Jaffna undergrads want President's portrait removed from university

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 August 2004, 16:27 GMT]
Arts Faculty Students Union (AFSU) in the Jaffna University Wednesday decided to request the Vice Chancellor to remove the photograph of the Sri Lanka's President Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge from the university common hall as a protest to the occupation of civilian houses and agricultural lands in several parts of the peninsula by the Sri Lanka Army, sources said.

Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge is the Commander-in-Chief of the three armed forces in the country.

AFSU has given two reasons for its request to remove Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge's photograph from the university.

"The first reason is that she is the Commander-in-Chief of the three armed forces including the Sri Lanka Army, which occupies residential areas and agricultural lands of several thousand internally displaced families in Jaffna district in the name of high security zones.

"The second reason is that Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge has wilfully ignoring the demand of establishing an interim administrative structure in the northeast province.

"Hence AFSU of the Jaffna University decides to request the VC to remove the photograph of Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge from the varsity common hall as a protest," the resolution adopted at the meeting of the AFSU held Wednesday states.

On a special directive issued by the Sri Lankan government following the capture of Jaffna by the Sri Lanka Army in 1996, photograph of Ms Chandrika Kumaratunge is displayed in all government departments.