Mora-watte, Sri Lanka – The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) at the University of Michigan is condemning the violent attack on two members of the Socialist Equality Party (SEP) in Sri Lanka by pro-government thugs. The attack took place on November 30, 2023, at the University of Moratuwa and left the victims with serious injuries.
Dehin Wasantha, a veteran university worker and advocate for workers’ rights and socialism, was one of the targets of the attack, along with Lakshman Fernando, a full-time SEP party worker. The assailants, president and secretary of the Moratuwa university branch of Podujana Pragathishili Sevaka Sangamaya (PPSS), a trade union affiliated with the ruling Sri Lankan Podujana Peramuna party, used long wooden clubs during the assault.
Fernando sustained injuries to his face and back, while Wasantha suffered two fractured fingers and had to take nearly a month’s medical leave. The attack occurred as the two SEP members were campaigning for party meetings on the Centenary of Trotskyism. The SEP (Sri Lanka) and its sister parties in the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) have been campaigning in defense of Fernando and Wasantha and the SEP’s democratic right to conduct political campaigns.
The response from the University of Michigan’s IYSSE has been to express solidarity with the victims and has joined workers, students, and academics internationally in sending protest letters to the Sri Lankan attorney general and the vice chancellor of the University of Moratuwa, demanding maximum legal action against the perpetrators.
The case has been presented to a judge at the Moratuwa Magistrate Court, with the magistrate ordering the case to be referred to a mandatory Mediation Board. The case will be recalled to court on May 20.
The IYSSE at the University of Michigan, in a letter, strongly denounces the attacks against SEP members, emphasizing the urgent need for a movement that unifies the international working class. This call for unity and action comes in the wake of similar instances of suppression of democratic rights at universities worldwide, highlighting the ruling class’s opposition to open and respectful discussion.
The violent attacks highlight the ruling class’s commitment to maintaining their power and privilege, as they resort to physical repression and ideological intimidation to suppress dissent against their pro-war, pro-capitalist agenda. The IYSSE and the SEP are calling for global solidarity and a united movement to counter this suppression and promote a general strike and empowerment of the rank and file as the only means to prevent a world war.
The letter addresses the urgency for the International Committee of the Fourth International to mobilize workers to overcome global capitalism and fight against the repression of political activity in all forms. The call to action extends to all who are concerned about defending democratic rights of freedom of expression, urging them to register their opposition by sending protest letters to relevant authorities.
This plea for action from the IYSSE at the University of Michigan comes at a time when the desperation of the ruling class is evident in its violent outbursts, presenting a unique opportunity for the movement to organize and counter the increasing suppression of democratic rights. The IYSSE urges workers and youth to join the fight for socialism and to stand against the ruling class’s attempts to suppress political activity.
The appeal for support and solidarity underscores the IYSSE’s commitment to defending the democratic rights of freedom of expression and unifying the international working class in the face of repression and violent attacks.