By Shivanthi fernando-Tuesday, 17 Sep 2013
Undergraduates of the Sabaragamuwa University, numbering 2,723, have sent a petition to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), requesting that normal laws prevail in the university, and to ensure their rights and the freedom to implement activities of the student union.
A report has been submitted to the HRCSL by the University, based on the inquiries held by the authorities on the students whose membership had been suspended by the university, and also consequent to requests of the Human Rights Commission in this regard, the President of the Sabaragamuwa University Students Group, Tharindu Amarasinghe, told Ceylon Today.
They have also asked in the petition that approval be granted to set up the student union of the university in accordance with Clause I of the Universities Act No. 12 of 1978, and for the HRC to inform the Vice Chancellor of the University of that Clause, as well as permit students to be represented by their leaders when disciplinary action is initiated against them.
"They had pointed out that there was a total of 51 students against whom disciplinary action had been taken, but these students did not have any students union leader to represent them," Amarasinghe said.
They also said, they have been deprived of their freedom to express themselves, their right to publication, their right to hold meetings, and social functions.
The undergraduates have also requested the HRCSL to direct the Vice Chancellor to act according to the Interim Constitution of the University.
