Demonstrations in Jaffna and Batticaloa demand release of Southern protestors

by Thusiyan
Aug 5, 2022

Demonstrations took place in Jaffna and Batticaloa today demanding the release of the General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union Joseph Stalin and other protestors who have been arrested by Sri Lankan authorities in a crackdown that has taken place in the South in recent weeks.

The demonstrations come just days after Stalin was arrested by Sri Lankan security officers. He is the latest in a series of arrests that have targeted anti-government protestors, since Ranil Wickremesinghe took office as Sri Lanka’s president.

Protestors in Jaffna held banners condemning the arrests and demanding they all be released. Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) lawmakers Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and Selvarajah Kajendran took part in the protest alongside representatives from the Ceylon Teachers’ Union and the University of Jaffna.

Another rally was held in Batticaloa, calling for Stalin’s release and condemning the government crackdown.

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