Buddhist students oppose Muslim admissions

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 October 1999, 12:50 GMT]
More than 3000 students of Ananda and Nalanda Colleges and Buddhist monks demonstrated this morning in Colombo protesting against a demand by the leader of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC), Mohammed Ashraff, stating that 20 percent of the seats at Ananda College be allocated to Muslim students.

The demonstration took place in front of the Ananda College from 8.30 to 10.45 this morning. Ananda and Nalanda Colleges are leading Buddhist schools in Colombo.

The demonstrators shouted slogans against the SLMC and its leader

The demonstrators also shouted slogans against a new legislation for 'equal opportunity', which was to have been presented in parliament this morning.

However, senior government minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake announced in the house this morning that the new bill will not be presented today, as there are wide spread protests from the pubic against it.

Meanwhile SLMC leaders will meet in Colombo this evening to discuss whether the party should continue to support the government.

The SLMC is an allay of the ruling People's Alliance and its leader holds the post of Minister of Port Development and Shipping in the government.