- Focus on provision of health facilities, continued academic activities
The Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) held a discussion yesterday (22) with the Prisons Department regarding the provision of necessary health facilities to IUSF activists and other university students who are currently in remand custody for various reasons and the resolution of issues they face in continuing academic activities.
Speaking to the media following the discussion, IUSF Convenor Wasantha Mudalige claimed that several IUSF activists, including the Kelaniya University’s Students’ Union President Kelum Mudannayake and fourth-year Students' Union Leader Dilshan Harshana, and several students of the Sabaragamuwa University, are currently in remand custody on unfair charges.
“We met Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya and discussed the wellbeing of IUSF activists and university students who are in remand custody. Mudannayake and Harshana have been detained in the Mahara Prison for over 75 days, but there are no charges or evidence against them. They are being detained as per the Government’s need. In addition, 12 students of the Sabaragamuwa University have been detained at the Kuruwita Prison for more than a month.”
Accusing the Government of having created numerous issues with the intention of imprisoning students following the “aragalaya” (the people's movement to overthrow the Government led by then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa), Mudalige claimed that the academic activities of students in remand custody have now been disrupted due to the lack of facilities to study, such as internet facilities and books. During the discussion, he said that Upuldeniya had agreed to discuss with the relevant authorities to provide the necessary facilities for those detained to continue their studies.
“Due to the ‘aragalaya’, in which we played a significant role, the former Government had to go home. Therefore, the Government led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe started suppressing student movements. We were arrested and detained under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act (PTA) for no reason. The suppressive programme that is currently being carried out against students is the second phase of that programme. Therefore, we will continue this battle not just until they are provided with facilities to continue studies, but until they are released,” he said.
The IUSF was at the forefront of the “aragalaya” which demanded the resignation of then-President Rajapaksa and his Government last year (2022). After Wickremesinghe’s election as the President following Rajapaksa’s resignation, Mudalige and several others were arrested during a protest in Colombo, and three of them, including Mudalige, were subsequently placed in detention under the PTA. They were then released by the respective courts as they were not found guilty of any offence under the PTA. In addition to them, several other IUSF activists and university students are now being held in remand custody over charges pertaining to incidents of protests and ragging.