FMJD : Déclaration de solidarité avec le mouvement étudiant du Sri Lanka

WFDY statement of solidarity with the Sri Lankan Student Movement

In Sri Lanka free education has been granted up to the end of university education. During the last regime for the first time a private medical college call SAITM, which sell degrees in medicine for 100,000 USD, was established. From the time of its establishment the student movement, university lecturers, Sri Lanka Medical Council and other several civil societies raise their voices against this private medical college. However, regardless these controversies, this private medical college have been continued with the blessings of the government. The quality and the standard of the students of this college is highly questionable.

Therefore, Sri Lankan student movement is highly against this and students are organizing several types of protests against this. Simultaneously, boycotts are now being continued in front of every state medical faculty in Sri Lanka passing almost 125 days. During the visit of the president of WFDY to Sri Lanka on behalf of the HQ in last February, the Inter medical faculty action committee of Srilanka handed over a report to the World Federation of Democratic Youth regarding this matter.

Last 28th April 2016, medical students and other students of State Universities in Sri Lanka marched in massive numbers urging government to abolish the illegal private medical college, SAITM and during this march police started ruthlessly attacking students using water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets purposely targeting right towards the students causing injuries to students. Three student activists sustained severe injuries.

WFDY vehemently condemn the brutal attack on the students and expresses its firm solidarity to Sri Lankan student movement with their demands and their rightful struggle. WFDY demand Sri Lankan authorities to stop all kinds of suppression against student’s movement which has been a characteristic of consecutive Srilankan authorities for years.

WFDY HQ,

Budapest, May 17, 2016