Police arrest Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Convenor Udul Premarathne
Published Date: 29/10/2012 (Monday)
Convenor of the Inter University Students’ Federation (IUSF) Udul Premarathne was arrested by police today. A representative of the Inter University Student’s Federation said that Premaratne was arrested when he came out after attending a discussion and press briefing at the UNP party headquarters Sirikotha.
Following the arrest of the student leader, Mr. Udul Premarathne, some human rights groups including the Tamil Information Centre and the Asian Human Rights Commission wrote to the Inspector General of Police of Sri Lanka, Mr. Mahinda Balasuriya urging him not to subject Mr. Premarathne to illegal use of police powers. As torture is endemic in almost all police stations in the country there is real concern that Premarathne may be mistreated.
It was unclear on what charges Mr Premarathne was arrested. It was reported that he was arrested this morning on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by a magistrate in Colombo.
The government is currently progressing in a suppressive policy in the university system by suspending over 220 university students, imprisoning 26 students and shutting down faculties in many institutions and furthermore has taken universities such as Rajarata under complete police control.
Speaking to the media at a press conference held at the UNP headquarters–Srikotha earlier today (29 October 2010) he stated that, we as the Inter University Students Federation have decided to join hands with as many opposition forces as possible in order to fight against this approach by the government.
“We requested the countries opposition parties to provide us with an opportunity to discuss and inform them on the current situation and under this we had a discussion with representative of the United National Party today” Premarathne said.
Not only with other parties of the opposition but there are also government Ministers and MPs who don’t agree with creating such a situation inside universities and we plan to hold discussions with them too, he further added.
“The government has currently captured the students’ movement in a guillotine and is attempting to execute and crush it, but will the government’s guillotine be silenced with the execution of the student’s movement alone?” He posed his questioned to the public.
