For more than a week, Sri Lanka is witnessing widespread protests against Sir John Kotelawala National Defence University (or KDU) Bill.
The Sri Lankan students, teachers community fear that the bill could pave the way for privatization of the higher education sector and militarisation of universities. So, they are protesting to demand the Gotabaya government withdraw the bill. But, instead of a democratic approach, the Sri Lankan government practising the war-time technique to crush the opposition against the bill.
“President of the Students’ Council of Sri Jayawardanapura University, Amila Saneedpa, has been abducted in front of the university by men in plain clothes who arrived in a blue van. ‘When we inquired, the police deny any knowledge,’ Inter-University Students Federation Convener Wasantha Mudalige told Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS)” yesterday, according to the tweet posted by JDS.
“‘Following the abduction of Amila Sandeepa, the president of the Student Council of Sri Jayawardanapura University, we asked Mirihana, Thalangama & Cinnamon Garden police stations whether they are detaining him & they all denied arresting any person’- Inter-University Students Federation,” JDS further tweeted.
Another tweet by the JDS reveals how the abduction attempts are used against the protestors demanding the withdrawal of Sir John Kotelawala National Defence University (or KDU) Bill.
“University students & academics thwarted an attempt made by a group of men in plain clothes who tried to abduct Aminda Lakmal, a lecturer attached to Sri Jayawardanapura university, on Thursday ( August 5) while he was travelling in a bus with the others” JDS tweeted.
Today, JDS tweeted that the “Student Convener of Inter-University Students Federation Wasantha Mudalige has been arrested by the police short while ago as he was leaving the Sirasa TV station studio after taking part in a TV talkshow on militarisation of higher education.”
