Student signature campaign suspended

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 February 2001, 12:02 GMT]
A signature campaign, organised by the students of Vavuniya campus of Jaffna University, appealing to the British Government not to proscribe the Liberation Tigers under the Terrorism Act was suspended Wednesday morning following intervention by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Police said student sources. The police detained three students who were collecting signatures around 10.30 a.m. Wednesday and confiscated a list containing about 500 signatures, the sources said.

The students were released following intervention by the Vice Chancellor of the campus, Mr.S.Mohanathas.

Meanwhile the Sri Lanka Army has also warned students that severe actions will be taken against them if they campaign in support of the Tigers, the sources said.

On Tuesday the Vavuniya campus community sent an appeal to the British High Commission in Colombo urging its government not to proscribe the LTTE. The statement said the ban on LTTE in England will jeopardize the current peace initiative undertaken by the Norwegian government.