On the afternoon of May 08, Sri Jayewardenepura University’s second year arts student Isuru Sampath was detained and questioned by some policemen at a pedestrian crossing near Galle Face, Colombo.

After he was freed, police had again gone after him, got him to alight from the bus he was travelling in, and took him away by force for further questioning, they charged.

The IUSF says he has been warned not to engage in student activities any further.

IUSF convener Najith Indika says nearly 20 student leaders and activists, mostly from Kelaniya, Sri Jayewardenepura, Rajarata and Wayamba universities, had been interrogated by police and intelligence quarters in the past few weeks.

Men in civics claiming themselves to be from the police had gone to the homes of some students and threatened their parents to abandon hopes for their children if they continued to take part in student protests.

In addition, 18 other students have been issued summons to appear before courts, while four student monks at Kelaniya University were ordered to report to the police crime division on May 17, said the IUSF.

Two other students have been remanded for their presence at a bhikku protest march on April 29.

FUTA president Dr. Prabhath Jayasinghe said they strongly condemned the current repression of students, which they had not expected from the present government.

He noted that the major crisis facing the entire education system cannot be resolved by abducting and detaining students.

Two days ago, Ceylon Mercantile Union secretary Sylvester Jayakody told the media that they knew beforehand that similar to the Rajapaksa regime, the Sirisena administration too, would crack down on the working people and students.

He extended fullest support of his union to students in order to defeat the government attempt to repress students, jdslanka.org reports.