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IUSF files HRCSL complaint; Court rejects Police request

26 Apr 2022

BY Pamodi Waravita and Buddhika Samaraweera The Inter University Students Federation (IUSF) yesterday (25) filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) against the Government’s alleged attempts to restrict their freedom to protest on 24 April, while the Colombo Additional Magistrate rejected a request made by the Kollupitiya Police to remove a group of protestors from outside the Temple Trees. The IUSF was engaged in a protest march through Colombo to “GotaGoGama” at Galle Face Green, and claims their freedoms were infringed upon. “We organised a large protest march on 24 April. On 23 April, the Colombo Fort Police asked for an injunction order from the Court, but the Court rejected it. Because of this, the Government used the Police to try and stop the protest. On President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s orders, the Police closed all roads to the Galle Face Green. So, all people, protestors or otherwise, were affected, as their daily actions were impacted,” said IUSF Convener Wasantha Mudalige, addressing the media outside the HRCSL. Mudalige noted that last year, IUSF activists were arrested during a protest on allegations that they caused damage to roads, which constitute public property.  “The same Police, on 24 April, erected permanent barriers, drilling iron poles into the roads. This is not private property of the Rajapaksas,” he charged. “These barriers restricted our right to protest and the right to movement. This Government has no US dollars, but had purchased new equipment like gas masks to prevent the protest on 24 April. Some of the barriers had spikes about two-and-a-half inches long. This could have caused serious harm to anyone. This is a question of democracy,” said Mudalige. He further said that Police officers had visited some of the student activists’ homes prior to the protest. “Police officers visited Rajarata University Student Union President Heshan Harshana’s house on 24 April at 2 a.m. and stayed there until afternoon. They did not allow his sibling to go to work, and tried to obtain a confession from his mother. These are all points we told the HRCSL yesterday,” he said. Despite several barricades, including those with hidden spikes at some locations, along some roads leading to “GotaGoGama” at Galle Face Green, the IUSF protest march still reached the Green via alternative routes on 24 April, after stopping in front of the Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 7 residence of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, where they wrote protest slogans on his wall. Meanwhile, Colombo Additional Magistrate Harshana Kekunawela yesterday rejected a request made by the Kollupitiya Police to issue an order to evacuate those who were engaged in a protest in front of the Temple Trees in Kollupitiya. The Additional Magistrate rejected the Police request, and asked the Police to exercise their powers only if the protestors were acting in a manner that would cause public distress in the area. Kekunawela also stated that he could not issue orders for requests being made without naming a specific group that is participating in the protest. A group of people are currently engaged in a protest in front of the Temple Trees, which is the official residence of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, since 24 April, demanding the resignation of Premier Rajapaksa and the Cabinet of Ministers. The Kollupitiya Police had requested the Court to issue an order to evacuate the protesters claiming that the protestors had caused inconvenience to the people using the pavement in the area. The said protest is being launched in support of the protest against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Premier Rajapaksa, and the incumbent Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna-led Government at the Galle Face Green, since 9 April.


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