Stalin accuses Minister Weerasekera of lying

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The government tarnished the reputation of the country by forcefully taking people from the court complex, in broad daylight, against court orders, General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) Joseph Stalin yesterday told The Island. The government, which blatantly flaunted the rule of law, now had no right to accuse anyone of damaging Sri Lanka’s international image, he said.

The government was endangering the lives of the Opposition activists by packing them off to quarantine centres and placing them in unsafe environments, Stalin added

Stalin, who is currently undergoing quarantine at the Mullaitivu Air Force Base, said that they had been forcibly taken from Court premises on Thursday even though the Magistrate said she had no powers to order them to be quarantined.

Stalin and 32 others were arrested on Thursday while protesting against the Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) bill. The police used a directive issued by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) banning public demonstrations.

“I heard yesterday morning that Minister of Law and Order, Sarath Weerasekera saying that we were given tooth brushes, medicine and clothes at the Negombo Police Station. That is all lies,” he said.

One of those arrested needed an inhaler and the Negombo Police refused to get one claiming that it cost Rs. 1,200, Stalin said.

“We were given a quarter of a loaf of bread and a banana each at Chilaw Police station and we were taken to the Mullaitivu quarantine centre in the wee hours of Friday. We didn’t get any food till past 10 am. I am saying this because we expect good treatment, I am telling this because the Minister is lying about how we were treated.”

Stalin said that the police had no right to arrest protesters using the directive of the DGHS because it was not a law. The actions of the government showed its desperation.