Stalin accuses police of attempting to disrupt protest

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin yesterday accused the police of attempting to disrupt Wednesday’s anti-government protest.

Stalin said that a team of police officers had arrived at Guru Medura to hand over a letter indicating the areas protesters were prohibited from entering. However, no one had accepted the letter.

“Police had been visiting union offices even before protests started. What kind of a joke is this? These are attempts to disrupt the protest and intimidate organisers,” Stalin said.

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) urged the police not to violate fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution by invoking the provisions of the Police Ordinance.

The HRCSL made that statement after a group of representatives of the unions complained that the police were attempting to intimidate them and misusing provisions of the Police Ordinance to deprive them of their right to express dissent.

The HRCSL also deployed a team of officers to observe the protest.