New Delhi: A group of over 150 international academics recently issued a statement condemning the crackdown on protesters in Sri Lanka on July 22, a day after new President Ranil Wickremesinghe took office.Sri Lankan security forces raided the protest camp, set up in April on government grounds by angry citizens in response to the country’s unprecedented economic crisis which saw widespread shortages of food, fuel and other essentials, and cleared out a section of it early on July 22. Also read: Several Hurt as Sri Lankan Forces Raid Anti-Government Protest CampReports had come in of soldiers in riot gear marching through the area of the ‘Gota Go Gama’ camp – a jibe at ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa – and tore down the rows of tents which flanked the main road.Protest organisers claimed that upwards of 50 protesters had been injured, while the government claimed that only two had been injured and nine arrested.Videos also emerged online showing protesters being manhandled by troops.This is what is going on @ Colombo right now. Is this what Colombo elites who supported @RW_UNP wanted? Look how your leader’s goons are assaulting civilians & media personnel.#lka #SriLanka #GoHomeRanil #HumanRightsViolations #HumanRights #අරගලයටජය pic.twitter.com/zQYq9IIaPz— Prasad Welikumbura (@Welikumbura) July 21, 2022Expressing their full condemnation of the state violence on the non-violent protesters, the academics, in the statement, noted that they were “aghast at reports that five of the protestors were abducted and tortured by security force personnel; violently beaten, forced to kneel on rocks and perform extremely tedious exercises whilst being threatened with death if they tried to escape.”“Nine protest leaders were also arbitrarily arrested and detained by the police,” the statement read.The academics also took note of the fact that the crackdown on the protesters came less than a day after incumbent President Wickremesinghe took charge, calling it shocking and saying that it “sends distressing signals of his method of governance”.Protesters had decried Wickremesinghe election as President as he is seen as being close to the Rajapaksas, and had feared a crackdown after he assumed office.“Over the last several months the protestors have been inspiring and disciplined in exercising basic democratic rights to call attention to the crisis. This space for resistance has also been used for educational purposes, with a university and library, advancing knowledge to all groups of people. The reference to protestors as ‘fascist’ is totally inaccurate, inappropriate and damaging; it weaponises the term to provide an excuse for the use of extreme force,” the statement reads.Also read: Sri Lanka’s Presidential Secretariat Is Now a Buzzing Library Overseen by ProtestorWith respect to the comment on “fascists”. The statement was referring to Wickremesinghe first public address after being sworn in as President, wherein he had called for an end to the “fascist threat to democracy” in the country and vowing to “restore normalcy”. The statement described the crackdown on protesters as Wickremesinghe “following in the footsteps of his predecessors” and called it “deeply alarming”, noting how it adversely portrays the prospects the country is facing vis-a-vis its leadership.“It is disheartening and telling that one of his first actions in office was to attack the people rather than take steps to address the suffering of the people,” the statement read.As such, the statement laid out the demands of the undersigned academics, chief among them being for the Wickremesinghe government to desist from the use of force against the non-violent protesters and “reduce the current extreme military presence around the protest site at the Galle Face Green in Colombo and around the country including the north and east”.Further, the statement called on the government to investigate the reports of the use of extreme force and torture against the protesters and hold those responsible for the same to account.“The Sri Lankan constitution guarantees Sri Lankans fundamental rights including freedom of speech, expression and peaceful assembly; in addition, these are internationally guaranteed rights which Sri Lanka is committed to protect,” the statement concludes.The government’s crackdown had garnered widespread backlash, even from the international community, with the American ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung and British high commissioner to Sri Lanka Sarah Hulton expressing their concerns over the violence online.Deeply concerned about actions taken against protestors at Galle Face in the middle of the night. We urge restraint by authorities & immediate access to medical attention for those injured.— Ambassador Julie Chung (@USAmbSL) July 22, 2022Very concerned about reports from the Galle Face protest site. We have made clear the importance of the right to peaceful protest— Sarah Hulton OBE (@SarahHultonFCDO) July 21, 2022Following the criticism, Wickremesinghe told Colombo-based foreign envoys that his government would allow non-violent protests in the country to continue.