Sri Lanka’s State Intelligence Services (SIS) has filed a report against the principal of the Koppay Teaching College, S Laleesan, accusing him of‘ provoking the Tamil youth to rise up and disturb the ethnic harmony’ at a panel discussion last year.
The SIS report has been filed with Sri Lanka’s education ministry, which has reportedly launched an investigation into Laleesan’s remarks, which were delivered during a panel discussion on December 10, 2023.
The discussion, organised by the University of Jaffna, was entitled “The Rise of Youth Organizations in the Eelam Tamil Community, a Necessity or Unnecessary.”
Following the SIS report, the Additional Secretary for the Disciplinary Division of the Ministry of Education Samanthi Weerasinghe had asked for the regional department to conduct an investigation. A comprehensive report has been sought by the education ministry, who warned that “relevant action” may need to be taken.
The intelligence monitoring and subsequent investigation has been condemned by the Jaffna Teachers Union who said it violated the individual's fundamental right to freedom of expression.
Sri Lankan intelligence are known to routinely monitor events across the Tamil homeland, where tens of thousands of Sri Lankan troops remain stationed. It remains one of the most militarised regions in the world per capita.
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