The General Students’ Union or Faculty Student Unions of the University of Peradeniya have been completely banned from gathering students, holding meetings, addressing students, etc., for a period of one week.
The Vice-Chancellor of the University has informed the President of the General Students’ Union and all the Faculty Student Union Presidents in writing of this.
The relevant letter has also informed that disciplinary action will be taken against all those who act against this.
The statement issued by the Inter-University Students’ Federation expressing protest in this regard is as follows:
We condemn the suspension of the convening of the General Students’ Union and Faculty Student Unions by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Peradeniya!
The Vice-Chancellor has taken an arbitrary decision to suspend the convening of the Peradeniya General Students’ Union and Faculty Student Unions for a period of one week from 15/01/2025. Since such incidents have become very common in the University of Peradeniya, it is a very clear fact that student freedom is being lost in the university. The establishment of student unions is a right granted to students through the University Act itself, and the right to assemble, speak, and express opinions is considered fundamental rights even by the Constitution. Such violations of democracy, which are carried out under the pretext of the powers vested in the Vice-Chancellor, cannot be approved at all. It should be clearly stated that such actions of the administration serve the needs of the existing governments. A few days ago, the administration also canceled a lecture organized by a certain political organization, citing the reason that the lecture was organized under a topic that was critical of the government.
When this government came to power, it stated that it was a government of the common people. That democracy would be further established in the country. However, a few days ago, the Minister of Justice bowing his head and presenting awards to Emil Ranjan Lamahewa, who was accused of brutally murdering several prisoners in the Welikada Prison in 2012, also shows the extent of this government’s vision of democracy. We, as the Inter-University Student Federation, strongly condemn this violation of student rights and the ban on student union meetings, which is an act of the state repression mechanism itself. The current National People’s Power government cannot remain indifferent to such arbitrary interventions. Stop trying to cover your tracks by saying “we have nothing to do with this” and stop this arbitrary interference by the administrations in the universities without delay.
Inter-University Student Federation
