Immorality of attack on university students

Punishment given by murderous anti-terrorist laws against intelligent children of a non-terrorist nation is like killing butterflies with missiles – Pic courtesy AFP

By Robinhood Sri Lanka

The brutal assault and tear gas attack led by the Police Special Task Force and Anti-Riot Unit against the IUSF (Inter University Student Federation) and other young people participating in a peaceful protest last week have been condemned by many human rights organisations around the world. Protesting is a basic right given to the people by the Constitution, the basic law of the country.

Using dollars to buy teargas but not medicine

In a situation where a bankrupt country needs to win aid based on the sympathy of the world, a Government that treats the people of that country in an extreme manner will not get any aid. A country that uses tear gas to attack peaceful people will not receive a single dollar in aid when children are dying without dollars to bring the medicines needed by the hospitals.

Last week the Government brutally attacked educated and intelligent children of the age of their grandchildren. It was reminiscent of Ranil’s 1982 education white paper, which was used to attack university students who came to the streets against the curtailment of free education. At that time Ranil was vicious enough to trample the students with horses and inflicted severe injuries allowing the horses to kick the fallen students.

Last week no protester damaged any public property during the protest, no public was oppressed. In spite, the Police similar to dealing with a terror group, attacked the protestors at Union Place amid large outcry. Following the protest in Borella, the young men and women who were on foot were chased, assaulted and arrested.

The Police violated the Constitution, the Police Ordinance Act

This is a complete violation of the Police Ordinance Act. The Police only have the power to disperse a meeting that causes public distress. Police have no right to attack people who are dispersing. None of the protests caused any public persecution. The police arrested 19 people and presented 16 of them to the court for violating the rules of the Traffic Ordinance. This is completely illegal. The basic law of the country is not the Traffic Ordinance, it is the Constitution. The people have been given the right to protest peacefully. Neither the Government nor the Police can curtail the rights granted by a higher law using a lower law. Those 16 who were presented to the Colombo Additional Magistrate T.N. Ilangasinghe were released on bail.

Punishment under the PTA is a Hitler-style fascist act

IUSF convener Wasantha Mudalige, IUSF Bhikshu Council Convener Galvewa Siridhamma Thera and Hashantha Jawanthu Gunathilake, who were arrested last week, are now going to be detained under a 90-day detention order under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) without being produced in court. This is Hitler-style extreme fascism.

Ranil Rajapaksa is removing the ban on many Tamil organisations that were banned under the same Prevention of Terrorism Act and is going to release about 200 Tamil youths who have been detained without trial for decades under the same act.

This is obviously an attempt to bring dollars from the Tamil diaspora living abroad, giving freedom to Tamil organisations and Tamil youths, and using those dollars received to suppress the youths of the south.

What morality is there in using the murderous PTA against the activists and releasing those who were banned under the same PTA?

Punishment given by murderous anti-terrorist laws against intelligent children of a non-terrorist nation is like killing butterflies with missiles. This is a cruel conspiracy to lure innocent youths to take up arms and make them visible to the battalion.

In the meantime, the Union of Young Journalists sent a letter to the Human Rights Commission, requesting to recommend the Sri Lankan Police to immediately stop the oppression against the above three persons, detaining them under a special law, in addition, trying to curtail their freedom of speech and expression for protesting against the current economic and political crisis in the country.

Meanwhile, the National Bhikshu Peramuna said in a statement that the attack on the IUSF carried out on 18 August was the beginning of the end of the Ranil Rajapaksa Government. The announcement will be published in full later.

The 20 people who were arrested yesterday by Ranil Rajapaksa’s Government for participating in a legal protest are as follows.

1. Wasantha Mudalige – Peliyagoda Police Station

2. Galvewa Siridhamma Thero – Fort Police Station

3. Chinthaka Rajapaksa (MONLAR) – Kurunduwatta Police Station

4. Pasindu Rangana – Kompanjaveediya Police Station

5. MKM Dilshan – Kurunduwatta Police Station

6. Tharindu Milan – Kompanjaveediya Police Station

7. Nuvan Darshan Ekanayake – Kurunduwatta Police Station

8. Lakshita Sanjeeva – Kurunduwatta Police Station

9. Rafat (Open University) – Company Street Police Station

10. Pokunuvita Piyasoma Thera – Kompanjaveediya Police Station

11. Thilina Madhuranga – Kompanjaveediya Police Station

12. Hashan Jeevantha – Peliyagoda Police Station

13. Lahiru Nuvan – Kompanjaveediya Police Station

14. Tharindu Dilshan – Kompanjaveediya Police Station

15. Suriyavewa Sugathadasa – Kompanjaveediya Police Station

16. Sunilajnana Thero of Puliyankulam – Kompanjaveediya Police Station

17. Thalagoda Dhammarathana Thero – Kompanjaveediya Police Station

18. Asanka Isuru – Kompanjaveediya Police Station

19. Kavinda Deshan Dayaratne – Company Street Police Station

20. Prasana Sanjeeva – Kompanjaveediya Police Station

Finally, it should be noted here, the public’s growing contempt for the Bar Association of Sri Lanka for being less vocal about the fresh bout of intimidation.