Three students from the University of Jaffna, including prominent student leaders, have been summoned for questioning by the occupying Sri Lankan police as investigations continue into the hoisting of a black flag, as a mark of protest on Sri Lanka’s Independence Day.
Written notices were issued through the University Registrar instructing the students to appear before investigators. Those summoned include the President of the University Students’ Union and the President of the Faculty of Arts Students’ Union.
The letter, dated the 13th, directed the students to present themselves for inquiry at 9:30 a.m. on the 16th. However, it was only handed over to the students on the 17th, leading to confusion over whether they are required to attend the inquiry.
The summons form part of an ongoing investigation into the incident in which the Sri Lankan lion flag was lowered and a black flag raised within the university premises on Independence Day, an act widely seen as a political expression reflecting Tamil opposition to the state.
Following the incident, an internal university inquiry was conducted by a committee comprising the professor in charge of ethnic harmony, the Student Disciplinary Officer, and the Chief Security Officer. The findings were subsequently submitted to the University Grants Commission.
Based on that inquiry, 30 individuals, including two female students, were identified as being directly connected to the protest.
During the university-level investigation, students reportedly stated that their actions were intended to express that Sri Lanka’s Independence Day cannot be considered a meaningful day for Tamils, so long as the aspirations of the Tamil nation are not accorded due recognition.
Parallel to the internal inquiry, the Sri Lankan police’s Jaffna District Crime Prevention Division has initiated a separate police investigation. On the 11th, Sri Lankan police officers entered the university premises in a vehicle and conducted questioning for approximately three hours with the Vice-Chancellor and the Registrar, recording their statements.
The move drew condemnation from students, who criticised the presence of police within the university and the prolonged questioning of senior university officials on campus.
As part of the ongoing probe, statements are also being recorded from university security officers who were on duty at the time of the incident, as well as from several identified students.
The summoning of student union leaders marks a further escalation in the investigation, raising concerns over the criminalisation of political expression within university spaces in the Tamil homeland.
