Protest rally in Jaffna against military aggression on students

Despite threatening military presence, key Tamil political parties backed by like-minded democratic political forces in the South, Tuesday staged a protest rally in the heart of Sri Lanka’s northern town of Jaffna to condemn “the systematic and sustained police-military aggression against the Jaffna University students”.

According to media sources in Jaffna, protest rally jointly organised by the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) and Tamil National Alliance (TNA) have demanded the early release of the four University students, who were arrested by the police on Saturday, and the de-militarisation of Jaffna University area in order to ensure the resumption routine academic activities of the Jaffna University.

Several Jaffna-based trade unions, including the Jaffna University Teachers’ Association, have also extended their support for today’s protest rally staged opposite the Jaffna main bus stop, claiming that the defence authorities “should immediately take their hands off the Jaffna Students’ society”.

Several MPs and former MPs of the TNPF, TNA and leaders of the United Socialist Party (USP), Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) and Democratic Peoples Front (DPF) from the South have also taken part in the protest.

Memorandum to UN

The protestors holding placards were shouting “Don’t unleash violence on students”, “Release the arrested students immediately”, “We will observe our Heros’ Day”, “International Community! Don’t keep mum any more”.

The protestors have decided to send a memorandum to the United Nations Human Rights office urging it to immediately “intervene and rescue the Jaffna Students’ society from the military aggression”.

Reports from Jaffna said hundreds of heavily armed military and police personnel were present in and around the area where the protest was taking place in a threatening manner, while the state intelligence personnel in civvies were taking photographs and videos of the protestors. This is the first such protest in the war-ravaged Jaffna peninsula since the end of the war in May 2009 which left hundreds of thousands of people killed and maimed.

'Systematic military campaign'

Speaking at the rally, TNA Jaffna district parliamentarian Mavai Senathirajah has said that “attacks on the peaceful protest march by the University Students, journalists and an MP clearly show that there is a systematic campaign by the State military arms to disrupt and destroy the education of the Tamils – which we value more than our lives. We, Tamil political forces and the Tamil community will not allow this to happen at any cost”. 

“The military has no right to enter the University premises or attack the students. We will never allow this to happen again. This cannot be tolerated any more” he said.

Secretary of the Jaffna Students’ Union Paramalingham Darshananth (24) of Kantharmadam, Arts Faculty Union President Kanakasundaraswami Jenamejeyan (24) of Puthukkudiyiruppu, Science Faculty Union member Shamugam Solomon (24) of Jaffna and Ganeshamoorthy Sutharshan (22) of Urumpirai were arrested by  the police on Saturday.

Indefinite boycott

Meanwhile a latest report said that one of the four students arrested, Ganeshamoorthy Sutharshan of Jaffna Medical Faculty has been released today, sending wrong signals on the release of the other students arrested.

The academic activities of the University continue to remain at a standstill with the students boycotting the class indefinitely demanding the University Administration to ensure safety and integrity of the University, instead of allowing the military to run the administration at their will.

Photo courtesy: Tamil Net

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