Jaffna University Teachers to boycott classes:Sri Lanka

Jaffna University Lecturers will boycott classes as a mark of protest demanding the release of four university students who are still in Sri Lankan police custody.

Jaffna university teachers' association says, a dreadful and uncertain environment is building up in the area, after having detained, the arrested four university students in Welikanda army camp.

The Jaffna University Teachers' Union said that although 7 out of the 11 students who were arrested by the Terrorism Investigations Department (TID) have been released the teachers would continue with their protest campaign until all students are released.

The Union said the teachers would return to work only after all students have been released.

Four student leaders—V. Bavanandan, P. Darshanan, Kanakasundaram Jenamejeyan, and Shanmugam Solomon—have been sent to Welikanda detention camp,

Mr Parameshwaram Thamotharan,the chairman for university teachers association said, the students are leaving the university and in some cases the country in fear of persecution.

The chairman of the teachers' association said to Media, not only students, but even parents have expressed their concern about uncertain future of the university. We already have requested several times from President Mahinda Rajapaksa and from other responsible authorities to take necessary measures to stop this situation. He further said that the authorities have turned a blind eye to the requests, we have made and instead, security forces still hunting for students.

University activities came to a standstill after police arrested 11 Jaffna University students and handed them to the TID following a clash on November 27th where the students tried to commemorate the Heroes Day-Martyr Day.