Jaffna student killing: Academics, civil society call for police reforms and tough measures

Sunday, October 30, 2016

Condemnation continued to pour in yesterday over the killing of two Jaffna University students allegedly by policemen on patrol, with university teachers and civil society activists calling for police reforms and tough measures to prevent recurrence.Twenty-four-year-old Wijayakumar Sulakshan of Kandarodai in Jaffna and 23-year-old Nadarasa Gajan of Kilinochchi were killed on October 21 when police allegedly fired on their motorcycle for failing to follow instructions to stop.

University teachers in a statement said the police officers who were tasked with the responsibility of maintaining public peace had arbitrarily assumed powers of authority that went far beyond their function.The university teachers demanded steps should be taken to make police accountable to the public for acts of violence and urged the review of the decision to arm the police.

The academics noted that although the end of the war and the change of government in 2015 created relatively greater democratic space where discussion, debate and dissent could thrive, the situation on the ground was far from rosy.

“There is little evidence of improvement in people’s lives, and aggressive neo-liberal economic policies pushed through in the name of development and reconciliation are a matter of grave concern. There is no policy on resettlement and rehabilitation and the marginalised people are in a perpetual state of destitution; arbitrary arrests and disappearance are still not uncommon; and the experience of the people demonstrates that the post-war period is still entrenched in violence and the questionable conduct of those in governance and the armed forces,” the statement said.

Calling for a speedy inquiry into the killings, the academics urged the Government to begin a demilitarisation process in the North and East that falls within a broader exercise of demilitarisation in the rest of the country. They also called for a repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and said new legislation to replace it should conform to democratic principles.

Signed by 113 individuals and 12 organisations, the civil society statement pointed out that the relevant policemen were only arrested after an outcry by local groups in response to an initial cover-up attempt. They demand an independent, impartial and fast-tracked judicial process.

“The incident also highlights the role of the police and the shortcomings of their conduct, a point also highlighted by the Inspector General (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara,” their statement says. “We call on the authorities to urgently revisit specific law and order arrangements and security procedures, including on the use of firearms, in the north and east, as part of an overall assessment of procedures in Sri Lanka.”

“We also note the issues of police inaction, delays and abuses require systemic changes and as such call on the authorities to initiate reforms within the police, security and justice sector,” they maintain. “It is also paramount that the National Police Commission inquires into this incident and initiates necessary reforms and action within the police.”

They expressed concern about discussions among authorities “to broaden the powers of the police in the guise of counter terrorism and reduce checks and balances, contrary to the need for reforms within a rights framework and in adherence to Sri Lanka’s commitments to protecting the rights of all its citizens”.
They expressed support for the peaceful protests that occurred across Sri Lanka in response to the killings, saying there was a critical and urgent need for justice and the immediate end to the existing culture of impunity. “The authorities must heed this call,” they said.