Police violated human rights of HNDA students – HRC determines

The Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka in its report on the police assault on HNDA students holds that the police had violated the human rights of the HNDA students. 

The Commission hence recommends compensation to be paid to the students by police and disciplinary action taken against those responsible.

The report recommends a sum of Rs 25,000 as compensation to the female student who is currently hospitalised as a result of the attack and Rs 15,000 each for the 8 other students who were wounded.

The HRC decided to investigate the attack on Higher National Diplomas in Accountancy (HNDA) students by police, during a protest staged at Ward Place in Colombo on October 29. 

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe also appointed a committee headed by Dr. B. M. S. Batagoda to investigate into the attack while the National Police Commission launched a separate probe.

Police had arrested 39 students including two monks who had engaged in the protest, demanding that the Higher National Diploma in Accountancy be made equivalent to a degree programme and against curtailing the four year programme by one year.

The protesters, who were blocking the road at Ward Place near the University Grants Commission (UGC), were met with tear gas and water cannons as they refused to disperse.