“President Ranil Wickremesinghe has reaffirmed Sri Lanka’s commitment to upholding the rights of peaceful, non–violent assembly,” a statement from his office read.Below is a full list of academics who signed the statement condemning the violence against the protesters:Dr. Farah Mihlar, Lecturer, University of Exeter, United KingdomVasuki Nesiah, Professor of Human Rights and International Law, The Gallatin School, New York University, USAKanchana N Ruwanpura, Professor of Human Geography, University of Gothenburg, SwedenProfessor David Ludden, Department of History, New York UniversityArjun Guneratne, Professor Anthropology, Macalester College, U.S.A.Dr. Ashwini Vasanthakumar, Associate Professor, Queen’s Law School, CanadaDr. Cheran Rudhramoorthy, Associate Professor, University of Windsor, CanadaDr. Amarnath Amarasingam, Assistant Professor, Queen’s University, Ontario, CanadaProf. Dr. Maarten Bavinck, University of Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDr. Neena Mahadev, USASharryn Aiken, Associate Professor, Queen’s University Faculty of Law, CanadaMark Balmforth, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Toronto, CanadaSuresh Canagarajah, Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Applied Linguistics and English, Pennsylvania State University, USAProfessor John Harriss, Professor Emeritus, Simon Fraser University, CanadaYalini Dream, Visiting Artist, University of San Francisco IME and Human Rights Education, USADr. Nalika Gajaweera, Los Angeles, USAPatricia Jeffery, Emerita Professor, University of EdinburghNeil DeVotta, Professor, Wake Forest UniversityDr. Narayani Sritharan, Global Research Institute at William & Mary, USAPradeep Sangapala, PhD Candidate, University of Alberta, CanadaV.V. Ganeshananthan, Associate Professor of English, University of Minnesota, USANimanthi Perera-Rajasingham, Associate Professor of English and Women’s Studies, Colgate University, USARoger Jeffery, Professor of Sociology of South Asia, University of Edinburgh, UKMythri Jegathesan, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Santa Clara University, USAVeena Das,FBA, Research Professor, Johns Hopkins UniversitySonali Perera, Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, USADeborah Philip, PhD Candidate in Anthropology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, USA.Jennifer Robertson, Professor Emerita, Anthropology, University of MichiganAnne M. Blackburn, Professor, Cornell University, USARajesh Venugopal, Associate Professor, LSE, UKBart Klem, Associate Professor, Gothenburg University, SwedenDennis McGilvray, Professor of Anthropology emeritus, University of Colorado, USADr. John Paolillo, Associate Professor, Indiana University, USA.Jonathan Goodhand, Professor, SOAS – University of London, U.K.Vivian Choi, Associate Professor of Anthropology, St. Olaf College, USARajeswari Sunder Rajan, USADaniel Bass, South Asia Program Manager & Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anthropology & Asian Studies, Cornell University, USAH L Seneviratne, Professor of Anthropology, Emeritus, University of Virginia, USADr Rachel Seoighe, Senior lecturer in Criminology, University of Kent, UKDr. Tayyab Mahmud. Professor of Law, Seattle University, USAProf. E. Valentine Daniel, Retired Professor of Anthropology, Columbia University, USAKamala Visweswaran, USAThushara Hewage, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Ottawa, CanadaIndrani Chatterjee, USA.Patrick Olivelle, USASanjay Reddy, Associate Professor of Economics, The New School for Social Research, USAGayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Columbia University, USARitty Lukose, Associate Professor, Gallatin School, New York University, USAJeevan R Sharma, Senior Lecturer in South Asia and International Development,, University of EdinburghSamanthi Gunawardana, Senior Lecturer in Gender and Development, Monash University Australia.Robert Perinbanayagam, Professor of Sociology (Emeritus), Hunter College, New York, USAJanice Leoshko, Associate Professor, University of Texas, USAJeanne Marecek, Professor of Psychology (Emerita), Swarthmore College, USADr Charishma Ratnam, Research Fellow in Human Geography, Monash University AustraliaProfessor Cynthia Caron, Professor of International Development, Clark University, USASwati Birla, Doctoral candidate, University of Massachusetts Amherst Sisira Jayasuriya, Professor of Economics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.Mridula Nath Chakraborty, Literary and Cultural Studies, Monash University AustraliaKanishka Jayasuriya , Professor of Politics and International Studies, Murdoch University , AustraliaLylah D’Souza, Artist, Melbourne, AustraliaBina Fernandez, Associate Professor Development Studies, University of Melbourne, AustraliaAntony Anghie, Professor, University of Utah, USAAli Saha, Teaching Associate and Researcher, Monash University, AustraliaRoanna Gonsalves, Creative Writing, University of New South Wales, AustraliaEleanor Gordon, Monash University, AustraliaDr Nirukshi Perera, Curtin University and Tamil Studies Research Network, AustraliaDr Niro Kandasamy, University of Sydney and Tamil Studies Research Network, AustraliaDr Alice Whitmore, Warrnambool, AustraliaBambi Chapin, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Maryland Baltimore County, U.S.A.Dr. Tanuja Thurairajah, SwitzerlandSuvendrini Perera, John Curtin Distinguished Emeritus Professor, Curtin University, AustraliaSreejata Paul, Assistant Professor of English, Shiv Nadar University, IndiaTejaswini Ganti, Associate Professor of Anthropology, New York University, USADr. Prashanth Kuganathan, Postdoctoral Teaching Associate/Lecturer, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USADr. Eva Ambos, GermanyDr. Francesca Bremner, Adjunct Professor, City University of New York/Montclair