Forced quarantine of protestors: Teachers’ unions refuse to teach online

Glocal
By Editor_1
Members of the Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) and several civil society organizations stage a joint protest at the Town Hall in Colombo, against the arrest and forced quarantine of protestors accused of allegedly violating COVID-health regulations.  Over 40 individuals, including IUSF Convener, Ven. Rathkarawwa Jinarathana Thera and the Ceylon Teachers' Union General-Secretary, Joseph Stalin were arrested on Thursday (8) and forced into quarantine after they were released on bail by the Magistrate’s Court. Members of 18 teachers’ unions stayed away from online lessons on Monday (12) in an indefinite protest strike demanding the release of their quarantine colleagues – J. Sujeewakumar/ENCL
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COLOMBO – Eighteen school teacher unions in Sri Lanka stayed away from computers, tabs and smartphones on Monday (12), refusing to conduct online lessons in an indefinite protest of what they call the forced quarantine of 16 union members.

The Ceylon Independent Teachers’ Services Union (ITSU) and 17 other unions representing school principals and teachers engaged in online distance education in light of the pandemic are now on strike in solidarity with the quarantined activists, the union said in a joint statement.

Among the unions’ demands is the release of the Secretary-General of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU), Joseph Stalin, and 15 others who the unions charge were forcibly sent off to a quarantine centre in Mullaitivu, after they were released on bail Friday afternoon (9).

The teachers’ unions also demand solutions to teacher principal salary anomalies and problems in online teaching.

Meanwhile, Director of Catholic Schools, Fr Gamunu Dias, said on Sunday (11), the Catholic schools were also joining the teachers’ protest as they stand for the rights of education in the country,  and said they would abstain from teaching online classes from Monday.

Sri Lanka police arrested over 40 protestors in Colombo and elsewhere on Thursday (8) for allegedly violating quarantine regulations, even as government supporters were seen celebrating the swearing-in of Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa by lighting firecrackers and gathering in small groups.

A majority of the arrests were made at a protest held near parliament in Sri Jayewardenepura, Kotte, against the proposed Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) bill.

Thirty-one people including Stalin were arrested near the parliament roundabout. The protest was jointly organized by the Inter-University Students Federation (IUSF), the Sri Lanka Teachers’ Union and the Frontline Socialist Party.

The protestors were granted bail but were subsequently packed off in buses to be quarantined, citing a communiqué from the Director General Health Services, Dr Asela Gunawardena, that protests and public meetings must be temporarily banned in light of the COVID-19 situation.

On Friday, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa questioned the legal basis for directing individuals who were released on bail without even a PCR test.

“Police arrested the protestors and produced them in court where they were given bail,” Premadasa told parliament, and questioned,  “How do they decide to quarantine people who got bailed, without doing an antigen or PCR test?”

Minister of Public Security Sarath Weerasekara maintained the decision to quarantine the protestors was taken by the PHIs. However, media reports quoting Chairman of PHI Union, Upul Rohana, said no such consultation had taken place.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka said Sunday (11) authorities should not use quarantine rules to suppress peaceful protest, violating constitutional rights of the people, especially when they are bailed out by courts.

The top United Nations official in Colombo also said Sri Lanka should not use quarantine rules to suppress peaceful protest.

-economynext.com/ENCL

 

 

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