Sadukin pelenavun – den ithin duvapiyav! (Graduate protest tear gassed) — Sri Lanka Education Forum

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Sadukin pelenavun – den ithin duvapiyav! (Graduate protest tear gassed)

Posted on October 6, 2007 / 4 Comments

(LeN, 2007 Oct 05 6.20 PM) Police attacked the Yovun Diriya job prospective graduates with tear gas, water jets and baton charges today. The graduates were sitting in the Colombo Fort Telecom roundabout since yesterday protesting peacefully.

The Chairman of the Graduates Collective Prasad Bandara Herath said to ‘LeN’ that 20 protesters were hospitalized and around 20 more have been taken into police custody.

The male, female and bhikku protesters as well as the commuters, pedestrians and the shop dwellers were put in severe inconvenience by the police assault.

Herath said that the graduates were assaulted within 24 hours they asked for an appointment with the President to discuss their woes, not granting appointments to 2088 graduates who were trained under Yovun Diriya training. He warned that the graduates would resort to a fast unto death if a discussion would not be given within the next few days.

A police spokesman said to ‘LeN’ that the protesters disturbed the public who were traveling to work and a court order was taken based on their complaints to disperse them. The order was read to them and minimum power was used to dissolve the group since they insisted they needed a discussion with the President.

Source: http://www.lankaenews.com/English

4 Comments

Sean
October 7, 2007, 3:44 am
- Reply
There goes the Freedom of Expression up in smoke!

Water Cannons, Battons & Tear Gas treatment instead of jobs!

S-H-A-M-E!
Justmal
October 7, 2007, 4:09 am
- Reply
Oh shut up Sean. These people were given temporary placements in private firms by Ranil. They all got fired because of their attitude and lack of skills.
Sean
October 7, 2007, 3:47 pm
- Reply
Justmal – Asking me to ‘Shut up’ is trying to deprive my Freedom of Expression. Not very Democratic!

So, is this how it works now, those who get placements under one government get kickedout by the next?

What do you suggest, shoot them dead next time so the problem will be solved for good?

I thought these were Sri lankans like you & I!

PEACE!
Student In Uni
October 11, 2007, 9:04 pm
- Reply
I don’t think they deserved the treatment metered out by the police!. Also if someone did promise them Jobs on Paper…then they should get it. However I don’t think the government should (although they promise, and did) give out jobs to unemployed graduates wholesale….that is to say OK so since u got selected to University…we oughtta give you a job. There is a school of thought that since the govt has spent at least 100,000 or more(I don’t have the correct figures) on each undergraduate, the country should give them a job as well to reap the benefits, but those who shout at these are really the lower end of the spectrum, the ones who certainly didn’t spend their time studying most of the time. Are there no jobs in Sri Lanka ? – well read the employment opportunities pages on a Sunday newspaper will certainly give you a different message…

And what about those who didn’t make it to Uni – the majority….doesn’t the government need to give a cent to their future ? (Well apart from improving the Vocational Skills etc). I just cannot agree that anyone who enters a Uni should get a “free ticket” to a job. It is when such ppl with lethargic, negative attitudes enter the public sector, that it adds to the woes of the public sector productivity.