Students of the University of Jaffna staged a protest on Wednesday demanding the unconditional release of two Tamil farmers who have been remanded in custody over allegations of damaging an archaeological site in the Mullaitivu district.
The two farmers, Samithamby Egambaram and Sri Rathinam Gajaruban, were arrested and presented before the Mullaitivu Magistrate’s Court on May 29 and were ordered to be remanded until June 7.
The protest, held in front of the University of Jaffna, was led by the university’s Student Union.
Addressing the media, Union President Dayabaran Ligirdhar strongly condemned the racially discriminatory actions of several state institutions, including the Department of Archaeology, the Sri Lanka Police, and the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
“These arrests are part of an ongoing pattern of state institutions targeting Tamil civilians under the guise of legal and conservation work. We view these actions as illegal and deeply racist. The two farmers in question are innocent, and we demand their immediate and unconditional release,” he said.
He also raised concerns over the conduct of state officials in relation to land use and archaeological claims in the Northern Province, alleging that these actions are being used to marginalise Tamil communities and restrict their traditional livelihoods.
The protest comes amid heightened tensions surrounding land rights and archaeological claims in the North and East, where Tamil farmers and civil society groups have increasingly raised concerns about state interventions in areas historically inhabited by local communities.