Sampanthan condemns attack on students

By Skandha Gunasekara- 2015-11-04

Condemning the tactics of force used by the Police to suppress student protesters last week, Leader of the Opposition R. Sampanthan said the incident was the very 'antithesis of good governance'.
Sampanthan said in a special statement that the police had used brutal methods to suppress unarmed protesters who had legitimate demands.
"The entire nation saw how the police treated a peaceful protest by students. They were not armed in any way. Their demands were perfectly legitimate. While water cannons were used in accordance with law, the hunting down and beating-up of students, especially of fallen female students, by the Police, was completely unwarranted" MP Sampanthan said. He added that law enforcement officials had even attacked retreating students without mercy.
He demanded that the government take immediate and decisive action to identify the culprits so that justice could be meted out.
"We are not living in a colonial country, but in a democratic nation. The miscreants must be identified and dealt with, including the senior officials who were present on that day. There must not be a repetition of that incident."
MP Sampanthan added that the government must address the issue of student employment, especially in the North and East.