A Tamil school in Sri Lanka’s war-affected north are under duress due to extensive probes conducted by the anti-terrorism police into an art installation at an inter-house sports meet six months ago. The school’s principal, teachers, and students had been summoned to the police and interrogated regarding the same.
Shedding light on the stressful situation experienced by the teachers of the Konavil Tamil College in Killinochchi, schoolteacher Innasimuttu Satyaseelan has pointed out that the police’s conduct is tantamount to a restriction of the Tamil people’s freedom of expression.
“This is one of the situations that psychologically affects the teachers who produce an educated community. At the same time, this amounts to a restriction of the Tamil community’s freedom of expression. This shows that the government treats the Tamil people as second-class citizens.”
The government action while claiming to establish reconciliation and harmony between ethnic groups was slammed as ‘ridiculous’ by the country’s foremost teachers union
At the inter-house sports meet held at the Konavil Tamil College on 14 March 2024, a structure, highlighting the traditional habitats of Tamils in Sri Lanka adorned the entrance to one of the houses.
After the student handiwork went viral on social media platforms, at the request of the Northern Province Education Department, officials of the Killinochchi (South) Zonal Education Office had visited the school, and drafted a report after discussions with the school’s principal, vice-principal, deputy principal, teachers who were in charge of the houses, and the student leaders of each house.
According to Satyaseelan, officers attached to the Counter-Terrorism Investigation Division’s (CTID) Paranthan unit in Killinochchi had visited the school a week after the incident, and had recorded statements from the school’s principal, deputy principal, and several teachers about the said structure.
Later, the school’s principal had been summoned to the CTID’s Paranthan unit, where a statement was recorded from him for about four hours.
Satyaseelan further revealed that two students, who participated in that fancy dress contest held during the inter-house sports meet, had also been summoned to the CTID’s Paranthan unit along with their parents, and had been interrogated about their performances.
He explained that after the school authorities informed Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) of the continuing harassment, CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin had inquired about the police involvement from the Northern Provincial Education Department and the CTID in Colombo.
Subsequently, CTID interrogations had come to a temporary halt.
However, according to Satyaseelan, an unidentified group had been roaming around the school during that period in vehicles registered with the North-Central and Western Provinces.
On 1 August, several teachers of the school had again been summoned to the CTID’s Paranthan unit on 8 August.
After learning of the resumption of police probe, CTU Leader Stalin had intervened. Satyaseelan explained that in that context, the anti-terrorism police had informed the said teachers that it was not necessary to be present at the CTID to record statements.
However, at around 7.30 a.m. on 13 August, CTID’s Paranthan unit’s officers who arrived at the school had ordered the school’s vice-principal and three teachers to be present at the unit at 10 a.m. on the same day. They had been asked to record a statement once at the unit.
Pointing out that the school’s sports teacher was also summoned to the CTID’s Paranthan unit on 14 August, Satyaseelan stressed that the police did not reveal what offence had been committed by the teachers and students.
“House decorations reveal the status quo. In the south, armoured military vehicles had been exhibited. If the display of the tragedies and crises experienced by us in our land is an issue, it tells of how we are being treated.”
“How can we think about ethnic reconciliation under these circumstances? This is a form of art. If you find it unacceptable, think about our mental status as we have actually experienced it.”
Noting that the anti-terrorism police’s conduct has violated the rights of school students and teachers, the CTU questioned the relevant authorities as to whether students do not have a right to artistically present the areas in Sri Lanka.
