‘Lawyers for Democracy’ condemns the brutal attack on university students for demonstrating and the subsequent assault and torture at the Slave Island police station causing physical injury to some of the students. We reiterate the fundamental rights of students to protest or demonstrate in a peaceful manner. We deplore the actions of the police in recent times to use physical force to prevent protests and demonstrations. The illegal actions by the police in violation of fundamental rights guaranteed under the constitution and the impunity with which, these actions are committed in serious violation of the rule of law is of deep concern towards.
The attitude of the police in treating demonstrating students as criminals and attacking them inhumanly has to be condemned as serious violations of fundamental rights.
It is regrettable to see the Ministry of Higher Education treating students as their enemies and acting in a manner that call for confrontation instead of trying to understand and accommodate the grievances of the students and move towards reconciliation of the complicit instead of taking the precipitous path of confrontation.
Lal Wijenayake
Convener Lawyers for Democracy
‘Lawyers for Democracy (LfD) is a representative body of legal practitioners throughout the island. Conveners include Lal Wijenayake, Chandrapala Kumarage, J. C. Weliamuna, K. S. Ratnavale, Sudath Netthisinghe, Sudarshana Gunawardana. It was established on 10th December 2009’.
