A collective statement by Sri Lankan students and young scholars abroad.
We the undersigned Sri Lankan students and young scholars abroad in different countries express our deep concern towards the systematic violent suppression unleashed on peaceful protesters by the Sri Lankan government during February and March 2023.
We vehemently condemn the brutal attacks on the university students protesting peacefully and the military and police violently entering the University of Colombo and the University of Kelaniya premises on the 07th of March 2023 and 08th of March 2023, respectively.
The Sri Lankan government led by President Ranil Wickremasinghe has been systematically dismantling the democratic process and institutions of the country in the recent past.
The local government elections scheduled to be held in March 2023 have been sabotaged; democratic dissent has been criminalised and brutally oppressed. The government must ensure free and fair elections and space for dissent is protected. It is unacceptable to brutalise the education spaces such as universities and attack peaceful students engaged in learning.
Therefore, we strongly demand the Sri Lankan government conduct an independent inquiry into the incidents of the military and police forcefully entering the University of Kelaniya and the University of Colombo. We also invite all democratic forces in Sri Lanka to join hands to protect the democratic rights of the Sri Lankan citizens to dissent and free and fair timely elections.
Signed by
1 Saman Halgamuge
Australia
2 Y. Wijesinghe
Australia
3 Dharini Gunawardena
Australia
4 Thusitha Lakshani Kella Gamage
Australia
5 Asela Perera
Australia
6 Sabrina Symons
Australia
7 Milinda Gunasena
Australia
8Ruwan De Silva
Australia
9 Manjula Rathnabharathie
Australia
10
Thilanga Fonseka
Australia
11
EMS Wijeratne
Australia
12
Sena Seneviratne
Australia
13
Shanaka Amarasinghe
Australia
14
sami dasanayaka
Australia
15
Sesath Jayasundara
Australia
16
Prasad Wimalasiri
Australia
17
Dhammika Kandanaarachchi
Australia
18
prasad silva
Australia
19
Hasitha Samaradiwakara
Australia
20
Niradha Chandrasena
Australia
21
Vipuli Goonasekera
Australia
22
Ranna Gunasekera
Australia
23
Iroshi Deliwala
Australia
24
Tharanga Heenkende
Australia
25
Devendra Chelliah
Australia
26
Nimeera Gunasena
Australia
27
Sasanka Peiris
Australia
28
Upali Ileperuma
Australia
29
Saman Liyanaarachchi
Australia
30
Gajaba Silva
Australia
31
Mohamed Haniffa
Australia
32
Edrich Dole
Australia
33
Bathiya Jayarathna
Australia
34
Fr Sunil De Silva
Australia
35
Pushpa Ratnayake
Australia
36
Oshadika GUNAWARDHANA
Australia
37
Parakrama Bokalawela
Australia
38
Sunil Weerasooriya
Australia
39
Sudarshen Ekanayake
Australia
40
Fernando Lakkhana
Australia
41
Lalith Chularathna
Australia
42
Anura Manchanayake
Australia
43
Ari Pitipana
Australia
44
Jagath Balage
Australia
45
Sanath Balasooriya
Bangladesh
46
Vibusha Madanayake
Canada
47
NIMANTHA Narampanawa
Canada
48
Indeewari Bandara
Canada
49
