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Uni students to appeal abroad over suspensions
The Inter-University Student Federation (IUSF) says it will take its protest against the suspension of five students of Sabaragamuwa University to international forums. Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawarathne said the suspensions – for indiscipline and for causing a public disturbance by taking student protests to the streets – would continue for eight months.
Sabaragamuwa University students taking their protests to the streets
“Some students were suspended after they brought girls into the university premises and the IUSF convener conducted classes inside the university from 8pm till midnight,” Dr Nawarathne said. “When the suspensions were announced, other students conducted a hunger strike, with some faking difficulties.” Later, more students had joined the strike and subsequent public protests had caused disruptions, he said.
The University Council had decided on the suspensions to prevent future incidents. IUSF convener Sanjeewa Bandara said the protests had been launched to get the authorities to improve the university facilities. “It is a student’s right to protest if there is a need for it. We condemn the authority’s decision to take away their right to sit for an examination just because they asked for (better) university facilities,” he said adding that examinations were currently taking place and that the students who had received suspensions were not able to sit for the exams.
University students were being followed and threatened by groups on and around campus, Mr Bandara claimed. “We are hoping to complaint to the Human Rights Commission and take the attention of international and local human rights groups to look into the plight of the university students of the country,” he said.
The Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri issued a statement saying that the events at Sabaragamuwa University were a result of “short-sighted” actions taken in response to student protests. FUTA had expressed concerns over the “repressive measures” taken by the university authorities and warned against the harmful consequences of these actions.
“We find that the university administration, police as well as government authorities have comprehensively failed to respond effectively and appropriately to the situation that has arisen due to student protests,” Dr. Dewasirim said.
The Sabaragamuwa students took their protests to the streets after four of them were hospitalised following their hunger strike. A demonstration on the Colombo-Badulla highway last Saturday (June 1) resulted in a clash between the students and police, who used tear gas to disperse the protesters. Ten students were arrested. They were released on bail the next day.
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