Police have arrested two members of the national school teacher transfer board during an agitation by student monks at the Education Ministry, charges the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU).
A tense situation ensued after monks from the Buddhist and Pali University stormed the premises yesterday afternoon (23).
As they staged a protest, police arrived and arrested some of them.
Meanwhile, Journalists for Democracy – Sri Lanka alleges Samith Harshanatha and Nalaka de Silva, two senior office bearers of Sri Lanka Government Teachers Association were ruthlessly assaulted and arrested by police while they were attending a transfer board meeting with ministry officials.
The two, currently held at Thalangama police station, have been accused of using their mobile phones to film the riot police brutally attacking the protesting students, it also said.
CTU’s secretary Joseph Stalin went to the police station, but was not permitted to see them.
He told the media that they would decide action in consultation with the entire education system, if they were not released.
Lawyer Nuwan Bopage spoke with regard to the arrest of IUSF convener Wasantha Mudalige and the student monks.
He said Mudalige’s life was in danger, and questioned as to why the arrestees were being kept separately.
