security forces’ attack on the students.

The arrested students — P. Dharshanth, S.Solomon, K. Jemomenon and G. Sudarshan — were members of the student union. A journalist was among those assaulted allegedly by members of the intelligence services during the altercation that took place at the campus.

The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka, in a statement expressed concern regarding the attack on the Uthayan newspaper journalist T. Premananth, who was assaulted while taking photographs of lamps lighted in the balcony of the university’s girls’ hostel on November 27 evening.

Editors concerned journalists still being attacked

Statement by Editors’ Guild The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka issued a statement in connection with the attack on one of the Editors of the Uthayan newspaper in Jaffna last week and expressed its concern that accredited journalists in Sri Lanka are still being treated with such callous disdain. “The Uthayan Chief Editor M. A. Kaanamylnaathan, a member of The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka has brought to our attention an incident where the newspaper’s Editor T. Premananth has been brutally attacked while engaging in his professional duties this week,” the statement signed by the Guild’s Secretary Sundera Nihathamani De Mel said. “He was covering the events connected with the commemoration meeting held by the students of the University of Jaffna in memory of those who has died during the three decade long northern insurgency. We have been informed that persons in military uniform and plainclothesmen tried to snatch the camera of Mr. Premananth and when he resisted, he was physically attacked on his face resulting in him having to seek treatment at the Jaffna Teaching Hospital where he is currently warded,” the statement added. The Editors’ Guild expressed its concern that accredited journalists in Sri Lankan are still being treated with such callous disdain. “The media has a legitimate right and a duty to inform the public what is happening in the country. The Guild calls upon the authorities to take disciplinary action against those who attacked Mr.Premananth and to refrain from such heavy handed approach towards the media,” it added.

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP E. Saravanapavan who was present when Mr. Premananth was attacked told the Sunday Times he had attempted to intervene to safeguard the journalist. “I shouted at the Army officer who assaulted the journalist and told him that the war is over and that the Army could not attack anyone as they liked and that the police were there to maintain law and order,” Mr.Saravanapavan said.

The journalist had been on an official assignment when he came under attack. In retaliation stones had been thrown at the MP and his bodyguard.A complaint in this regard has been made to the Jaffna Police.
The unrest at the Jaffna University began when the Police and Army had entered the girls’ hostel on Tuesday evening without permission when lamps were lit on the rear balcony of the hostel.

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