Students' Association condemns SLA intimidation in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 November 2003, 17:09 GMT]
The International Students' Association of Tamil Eelam (ISATE) Sunday condemned SLA's continued intimidation of students and said the chauvinist policy of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Sri Lanka Police has been the root cause for the growth of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and its demand for police, judicial powers for the proposed interim self governing authority for the northeast province.

"We vehemently condemn the intimidatory actions of the SLA currently being adopted in the Jaffna district to thwart steps taken by Tamil people to celebrate the Great Heroes Day on a grand scale," said Mr.S.Gajendran, President of the ISATE in a press release issued Sunday evening.

The ISATE issued the press statement in response to several incidents that had taken place in several parts of Jaffna peninsula due to the unwanted interference of the SLA and police, civil sources said.

The SLA has been adopting a hostile approach against Tamils in the Jaffna district at a time when there is no Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and Emergency Regulations (ER) in force. This has clearly shown the chauvinist tendencies of the government troops and police.

Police personnel without uniform have involved in violence against students and people who have been constructing temporary structures such as arches and festoons for the Great Heroes Day celebrations in a peaceful way. The action of the SLA clearly violates the fundamental rights of the students and people, the ISATE said in its statement.