Instead of releasing Wasantha and Siridamma Thero, police crackdown and waste of country’s money

The conveners of the Inter-University Student and Bhikkhu Corps, who have been detained for 90 days, have not yet been released. Many local and foreign organizations had urged the government to release them. Yesterday several protests were held across Colombo demanding the release of both of them and all the people detained under the PTA. The police responded to the protesters with water cannons and tear gas attacks.

Two Students leaders Wasntha Mudalige and Galvewa Siridhamma Thero who were detained  under the order obtained on the approval of President Ranil Wickremesinghe as the Defense Minister, was remanded in custody in the evening of November 17 due to the strong pressure of Sri Lanka Human Rights Organization, United Nations’ Amnesty International (AI)  and other local and foreign organizations and civil organizations.

After being brought before the court by the Anti-Terrorism Division, the Additional Magistrate of Colombo ordered the remand of the two as per an order made on Thursday evening without a knowledge of any one from the side of Wasantha and Siridhamma Thero.

After being arrested in accordance with the Prevention of Terrorism Act, they were detained and investigated in Tangalle Old Jail for almost three months.

Yesterday, 18th November, the police and Special Task Force (STF) took brutal steps to disperse several protests in Colombo organized by the Inter-University Council to demand the release of Inter-University Student Federation Convener Wasantha Mudalige and Inter-University Monks Federation Convener Ven. Galwewa Siridhamma Thero, who have been detained for 90 days under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The Security Forces aimed with Gas and water attacks on them. Civil society activists, mass organizations and union representatives also participated in it.

Brutal attacks launched by the Police and STF, chasing each other along on even cross streets, were strongly condemned by the people walking in the streets as well as in the houses on both sides of the road.

“Does this government have so much money to deploy such large police and security teams and use such water attacks and tear gas? It is such an ugly way to waste money that could provide relief to the people of the country,” said several people.

At a moment police has suppressed all the marches without any legal reason, and in the face of all these suppressions, several protests were launched in several areas throughout the city of Colombo yesterday challenging that police suppression.

But the protests were continue in groups demanding the immediate release of their two leaders and all those detained under the PTA.

Terence Rodrigo, Acting Convener of the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF), speaking during the protest, said that the plan to detain Wasantha and Reverend Siridhamma is still not finished. They are looking to somehow detain these two for another five or six month.

Also he said that ” Police had warned us that we cannot allow protests and marches to go on until now. But today we have done and shown how to do the things that were said to be impossible.”

“It is a very serious situation to park armed police vehicles in front of the Colombo office of the United Nations and launch an attacks.” said so some representatives of civil organizations and asked that “we are asking the resident representative of the United Nations Organization in Colombo, if it is possible to do so?” they said.

With no justifiable attention from the TID on Wasanth and the Siridhamma Himi they got sick and had faced with terrible situation in their detained period. Siridhamma Thero was down with dengue and Wasantha faced with a critical skin decease.