Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has come to learn of a case involving the assault of a student by his Pirivena teacher. Early morning on 17 July 2006 a 15-year-old student Bikku was severely assaulted by his teacher, M. Sugatharathana Thero of the Wickremasheela, Pirivena (Bikku seminary) in Bandaragama for arguing with a fellow student Bikku. Subsequently he was assaulted with fists and kicked by the said Buddhist priest.
The victim was reluctant to lodge a police complaint against his teacher in fear of being chased away from either the Pirivena or the Temple and thus deprived of his education. This type of insecurity and fear is also the main reason that physical and/or mental abuse inside such institutions of learning goes unreported and indeed unpunished. Neither their parents nor their teachers come forward to highlight the violation of the rights of their children. Neither will other students come forward to testify to such happenings due to their own fears of being deprived of their education and vocation. As a result these Bikku students are considerably vulnerable. In fact there is good cause to believe that there are many such young Bikku students who are subjected to assault and degrading treatment at the hands of their teachers.
It is important to remember that subjecting students to corporal punishment is a criminal offence in Sri Lanka. Bikku studentsdespite their religious entitydefinitely belong to the category of students and therefore physical abuse of them is in violation of their rights.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the relevant authorities listed below urging the Pirivena Education Unit of the Education Ministry and other concerned departments to bring justice to this case, to take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future and to safeguard the rights of the Bikku student.
To support this appeal, please click: 
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
SRI LANKA: Assault on a 15-year-old Bikku student by his Pirivena teacher
Name of victim: 15-year-old, Student Bikku (name withheld for security reasons), studying at the Wickremasheela, Pirivena (Bikku seminary) in Bandaragama.
Name of perpetrator: Victims teacher, Mahava Sugatharathana Thero
Date of incident: 17 July 2006
I am disturbed to learn of yet another case in Sri Lanka involving the assault of a student by his teacher. In this latest case, which occurred on 17 July 2006, a 15-year-old student Bikku was severely assaulted by his teacher, M. Sugatharathana Thero of the Wickremasheela, Pirivena (Bikku seminary) in Bandaragama for arguing with a fellow student Bikku. Subsequently he was assaulted with fists and kicked by the said Buddhist priest.
The victim was reluctant to lodge a police complaint against his teacher in fear of being chased away from either the Pirivena or the Temple and thus deprived of his education. Such fear is the main reason that physical and/or mental abuse inside such institutions of learning goes unreported and indeed unpunished. Neither parents nor teachers come forward to highlight the violation of the rights of children. Neither will other students come forward to testify to such happenings due to their own fears of being deprived of their education and vocation. As a result these Bikku students are considerably vulnerable. In fact there is good cause to believe that there are many such young Bikku students who are subjected to assault and degrading treatment at the hands of their teachers.
It is important to remember that subjecting students to corporal punishment is a criminal offence in Sri Lanka. Bikku studentsdespite their religious entitydefinitely belong to the category of students and therefore physical abuse of them is in violation of their rights. Treating them in such a manner also jeopardises their right to education as the students may fear returning to school or may be expelled if they dare report their case.
I therefore call on the relevant authorities in Sri Lanka, in particular the Pirivena Education Unit of the Education Ministry, to bring justice to this case. Steps should also be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future and to safeguard the rights of the Bikku student.
Yours sincerely,
______________________
PLEASE SEND A LETTER TO:
1. Dr. Hiranthi Wijemanne
National Child Protection Authority
330, Thalawathgoda Road
Madiwella
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 778912/13/14
Fax: +94 11 2 778975
E-mail: ncpa@childprotection.gov.lk
2. Minister for Education
Ministry of Education
SRI LANKA
Tel: + 94 11 2 785 617
Fax: + 94 11 2 784 846
3. The Provincial Director of Education
Department of Education
76, Anandakumarasamy Mawatha
Colombo 07
SRI LANKA
Fax:+ 94 11 2693894
4. Secretary
Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka
No. 36, Kynsey Road
Colombo 8
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 694 925 / 673 806
Fax: +94 11 2 694 924 / 696 470
E-mail: sechrc@sltnet.lk
5. Mr. Chandra Fernando
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440/327877
Email: chandralaw@police.lk
6. Mr. K. C. Kamalasabesan
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
Email: attorney@sri.lanka.net
7. Bo Viktor Nylun
Head of Child Protection
UNICEF Sri Lanka
P.O. Box 143, Colombo
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 555 270 (6 lines)
Fax: +94 11 2 551 333
E-mail: colombo@unicef.org
8. Mr. Jacob Egbert Doek
Chairperson
Committee on the Rights of the Child
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9022
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
