The government is now conducting a manhunt to apprehend those who took part in illegal protests, says the General Secretary of the JVP Tilvin Silva. He was speaking at a media briefing convened at the party headquarters yesterday (6th) to protest against the government’s crackdown on protesters in the past few days. The full text of Mr Tilvin Silva’s speech at the press conference is as follows:
“We are holding this press conference to protest against the repressive process being followed by the government. There have been several protests in recent days for justifiable reasons. The Kotelawala Act led to a just campaign against the privatization and militarization of education and the elimination of the unresolved salary disparity between principals and teachers, and the issue of fertilizer. Instead of listening to those protests and giving fair answers, the government is tempted to form a public opinion against the protests on the one hand and to isolate and hunt down the activists participating in the protests on the other. This is a very serious matter. These peaceful protests are being held using the constitutional rights of the people. Teachers, lecturers and students are exercising that right conferred by the Constitution. In recent days we have seen some steps taken to suppress instead of listening to the just demands of the protesters. The convener of the Inter-University Students Federation, Wasantha Mudali, who came out after participating in a televised conversation last night (05) was arrested in front of the media institution without at least forwarding an arrest warrant. The police arrested him without a court warrant. This is abduction on the part of democracy. This situation must be defeated.
Also, several people who were involved in the protest organized by the People’s Movement Against Militarization of Education yesterday afternoon were arrested. It was a peaceful protest by trade unions, mass organizations and university professors taking strict preventive measures against the Corona situation. The President of the Jayewardenepura University Students’ Union who was attending the protest was arrested. A student of the University of Kelaniya was arrested at the end of the protest. Also, a group of plainclothes people had stopped a returning bus of lecturers at the University of Jayewardenepura and tried to abduct them, acting like a gang in Chicago attempting to abduct people for ransom.
Protesting is not illegal. Therefore, the police have no legal authority to arrest protesters. On the other hand, if there is a violation of the law at the place of protest, arrests should be made there. Instead, they go after vehicles, look at their faces, plan and hunt. They have no right to abduct or hunt down people. What the government is doing now is hunting down protesters. This is a dire situation. Without stopping there, they are going to the homes of the leaders of the protest and carrying out an intimidating process. They have visited the house of the President of the Peradeniya University Students’ Union. Earlier, they had visited the house of Comrade Mahinda Jayasinghe, the Ceylon Teachers Services Union leader. The teachers who were on their way back after the Teachers’ Principals’ agitation in Colombo on the 4th were arrested in several places.
The Dematagoda, Peliyagoda and Wellawatte police have not even been able to state the charges against the principals and teachers arrested in this manner. Those arrested are being held by the Ports Police. They should be in the same police station where they were arrested. Detention in the Port Police is a misdemeanour detention. Even lawyers are not allowed to go to the meet them. The fundamental right to legal assistance was also violated. They are not terrorists that were captured. They should be shown to their relatives. Those arrested under the common law are detained without even being allowed to see lawyers. What the government is trying to do is to create fear. The government is trying to suppress the struggle through that. The government of Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the police of Sarath Weerasekara are isolating and hunting down those who are fighting for just rights. When Piumi Hansamali was taken to be quarantined, the Minister in charge of the police diverted the buses and took some clothes. The Minister did not even allow the teachers to be visited after they were arrested. Teachers have special needs.
The law has been violated by not even allowing them to get the clothes they had been wearing the whole day changed. One rule for those who they like and another rule for those whom they dislike! What is happening now releasing criminals give them positions but suppress all those who fight for their rights. We ask the citizens of this country whether this was what they expected when they brought Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa to power. We call on society to oppose this. This situation can start with teachers, principals, student leaders. But it will end up going to everyone’s house. So this has to be defeated.
Before the protests, they went to court to obtain restraining orders. However, the court did not issue such orders. The Constitution does not provide the right to prevent protests. The court did not take into account any of the allegations made against those arrested by the police. So they were released on personal bail. A person from the Attorney General’s Department requested the court to remand them in custody. They also demanded the protesters to be quarantined. The court rejected both. They were released on bail. It is illegal to detain and arrest those who have taken part in legal protests. The government is using the police to carry out illegal activities. They are moving in the direction of losing the people who created them. About 70% of the teachers who participated in the protests voted for Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Acting to suppress their protests is a loss of their base. In the village, there is a saying that salt is formed by water and salt is dissolved in water. The government is moving against the people who put it on the throne. We believe that the same people who had Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the throne will remove him from the throne shortly.
According to the law in the country, the police should come in uniform to arrest a person, file a charge or issue a warrant for the arrest. But what is being done now is to come in civilian clothes and show the shadows of the white van culture. If abducted, police say they have not taken. This is a very serious situation. The government will create another battleground by repressing those who agitate for justice. In addition to the protests of students, teachers and teachers who are struggling for just demands, those who struggle against police repression would unite. We ask whether the government wants to escalate the struggles or provide solutions to the just issues of the people. Struggles cannot be stopped by repression. That has never happened anywhere in the world. Repression always creates new battles. It will increase the intensity of struggles. New groups will come into the field of struggle. Therefore, the government should immediately stop this repression and listen to the voices of those who are carrying out just agitations. It’s not a big deal. The Kotalawala Act, which everyone rejects, can be repealed. It has been withdrawn twice so far. If the government says that this bill will not be brought, the protests against it will stop. Very simple.
The struggle would have stopped if a system had been put in place to address the issue of salary anomalies of teachers and principals. Teachers do not ask for the sun, moon and stars. If the government tries to suppress the agitations in support of these demands by using the police, it could lead to a wave that would overthrow the government. The government is trying to suppress protests by pointing out the corona situation and the corona is spreading due to the arrogant behaviour of the government. The government is trying to protect the businesses of the racketeers around them rather than human lives. They try to spread that protests are spreading corona but are going to bring in tourists from Russia. They don’t even get the PCR. Not even ready to do it. Who took steps to open the country recently? A corona is a resource for the government. They like to have corona. They show the corona and shut the mouths of the people and do all the anti-people things.
On the other hand, the rights of the people are not given. Also, nearly 100 people a day die from corona and no facilities are provided. The government is behaving irresponsibly. Before the teachers’ protests began, people gathered regularly at weddings, spas, and fairs. In addition, all public servants were called to work from Monday.
Public servants have to travel in jam-packed public transport. Not enough transportation. But protesters are trying to stay a meter away. That gap cannot be kept in buses and trains. The government wants to show corona and form a public opinion against groups that struggle for their just demands.
The government is behaving in a way that makes no sense. The government is behaving idiotically. From the 2nd, all public servants will be called to work, and on the 5th, the call for pregnant mothers will be stopped. On the other hand, two stages were issued a gazette notification to call public servants for work. It takes action as a government with no consciousness. However, the government had to reverse all its gazettes as well as other measures.
A country cannot be administered in this manner. When Mr Gotabaya Rajapaksa came to power, people expected a foresightful regime with experts who would take far-reaching decisions. What has happened now is that today’s gazette will be changed tomorrow. The repression launched by the government to cover up these shortcomings should be stopped immediately. No one protests with unreasonable demands.
We demand an immediate end to the repression and abductions of those who participated in protests. We invite the people to unite to defeat the arbitrary, stupid repressive process. We also warn the government that this is a way to lose the throne. We warn that day is not far when the same people who kept Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and the Rajapaksa family on the throne would remove them from the throne.”
