Unseen hand behind Jaffna university protests

JAFFNA: Increasing number of parents and students of the University of Jaffna are getting frustrated with the disturbing developments at the university following the appointment of the new Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole.

According to Lanka Academic of April 7, in the midst of all these disturbances, posters appeared in the vicinity of Jaffna University on Tuesday night, giving a chilling warning to the Jaffna University Senate members.

The intimidating poster published in the name of the 'patriotic community of the University' showed the photos of the University Senate members.

The poster was also published in several LTTE web sites in Tamil. Under the caption 'Who are the 15 traitors who voted for Hoole? You have to step down immediately.

Else you will be identified, exposed and receive the 'ultimate punishment'.

Five of the Senate members' photographs were replaced with the 'skull and bone' symbols.

In the posters skull and crossbones appear instead of the photographs of Rasathurai, Kanakanathan, Sivanantharasa, Arasaratnam and Arumugam.

The photographs are that of Mohanadhas, Sivachandran, Thevarajah, Sivapalan, Kumaravadivel, Kandasamy, Mrs. Mahaeswaran, Jebanesan, Romakeswaran Nandhakumar, Kanes Poornachandran, Mrs. Abhimaniasingham, Thirchitramplam, Gnanaprakasam, Sunderalingam Gopalakrishnan, Kulanayagam and Nithiyananthan.

Meanwhile residents in Jaffna say it is only a vocal minority of students who are causing these problems, while the majority of students are eager to continue with their studies.

Speaking to the students, it is clear who is behind this carefully coordinated intimidation campaign.

"These student leaders receive instructions from Kilinochchi. They are trying to close down the University" said a student in the Science faculty. Several parents echoed this statement.

A retired school principal whose daughter is a Medical student in Jaffna told "the Tamils started fighting because we were discriminated in the University admissions.

Now after 30 years, we face the imminent danger to our education caused by our own people. This is tragic. But nobody will protest or speak out due to fear. I am really worried about the future of our children".

While the LTTE is trying to shut down the University of Jaffna and threatening the academics with death, several media reports say that the children of senior LTTE leaders including the children of the LTTE leader Prabhakaran and Thamilselvam are pursuing higher studies and professional degrees in Europe.