The Sri Lanka Police has apologized to the administration of the University of Colombo for firing tear gas into the university premises while dispersing a protest march yesterday (07).
The Inter-University Student’s Federation (IUSF) conducted a protest march in Colombo yesterday and due to being prevented from entering several roads in Colombo, the protesters had gathered near the Colombo University.
As the Police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse the protesters some had taken refuge inside the Colombo University premises due to which the Police had continued firing tear gas and water canons inside the university.
Members of the university administration and some students had confronted high-ranking Police officers on duty at the site and requested them to stop as some students who were undergoing lectures had been hospitalized after being affected by the tear gas.
The Police thereafter extended their apologies to the administration staff and university students who had not been involved in the protest.
Meanwhile, President’s Counsel Saliya Peiris has called for action to be taken against the Police officers involved in the incident.
He said in a statement on social media that Professor Wasantha Seneviratne of the Law Faculty of the Colombo University has strongly condemned the tear gas attack yesterday by the Police on the students inside the Law Faculty of the University of Colombo.
“I hope the University authorities including the Vice Chancellor and the Dean of the Law Faculty will take a cue from Professor Seneviratne and take a strong position against this type of conduct by the Sri Lanka Police and insist that these errant officers be dealt with immediately,” he added.
Senior Lawyer Saliya Peiris added that unfortunately, the police have a sad history of impunity and as a result, there is a loss of public confidence in them. (NewsWire)