Pradeep Sangapala
Canada
50
Ravindu Siriwardena
Canada
51
bhagya fernando
Canada
52
Harsha Weerasinghe
Canada
53
Shiki Ranasinghe
Canada
54
Chandrarathna Bandara
Canada
55
Rashmila Bandara
Canada
56
Pramod De SILVA
Canada
57
Ethige De Silva
Canada
58
Darshana Edirisinghe
Canada
59
Shashika Karunarathna
Canada
60
Mahesha Bandara
Canada
61
Nirmala Udagedara
Canada
62
prasad ratnayaka
Canada
63
thanura kannangara
Canada
64
kalpani Perera
Canada
65
Sujani Rathnayake
Canada
66
Alexander Edirisinghe
Canada
67
Romain Christina
Finland
68
Keshala Hediwaththege
Finland
69
Moksha Amaradasa
Finland
70
Chaminda Gautamadasa
France
71
Nadishan Ruwan
Germany
72
Kaushalya Kumarasinghe
India
73
Ruchira Nishshanka
India
74
Rumesh Silva
Iraq
75
MANGALA KURUKULASURIYA
Italy
76
Anthony Upekha
Japan
77
Kanishka Aberathna
Latvia
78
Pradeep Gunarathne
Maldives
79
Senevirathna Danuthara
Maldives
80
Asanthika Imbulpitiya
New Zealand
81
Sam Halpagoda
New Zealand
82
Shirekha Layangani
New Zealand
83
Nisitha Padmawansa
New Zealand
84
Bawantha Indrajith
New Zealand
85
Nalaka Lamahewa
New Zealand
86
Hasini Liyanage (Norway)
Norway
87
Chandana Ratnayake
Norway
88
Mohamed Faslan
Poland
89
Ignatius Pieris
Portugal
90
Aruna Ruwan Kumara
Qatar
91
Kaushalya Athapattu
Qatar
92
Yohan Geeth Gamage
Qatar
93
Jeewantha Athapaththu
Qatar
94
Sachinda Piyarathna
Qatar
95
W Shirani Abeydasa
Qatar
96
Jeewani Methayas
Qatar
97
Tilakasiri Ekanayaka
Qatar
98
Chandana Ekanayaka
Saudi Arabia
99
Ajith Costa
Saudi Arabia
100
Vish Sousa
Singapore
101
Asela Kulathunga
Singapore
102
Kasun Kariyawasam
Singapore
103
Suneth Abayarathna
Singapore
104
Bodhini samaratunga
Sweden
105
Emashi Muthumudalige
Sweden
106
Ramsi Chand
Sweden
107
Ravindra Goonawardena
Thailand
108
A. Kambathason Arumugam
UK
109
Malani Weerasooriya
UK
110
Amila Nishantha
UK
111
Yasith Dilantha
UK
112
Waradas Thiyagaraja
UK
113
Suresh Ranasinghe
UK
114
Terans Muhandiram
UK
115
SISIRA DENIPITIYA
UK
116
Mathieu Soetens
UK
117
Yomal Jayasundara
UK
118
sanath vithanage
UK
119
Geshni Gunasekera
UK
120
Menaka Gamage
UK
121
Malith Disala
UK
122
Roshen Fernando
UK
123
Mohamed Fuzly
UK
124
Anne Wannakuwatte waduge fernando
UK
125
Hashan De Silva
UK
126
Nilanka Peiris
UK
127
Andi Schubert
UK
128
Jean Pedder
UK
129
Kaushalya Herath
UK
130
Preethi Samaradiwakara Smith
UK
131
Sharmini Dias
UK
132
Shashini Peiris
UK
133
Chulananda Goonasekera
UK
134
Prasadika Sewwandi
UK
135
Shanika Jayasekara
UK
136
Amali Wedagedara
US
137
udana ariyaratne
US
138
Niluka Brandon
US
139
Hasinee Neranjana Atigala Atigala Widanalage
US
140
Tharindu Malintha
US
141
gayathri rannulu
US
142
liyanage perera
US
143
Wasantha Ranawaka
US
144
Akila Ilesinghe
US
145
Darshana Perera
US
146
Manjula Jayasekara
US
147
Bisanda Maneth
US
148
Shadeesh Pathirana
US
149
Upendra Wickramasinghe
US
150
Priya Obeysekers
US
151
Jamu Hetti kankanamalage
US
152
Palani Nadarajah
US
153
Madushanka Sulochana
US
154
Madush Yapa
US
155
Tony Azeez
US
156
Lal Daswatta
US
157
Malshi Chamarasinghe
Vietnam