State University, NJ. USA.Michelle de Kretser, Writer, Sydney, Australia.Nari Senanayake, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of Kentucky, USANivedita Menon, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, IndiaJinee Lokaneeta, Professor, Drew University, NJ, USA.Meredith Jones, Professor of Gender and Culture, Brunel University London.Annee Lawrence, Writer, Sydney, AustraliaDr Alessandra Mezzadri, Senior Lecturer, SOAS – University of London, U.K.Jonathan Spencer, Regius Professor, University of EdinburghDr. Rapti Siriwardane-de Zoysa, Senior Scientist, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Research, GermanyDr Gayatri Jai Singh Rathore, ATER, University of Lille, FranceDr. Papia Sengupta, Assistant Professor. Jawaharlal Nehru University. Delhi. IndiaDr Heloise Weber, Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Development, The University of QueenslandSayan Dey, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of WitwatersrandDr Nipesh Palat Narayanan, University of Grenoble, France.Tobias Kelly, Professor of Political and Legal Anthropology, University of EdinburghDr. Joeri Scholtens, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.Mohammad Shahabuddin, Professor of International Law & Human Rights, University of Birmingham, UKDr. Nilanjana Premaratna, Lecturer in International Politics, Newcastle University, UKDr. Thiruni Kelegama, Lecturer in South Asian Studies, University of Oxford, UKSharika Thiranagama, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Stanford University, USASujit Sivasundaram, Professor of World History, University of Cambridge, UK.Dr Martin Weber, Senior Lecturer, International Relations, The University of Queensland, Australia.Dr Kiran Grewal, Goldsmiths College, London, UK.Dr. John Kurien, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, IndiaGananath Obeyesekere, Emeritus Professor, Princeton University, USA.Dr. Ranjini Obeyesekere, Retired Professor, Princeton University, USA.Themal Ellawala, Doctoral candidate, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA.Hans Oberdiek, Research Professor, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore PA USARupal Oza, Professor, Hunter College, CUNYGoldie Osuri, Professor, University of Warwick, UK.Aradhana Sharma, Associate Professor, Wesleyan University, USALisa Mitchell, Professor, Dept. of South Asia Studies, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USANitya Rao, Professor, University of East Anglia, UKFarida Khan, Professor of Economics, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, USAMadhumita Dutta, Assistant Professor, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USADr. Missaka Hettiarachchi, Melbourne, AustraliaSmita Ramnarain, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island, Kingston RI, USA.Luc Bulten, Lecturer, Radboud University Nijmegen, The NetherlandsMadu Galappaththi, PhD Candidate, University of Waterloo, CanadaRagnhild Lund, Professor Emerita, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway.Annu Palakunnathu Matthew, Professor of Art, University of Rhode Island, USACharles Hallisey, Yehan Numata Senior Lecturer on Buddhist Literatures, Harvard University, USA.Dr Alexander McKinley, Adjunct Professor, Loyola University Chicago & Lake Forest College, USADr. Eranga Galappaththi, Professor, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and state University (Virginia Tech), USASunil Bastian, Independent Researcher/Writer, UKM. Shobhana Xavier, Assistant Professor, Queen’s University, Kingston, CanadaPaula Chakravartty, Associate Professor, New York University, USASubah Dayal, Assistant Professor, NYU Gallatin, USANidhi Srinivas, Associate Professor of Management, The New School, New York City, USAGarrett Field, Associate Professor, Ohio University, USADr. Sunil Siriwardena, Consultant, UKJanice Leoshko, Associate Professor, University of Texas, USADr. Justin Henry, Georgia College & State University, USAPaul Halliday, Julian Bishko Prof. of History and Prof. of Law, University of Virginia, USAChandan Reddy, Associate Professor, University of Washington, USAM. Neelika JayawardaneAssociate Professor, State University of New York-Oswego, USASatya P. Mohanty, Professor, Cornell University, USADr. Annelies Goger, Maryland, USARohini Sen, London, United KingdomPrabha Kotiswaran, Professor of Law and Social Justice, King’s College Londondaniel dillon, PhD, University of Texas at AustinDr. Tsigkas Alexios, University of Zurich, SwitzerlandDr. Dalmia Katyayani, University of Zurich, SwitzerlandChandra Talpade Mohanty, Syracuse University, USADr. Rohan Mukherjee, SingaporeS. Charusheela, Professor, University of Washington BothellChaumtoli Huq, Associate Professor of Law, CUNY School of LawSmriti Rao, Assumption University, USAProfessor G Patel University of Virginia, USADr. Derek Johnson, Professor of Anthropology, University of Manitoba, CanadaSara Shroff, Lahore University of Management Sciences, PakistanMaria Ritzema, Associate Professor, USADina M. Siddiqi, New York University, USA.Dr. Devaka Gunawardena, USADr Jayanthi Lingham, Research Associate, University of Sheffield, UKR.L. Stirrat.University of Sussex, UKSusan Reed, Associate Professor, Bucknell University, USAAmjad Saleem, SWITZERLANDSubhash Jaireth, Canberra, AUSTRALIADia da Costa, Professor, University of Alberta, CanadaDr. Anooradha Iyer Siddiqi, Barnard College Columbia University, USADr. Osama Siddique, Law & Policy Research Network (LPRN), Pakistan
