Stop The Violent Suppression Of Student Dissent & Public Universities: Sri Lankan Students & You...

Friday, March 10, 2023 - colombotelegraph.com

Stop the Violent Suppression of Student Dissent and Public Universities in Sri Lanka: A collective statement by Sri Lankan students and young scholars abroad

We the undersigned Sri Lankan students and young scholars abroad in different countries express our deep concern towards the systematic violent suppression unleashed on peaceful protesters by the Sri Lankan government during February and March 2023.

We vehemently condemn the brutal attacks on the university students protesting peacefully and the military and police violently entering the University of Colombo and the University of Kelaniya premises on the 07th of March 2023 and 08th of March 2023, respectively.

The Sri Lankan government led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe has been systematically dismantling the democratic process and institutions of the country in the recent past. The local government elections scheduled to be held in March 2023 have been sabotaged; democratic dissent has been criminalised and brutally oppressed. The government must ensure free and fair elections and space for dissent is protected. It is unacceptable to brutalise the education spaces such as universities and attack peaceful students engaged in learning.

Therefore, we strongly demand the Sri Lankan government conduct an independent inquiry into the incidents of the military and police forcefully entering the University of Kelaniya and the University of Colombo. We also invite all democratic forces in Sri Lanka to join hands to protect the democratic rights of the Sri Lankan citizens to dissent and free and fair timely elections.