No lectures at Arts Faculty until public apology

Chaminda PERERA

COLOMBO: Colombo University Arts Faculty lecturers yesterday decided to suspend lectures, tutorial discussions and other academic activities until the students collectively extend a public apology following the incidents of violence and assault at the university premises last Wednesday.

Several student counsellors and Marshals sustained serious injuries and were admitted to the Colombo National Hospital when they were trying to stop a student unrest that erupted following an anonymous email on Wednesday.

Arts Faculty Teachers’ Association President Professor Ananda Tissa Kumara told a press briefing at the Faculty Club yesterday that they will not resume lectures or other academic activities unless students make a public apology .

According to Professor Kumara, the student unrest erupted even after the Vice Chancellor took action following an anonymous email that a female student was subjected to sexual harassment in the university premises.

“These students should give an assurance that the university’s academic staff or student counsellors will not be harassed in any form in the future if they want lectures to resume,” he said.

Professor Kumara said this is the first time that student counsellors and academic staff were subjected to a student attack in the history of Colombo University, regarded as one of the top seats of learning in Asia.

He said students should accept and respect the legal duties and responsibilities of student counsellors in times of student unrest in the future and their legal rights to intervene such matters should not be infringed.

”Our association throughout its history has directly got involved in getting their problems solved . We have stood up against injustices,” Professor Kumara said.

The Association also called for a disciplinary action against those involved in the assault and damaging university properties estimated to over Rs. 1.5 million.

Dr. Premakumara de Silva, Lecturers Dhamma Dissanayake and Mahesh Senanayake also spoke.