Facebook icon
Twitter icon
e-mail icon

University of Colombo Teachers reject Rajapaksa’s appointment of a Sinhala Buddhist Monk as Chancellor

Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero and Mahinda Rajapaksa l Photo credits: Newsin.asia

In a statement, the University of Colombo’s Science Teachers’ Association (UCSTA) expressed that they are “greatly perturbed by the recent appointment of Ven Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero to the post of the Chancellor of the University of Colombo.”

The UCSTA highlighted that “even though the Chancellor’s role is mostly ceremonial, the person who holds the position ideally should have a track record of flawless professional and personal integrity, whose reputation and credentials will assist the University in furthering its reputation and credibility nationally and internationally,”

“We believe that the Thero’s association with a well-known trade union and his political affiliations will not be helpful for advancing Universities’ interests within the local, national and international spheres and express our extreme disappointment in this appointment,” the UCSTA added.

Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa controversially appointed Buddhist Monk Ven Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero. In a speech earlier this week, Rajapaksa stated the monk had “helped this government to come into power.” 

“The Thero helped this government to come into power. The Thero made contributions from the time of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. That’s true,” Rajapaksa continued. 

Read more here: Returning a favour? Rajapaksa explains why a Sinhala Buddhist monk was appointed university chancellor

The UCSTA’s disapproval is one of many. The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA), the Colombo University’s Academic Federation, the Faculty of Medicine Teachers’ Association (FMTA), and the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) have all condemned the appointment as well.

Read the UCSTA’s full statement here.

We need your support

Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.

Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view

We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.

For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.