70 university students in remand
Some 300 university students are facing court cases while 70 are already in remand custody as a result of a crackdown carried on students by the authorities, the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) alleged yesterday.
IUSF Convener Sanjeewa Bandara said more than 1,000 students had been suspended from the universities during the past two years.
He said these students had been penalised for fighting for their rights and vowed the students would go ahead with their protests to safeguard the free education system in the country regardless of the crackdown.
Mr. Bandara said the government was planning to introduce a Bill to set up private universities.
“We are having discussions with parents of school children to work out a plan for joint action,” he said but added that there was no move yet to get school children to join the protests.
Responding to government allegations that these student unions are linked to the Pro LTTE Tamil Diaspora, he said they have no connections with Tamil expatriates.
However Mr. Bandara said the union was closely associated with the Tamil youth in the North. “This is purely for resolving the common problems faced in the education sector but with no other motive,” he said.
When asked whether continuous protests would not disturb their education, he said the union accepted that students attend universities to study but they were compelled to take to the streets when there was no appropriate environment for them to engage in studies. Citing examples he said there are no adequate staff and other facilities in the Management Faculty in the University of Peradeniya. He alleged that the intake of students in the faculty had been reduced to 50 this year when compared with 150 last year.
Courtesy: DM Online
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Mr Bandara cuts a pitiable figure. He claims 70 students are in renad custody. The Magistrate will remand an alleged lawbreaker only if the preliminary evidence produced demonstrates substantial grounds for eventual conviction. The University administrators have documented guidelines for suspensions. The 300 who have been suspended have a right to file breach of fundamental rights cases in the Supreme Court if they are not happy with the way the guidelines were implemented. In relation to the Peradeniya Management Faculty cutting down on intake, such phenomenon is common to all social programmes. The gang of thieves at the helm have better use of scarce resources for building monuments and conducting propoganda exhibitions.
Serve then right! They have commited crimes, even murder, rape and sexual abuse, So they should stand trial. Infact, there should be a new law banning ragging. Thery should serve their sentences and should also be expelled from the universities.
These fools are pawns in the hands of politically bankrupt JVP and its militant offshoot Jatika Aragala Movement. They have linked with TNA, ex LTTE cadres, posing as university students, funded by diaspora Tamils. They conspire to create such violent riots that the security forces will be forced to use arms to quell the rebellion. JVP/JAM will then parade the bodies for the world media to report. They will then conspire with USA and its allies to topple the MR govt, to seize power to appoint a puppet leader, to partition SL for so-called ‘Tamil Nation’. The US reward is a base in Trinco and oil drilling rights for the imperial West.
This is the current game plan being enacted in the Arab countries.