Photo TamilNet

Over one thousand Jaffna university students walked out of lectures and staged a demonstration on Wednesday, reported Tamilnet.

See full article by Tamilnet here.

Protesters condemned what they described as the Sri Lankan government's complicity in the spate of sexual attacks on Tamil women by individuals widely believed to be closely associated with Sri Lanka's security forces.

Students carried placards openly condemning 'ethnic cleansing' and the security forces for being 'shelters for perpetrators'. Some symbolically tied black cloths over their mouths to protest Sri Lanka's brutal crackdown on freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

Tamilnet reports this is the first such mass uprising in around two years.

The ruling regime's determined militarisation of the North-East and the Sri Lankan state's support and endorsement of it, raise significant concerns over the safety of the student protesters.

Reprisal attacks on Tamil civilians by Sri Lanka's security forces and paramilitary forces are a real concern. Indeed, following previous such protests in recent weeks, 120 Tamil civilians were arrested and detained without charge.

Despite the flagrant criminality involved in the 'grease-devil' incidents various political and military figures, including the ultra-Sinhala nationalist JHU, have focused their outrage and condemnation on the civilians protesters, are no doubt inciting fear and paranoia amongst the Sinhala masses.

Indeed, just last week, Sri Lanka's prime minister rallied the Sinhala public to 'protect the government' against such civilian protests, shortly before Sri Lanka's military spokesperson decried such civilian protests a 'terrorist act' and defended the use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act when dealing with civilian protesters. 

This protest is the latest in a rising tide of resistance amongst Tamils in the North-East. With the militarisation of the North-East showing no signs of abating, the Jaffna students' resistance is no doubt a sign of things to come.