Another student activist attacked, civil society comes together in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 October 2011, 08:42 GMT]
A motorbike squad allegedly operated by the intelligence unit of the occupying Sri Lankan military Sunday night followed 27-year-old Rajavarothayan Kavirajan, a final year student at the art faculty of Jaffna University and severely attacked him and a fellow student, who were on their way from Poonakari to Paranthan near A-9 highway in Ki'linochchi district. Mr. Kavirajan was one of the student activists who organised the protest against the attack on Jaffna University Student Union president S. Thavapalasingam on 16 October. The new attack has come as the university students were continuing their strike for 8th day on Monday. In the meantime, civil society members in Jaffna got together on Monday and discussed the prevailing situation in Jaffna and resolved to take forward concerted actions in confronting the situation of terror prevailing in North and East.

Mr. Kavirajan is from Nalloor in Poonakari.

SL intelligence personnel and policemen deployed around the University at the time of the protest on 17 October videotaped the protesting students. Identifying the activists using the video, the terror squads are let loose on the student community, Jaffna University Student Union (JUSU) representatives told TamilNet.

The terror-squad caught the student activist and caused serious injuries to his face using sharp stones. The other student managed to escape from the squad with minor injuries. Mr. Kavirajan was rushed to Ki'linochchi hospital Sunday night and transferred to Jaffna hospital on Monday.

In the meantime, leading civil society members in Jaffna including religious dignitaries, former and current parliamentarians, representatives of the civic bodies, education sector officials, doctors and journalists who discussed the prevailing situation of threats against the students and the strike by students, resolved to work together beyond religious and political party identities and condemning the authorities for sustaining a situation of threat.

The meeting lasted for more than 5 hours and urged the Jaffna University Student Union to consider calling off the strike with the guarantee that the civil society would continue to meet and produce an action plan to confront the threats being faced by the people in the North and East.

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