University protests receive outside funding

Colombo (News1st) - Minister of Higher Education Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa claims that University Students are being funded by external parties to carry out political activities and create political crises. Addressing a media briefing in Colomb Yesterday Minister Rajapaksa claimed that people do not think of education when they think about Sri Lanka's university system, instead, they think of protests and demonstrations. The Minister claimed that most of the students' organisations spent a majority of their time over the past 2 years on the road due to the issued that had about SAITM. Rajapaksa stated that they will strictly implement the law with regards to ragging and explained that even tribes in Africa do not engage in harmful behaviour of this nature. He added that there are gangs that have formed in the Universities and that they operate safehouses for their activities. The Minister of Higher Education noted that students are being funded by external parties and that the ministry would reveal everything as soon as they gather enough proof.  Min. Wijeyadasa claimed that there is no point in students setting up huts and engaging in fasts without informing the ministry of what they required, he believes that this shows that they want to create an issue and not actually resolve issues that they face. The Inter University Students' Federation (IUSF) also convened a media briefing yesterday to counter the views expressed by the Minister of Higher Education. Convenor of the IUSF Lahiru Weerasekara speaking at the occasion noted that everything that was expressed by the Minister of Higher Education was opinions and decisions reached with the vice-chancellors of the university who are puppets for the administration. The IUSF also challenged the Minister to reveal details of their alleged backers.